This dissertation has been microfilmed exactly as received 68—3055 PLUMMER Jr., Joseph Thornton, 1941- A SYSTEMATIC RESEARCH APPROACH TO TELEVISION PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT.
The Ohio State University,' Ph.D., 1967 Speech
University Microfilms, Inc., Ann Arbor, Michigan © Copyright by Joseph Thornton Plummer Jr.
1968 I
A SYSTEMATIC RESEARCH APPROACH TO
TELEVISION PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT
DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University
By Joseph Thornton Plummer Jr., B.A«, M«A«
The Ohio State University 1967
Approved by
Adviser7 Department of Speech PLEASE NOTE:
Part of dissertation is not original copy. Print is light and indistinct on many pages. Filmed as re ceived.
UNIVERSITY MICROFILMS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This study was made possible through a research grant from the National Association of Broadcasters.
Special appreciation is extended to WOSU-TV and the members of the staff, Gene Weiss and Merv Durea, who cooperated and added an important dimension to the study.
This writer’s adviser, Dr. Robert Monaghan,- has made a unique contribution to this study and to communications research which should be recognized. Without the intel lectual stimulation and assistance of Dr. Monaghan, this study would never have become a reality. This writer is indebted to Dr. Monaghan in ways that can never be adequately expressed.
There are many others who have contributed to this study and this writer’s growth, but space does not allow for such a lengthy list. To all of my friends, loved ones, teachers, and colleagues — thank you. This study is dedicated to Katharine and John
Christian who mean so much to me and my work. VITA
February 21, 1941 Born - Lewistown, Pennsylvania
1963. 9 0 0 0 0 0 B.Ao, Westminster College, New Wilmington, Pennsylvania
1964-1965 o o 6 o Graduate Resident Assistant, Mens Residence Hall System, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
1965...... M.A., The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
1965-1967 . * . . Assistant to Dean of Men, Mens Residence Hall System, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
1967. a 6 0 0 9 0 Accepted position with Leo Burnett Advertising Agency, Chicago as Research Analyst
FIELDS OF STUDY
Major Field: Communications
Studies in Psychology. Professors Maude Stewart and Wallace Fotheringham
Studies in Broadcasting. Professors James Lynch and Richard Mall
Studies in Communications Research and Theory. Pro fessors Franklin Knower, Robert Monaghan, and Edgar Dale CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ooooooooooeo«ooo xx VXTAQfttfOOOPOOOOOOOOOOaoflOO XXX
LIST OF TABLES ...... * • . . . . viii
Chapter I. THE STATE OF AFFAIRS OF TELEVISION AUDIENCE RESEARCH ...... 1
A problem for TV producers . . e . o . 1 Present commercial audience research services ...... 4 Communications research...... 8 Related communications research at OSU oo.oooeooooooooo 11
II. THE PROBLEM .AND THEORETIC RATIONALE . . 15
What is needed in audience research . 15 The problem ...ooood.aoo. 18 Underlying theory ...d...... 20
III. THE DESIGN OF THE RESEARCH APPROACH . • 32 The importance of a design ...... 32 The overall design ..o...... 33 The sample o.eaooo..aeo.a 34 Rationale for our multiple Step design ...o.o.aooooooa 37 Step Iooooo. .0090. oea. 37 Testing the basic idea for the program oo.ooooooo.o. 37 Step II ...ooooaoooooo. 39 Testing the proposed format(s) . . . 39
Step III . 0. 0. 0.00000000 42 Eliciting treatment variables . . . 42 Step IV .... o ...... o . 43 Testing "treatment" of the new program .ooooooooooo. 43
S tep Vooo 0. 0. ..0.00000 44 Testing the script and visual
variables . . 0000000.00 44 Chapter Page S t ep VI oeaiioBaovoooaao 46 Testing the pilot program ..... 46 What this design provides the
producer 0.0.0000000000 47
IV. STEP I OF THE RESEARCH APPROACH . . . . 49
The program idea ooooo.o.o.o 49
The sample 000.0000.00000 52
Methodology 00.0000000000 53 The "case study" problem „ . 54 The specific problem of Step I . . . . 57
Methodology 0000000000000 57
The findings .00000.000000 58
Acceptance of the idea oo.o.oo. 59 Preferred elements of content and
style 0000.0000000000 62 Other dimensions of the proposed
program 000000.0.00000 65
Demographic data ooo.oooooo. 70
Favorite programs .0000.00.0 71
Recommendations of Step I ....o. 72
STEP II OF THE RESEARCH APPROACH . . . . 76
The development of the format . . . . 76
The sample ooooooo.oooooo 78
Methodology ooooo.ooooooo / 9
Development of instruments . 0 » . o . 82
Specific problem ooooo.o.o.o 87
Data analysis 00.000000000 90
The findings ..^.ooo...... 93 Preference for program format . . o 94
F actor Aooo.oooooooooo 97
Factor Doooooooooeoooo 99
Factor Coooooooooooooo 102
Audience sets .0.00000000 105 First Program Q-Sort ...... 106
Audience Set Doo.ooooo.ooo 106
Audience Set Eo.o.oooooooo 109
Audience Set Foooooo.ooooo 112 Second Program Q-Sort ...... do 116
Audience Set Xooo. 00000000 116
Audience Set Y.oooooo.oooo 119
Audience Set Zoo...... 122
Recommendations of Step II .....oo 126
Viewer Aooooooooooo.ooo 127
Viewer Doooooooooo.oooo 127
Viewer Coooo.oo.oaooooo 128
v Chapter Page VI. STEP III OF THE RESEARCH APPROACH o - - 137 Determining the program’s treatment . 137
Methodology . . . . 000.00000 139 Sample ©oao.ooooooo..oo 142 The focused interview guide ..... 143
Findings o o . 0. 0000. 000.0 146 Recommendations of Step III . . o . . 157
VII. STEP IV OF THE RESEARCH APPROACH .... 163 The program’s treatment ...... 163 The role of the audience ...... 164 The problem ooo.oo.ooo.o. 165 Methodology ao...... 166
The sample . . . 000. 000.000 163
1st Dimension 0.0000000000 175 2nd Dimension ..o.oooooo.o 180
3rd Dimension 0. 00. 0.00000 186 Recommendations ...... ooo 192
VIII. STEP V OF THE RESEARCH APPROACH .... 200 Pre-production decisions ...... 200 The role of the audience o o . . o . . 201
The proolem 00. 0000.00000 202 The sample ....odoooo.o.o 202 Methodology ...o.oo.o.oo. 203 Specific problem ...... ao. 204 Methodology oooooa.oooo.. 206 The findings .ooooooo.oooo 214 Recommendations ...ooo...©. 219
IX. STEP VI OF THE RESEARCH APPROACH .... 223 The production of a program o . . . . 22.3 Problem o.ooooooooooooo 225 Methodology o..oo.ooooooo 226 Specific problem ©ooo©...... 227
Methodology 00. 00.0000000 227 The pilot program ...... a... 228
The findings . 0. 00. 0.00000 231 Group discussion findings . . . . . 232 Telephone survey ao...... 238 Recommendations of Step V I ...... 249 Chapter Page Xo CONCLUSIONS AND FURTHER RECOMMENDATIONS 252
Step IoOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 261
Step II 900000000009900 265
Step III 0OO0O0OO00OOOOO 274
Step IV OOOOO 0009000000 277
Step V 9000000000000000 233
Step VI 000000000090000 287 Conclusions oooooooooooqo 205 Further recommendations « o * o o o o 298 Appendix - Step I «oooooooooooooo 302
Appendix - Step IIooooooooooooooo 306
Appendix Step IV ooooooooooaoooo 327
Appendix - Step V 000000000000000 342
Appendix - Step VIoooooooooooocoo 346
BIBLIOGRAPHY 000000000000000000 3 50 TABLES
Table Page
lo Demographic Breakdown of Program Idea Preference Oo6„ooo»<.<..e»o 60
2» Factor Loadings of Respondents „ <> « ® » 96
3® Factor Loadings for the First Dimension., 176
4o Factor Loadings for the Second Dimension 0q6o.»oooo.ooo 182
5o Factor Loadings for the Third Dimension® 187
6a Results of the Telephone Survey of the Pilot Program ® ® <, * » „ ® ...... 242
viii CHAPTER I
THE STATE OP AFFAIRS OF TELEVISION
AUDIENCE RESEARCH
Television is a world where the loss or gain of large sums of money turns on the tastes of a fickle public. Anything that promises to guage these tastes even a little more fully is bound to attract attention. TV Magazine, Vol. XXIV, September, 1966
A problem for TV producers Many leading television program producers, the networks and the advertisers would like to predict as
early as possible the success of a new television pro gram. Each year it becomes increasingly more expensive
to produce a television program. Each year the number
of unsuccessful pilots increases. Each year the number
of new programs which fail increases. Program develop ment has become a risky business beginning each new
season with about 100 pilots. These pilots cost upwards
of $350,000 each to produce and only about thirty are
selected by the networks to be programmed for the new
season. This means that before a new season begins on
the networks many producers lose about $24,000,000
1 2 c o l l e c t i v e l y . A d d to this staggering figure the cost of failure of a new program series after the initial 2 sixteen weeks on the air or earlier. Last season the rate of failure for programs was 63 per cent for ABC,
66 per cent for CBS and 69 per cent for NBC. These figures make television program production a risky and expensive proposition. How does one stop as a producer from losing so much money on failures? Perhaps another way to conceptualize this problem is, "How does one predict the success or failure of a television pilot or program before thousands of dollars are spent and it goes on the air?"
This is not a new problem, but one which has been the concern of broadcasters for years. One broad caster stated recently, "While I was with the networks
I noticed a paradox, an information gap. Millions of dollars are committed on the basis of a script and then when the show gets on the air its discovered too late that nobody is interested. I wondered if it is possible to get any useful information before so much money goes
^Figures obtained from "Television," Time (November 18, 1966), p. 87. 2 The Tammy Grimes Show was taken off the air after only four weeks of the 1966 television season. Producer and advertiser lost 3 million dollars. 3 3 out?" David Suskind, president of Talent Association
Ltd», calls the pilot program a critical one;
Despite the relative success of Talent Associates in selling two of the three it made [Run Buddy, Run and The Hero which went off after sixteen weeks], Suskind says he still resents not being able to sell the third, Penelope Beware. ’We worked as hard on it as the other two,’ he says. ’It hurts to think of it sitting there.*4 A recent issue of Fortune emphasizes the concern of the men in Hollywood who produce films and television over the amount of money lost and a need to predict suc cess early. The new approach among production people in Hollywood is to avoid all possible losses in new films and programs: The 'avoid disaster’ approach does not, of course, guarantee that moviemakers will be able to produce successful movies with any consistency. Listening to them talk, though, one gets the impression that they are confident of their abilities. They won't spend money as lavishly as the old moviemakers, but they have, or think they have, better taste and a surer understand ing of their public. The results, on screens of various sizes, remains to be s e e n . 5
•k Television, Vol. XXIV (September, 1966), p. 52. 4 Ralph Tyler, "The New Season: Costs Take Off on a Wild Ride," Television Magazine, Vol. XXIII (June, 1966), p. 46.
^Stanley Brown, "Hollywood Rides Again," Fortune (November, 1966), p. 274. 4
Present commercial audience research services One answer to the problem of losing money is to have a better understanding of the audiences the producers are attempting to attract. Audience research provides an understanding of the audience and attempts to "guage their tastes.” Until recently, however, "research" was frowned upon by production people and was limited in concept to "rating research." Advertisers have used research for years to attempt to predict response to commercials before their actual presentation to the audience. This research was primarily "pre-test research" of a completed
commercial on a sample of respondents before the com mercial was aired. As early as 1946 Audience Research
Incorporated used "pre-test research" to determine the
effect of commercials before they went on the air: Each member of ARI’s hand-picked, cross- section audience sits in a wired section of a preview theatre. With his eyes on the screen he clutches a gadget that resembles a flash light. On the gadget’s round face is an indicator that can easily be turned with the fingers. A turn to the right means ’like,’ further right ’like very much.’ The emotional reactions of ARI's watchers flow into a central machine which combines them all into one big wavy line. This chart picturing the audience’s peaks of ecstacy and valleys of apathy, shows the manufacturer where to trim out dull spots in his picture. It is known as a preview profile.6
^Time (July 22, 1946). 5
Little has changed since 1946 in efforts to help the television producer better understand and predict the success of his program. Just recently television producers have begun to use pre-test research. Audience Studies, Inc., called ASI, pretests audience reaction to TV pilot films which CBS has used for about three years. Some of the findings of ASI have influenced programming and production decisions, but not until after the pilot has been completed.
ASI is a subsidary of Screen Gems, one of the West Coast’s leading TV factories. Its nerve center is a 400-seat theatre on Sunset Boulevard, called Preview House. Here, each week, common-folk viewers are pulled in off the sidewalks of Los Angeles. People in super markets or on street corners are apt to be handed gold-embossed invitations to a free ’evening of entertainment.’ In exchange, ASI asks the audiences to twist electronic dials - during the show — registering likes and dis likes — and to fill out a seemingly endless supply of questionnaires.7
Another commercial research service which is now available for producers is PIQ, Program Interest Quotient, which is an extension of Home Testing Institute. PIQ like its forerunner at Home Testing Institute, TVQ, uses a sample panel and asks its members to rate from 1 to 6 a descriptive paragraph of a television program. If a program under TVQ measurement receives a large number of
7 "Preview House," TV Guide (August 20, 1966). p. 5. 6 sixes, then it is assumed that not only a large number of people watch the program, but enjoy it very mucho
Where TVQ measures reaction to programs on the air, PIQ attempts to measure audience reaction before the program goes on the air® Under PIQ design if a descriptive paragraph receives more than 75 per cent sixes, then it will be successful as "a network program given other variables." If a program description receives less than
25 per cent sixes, then it will be unsuccessful as a network show given other variables. PIQ not only banks on people having a fairly firm conviction about program ideas, but takes the next step and presumes that an idea that has great appeal when measured with an audience sample will tend to result in a program that draws well once it hits the air. If there is indeed, a statistically valid correlation between one and the other, then the developers of PIQ have come up with a tool that could reduce the risks for at least two sets of decision-makers: those who produce television series and those who either buy the programs or buy time on them before the shows have had a chance to make a track record.8 PIQ attempts to measure a sample audience's response to the program's basic idea, but there is much which PIQ does not attempt to measure: Other factors such as time period, lead-in, lead-out, and competition as well as strength of competitive program appeal and viewer loyalty
O Ralph Tyler, "A Way to Candle Shows in the Egg?" Television Magazine, Vol. XXIV (September, 1965), p a 5 2 o to view are a few of the considerations that affect the success or failure of a new pro gram. These factors cannot be measured by PIQ....9 Many of the leading advertising agencys are attempting to predict a program's rating before it goes on the air so that they can select as early as possible the best buy for their client. The traditional approach of the agency and network media analysts in predicting the success of a new program was based primarily on intuitive judgment after considering a number of variables and viewing the completed pilot. This intuitive feeling has been coupled with computers to aid in a more accurate prediction of the ratings. One of the agencys involved in the attempt to predict ratings is BBDO:
These [computers] have resulted in BBDO's Pre-Season Predictor Model, a computerized system for combining facts and judgment to arrive at fast and more accurate forecasts. Results for the last two years indicate that this method is able to predict program performance with success for three out of four shows. More important, it is almost as accurate for new programs as for established ones — and this is really the name of the game.10
The approach of BBDO, which is similar to other predictive systems, involves combining judgment with three other factors and then subjecting the data to a
Q Ibxd., p. 81.
"^"Science Plus Judgment for Rating Predictions," Broadcasting (January 30, 1967), p. 18. computer in order to produce a predictive rating.. The quantitative factors placed in the equation by BBDO are
(1) number of homes viewing in the time period and break down (age, sex) of viewers, (2) normal carry-over levels from program to program on the same network, and (3) a special factor that accounts for station line-up strengths or problems. However, this predictive system does little to help the producer and certainly does not provide identification of a program's strengths or weaknesses.
The situation may develop so that the ratings can be accurately predicted, but if all ratings are shamefully low, these predictions are of little use. Simply pre dicting a rating in this fashion does not prevent failures nor does it help produce better programs.
Communications research Audience research needs to provide the producer with more insights and information than he is presently receiving. Although much has been done in academic areas criticizing the broadcaster, few suggestions have been put forth to aid him. The bulk of mass communications research in the confines of academia have either paralleled present commercial research services, discovered whether television was good or bad, or discovered what effect television had on viewers. Very little has been done in 9 mass communications research to predict programs or to
•’maximize the enjoyment of the viewer®'' Rolf Meyershon in discussing the role of communications research emphasizes the shortcomings: Worse, there has been almost no serious research dealing with the meaning of entertain ment® Precisely how high or low the level of this entertainment is or 'ought1 to be is hard to say even if one assumes that television fare is at best mediocre® Research has actually been undertaken to find out just how mediocre it is — and of course discovered the expected®H There has been in recent years a core of com munications researchers across the country who have begun to concern themselves with the problems facing the
"real world" of television and have concentrated their efforts on developing new techniques and approaches to answer important questions in the field of mass com munication® In the past it appeared as if many of the questions being asked by communications researchers were the same, study after study, with few theoretical or methodological changes® The origin of the new emphasis in communications is unknown® One of the important early researchers in the new emphasis was Malcolm MacLean, present Director of School of Journalism, University of
Iowa® In a study conducted using educational television
11 Rolf B® Meyershon, "Social Research in Tele vision," Mass Culture, eds® Bernard Rosenberg and David White (Glencoe, Illinois: Free Press, 1957), pp. 345-57. 10 programs, MacLean states, "A basic question is whether we can predict ratings best by knowing characteristics of the programs or of the viewers* or on what combination of the two types of information?" 12 It is questions such as this and research conducted by MacLean that has opened up new worlds of communications research dealing with television,, Research similar to MacLean*s work has been conducted and expanded by Robert Monaghan* who was a student of MacLean*s at the Michigan State University
Communications Research Center,, In his dissertation Monaghan investigated television viewing in terms of
"preference," This dissertation has led to further research at The Ohio State University along these dimensions. In his dissertation Monaghan states: The question which gave rise to this study came out of research evidence indicating a low correlation between what people say they like and what they actually watch. Given that the purpose of television is to maximize the satis faction of the viewer, a high correlation would be expected between preference and viewing,13
12Malcolm MacLean and Edgar Crane, Rating Scales, Program Types and Audience Segments, Research report TMicITTgan State University, April, 1960), p„ 2,
13Robert R. Monaghan, "Television Preference and Viewing Behavior" (unpublished Ph„D, dissertation, Michigan State University, 1964), abstract. 11
In his study Monaghan discovered different viewer "types" with each type similar in their preference for television programs yet different in preference than the other types. A critical development here was not only the discovery of the different types, but method ologies which could isolate and identify these types.
Monaghan adapted and developed these methodologies from the areas of the physical and behavioral sciences. Two of the most useful were the Q-sort and factor analysis (which will be discussed in detail later).
With the television preference findings as a theoretic base Monaghan and others have extended, modified and investigated new and stimulating problems at Ohio State
University.
Related communications research at OSU Using a similar methodology and approach this writer investigated radio preferences of listeners in his Master's thesis 14 which further supported the research done by Monaghan. Again distinct and dif ferent preference "types" were discovered and described concerning radio elements of content and style. A new
14Joseph T. Plummer, "Q-Methodology in Radio Audience Research and The Analysis of Formula Radio" (unpublished Master's thesis, The Ohio State University, 1965). 12 dimehsion was introduced in this study in that it was expected that persons with similar preferences for elements of content and style would exhibit similar personality or behavior characteristics. The study concluded: There are 'publics' within the Columbus audience and these publics have identifiable commonalities of preference and behavior. These publics can be typed by the expressed preferences and behavioral characteristics of their individual members. Persons with similar behavior common alities express preferences for similar elements of content and style. There are publics which ^ are larger than others with majority preferences.
There were solid theoretic bases and empirical data which carried the communications research further
at Ohio State University in terms of isolating viewer preference and predicting future behavior. Studies were undertaken in the next two years (1965-1967) at Ohio State investigating other variables, refining method
ologies, and developing new designs and methodologies.
In an attempt to better conceptualize the personality
variables operating within persons and their preferences 16 for mass media two studies were conducted. It was
15Ibid., p. 136. 16 Joseph T. Plummer, "Man the Scientist: A Theoretic Approach to Ideal Self" (The Ohio State University, 1966). (Mimeographed.) , "A Theory of Actual-Ideal Self Perceptions in Preiference" (The Ohio State University, 1966). (Mimeographed.) 13 found from these studies that in most persons the ideal is operating most strongly in terms of preference and is 17 highly predictable over time. Another study concen trating on a person’s decision-making behavior found there were commonalities within a decision-making system.
These three studies also have implications for a person’s decision-making across media. There have been other studies conducted along similar lines which have provided further insights into television behavior from the orientation of the viewer. Perhaps the study which has had the most influence on the future of Ohio State’s audience research was a study conducted for MGM-TV by four communications researchers 18 at The Ohio State University. This study was concerned with providing recommendations to make The Girl From
U.N.C.L.E. (a new program) different from The Man From
U.N.C.L.E. (program on the air) so that the two programs would not be competing for the same audience. Initial findings of this project were used to modify the early programs in the series and the final recommendations were to be used if possible in later episodes. The approach
17 Robert Monaghan and Joseph Plummer, "The Broadcaster’s Dilemma" (The Ohio State University, 1966). (Mimeographed.) 1 ft Robert Monaghan, Joseph Plummer, David Rarick and Dwight Williams, Recommended Target Audience and Ai^eal Elements for the Girl from U.N.C.L.E. (September, 14 to the problem, methodology, instruments, and analysis of this study was different from conventional audience research. Most important it demonstrated that elements of content and style in a new program could be isolated
and analyzed for predictability. It is clear that many of the present systems
available to the producer have not been able to solve
the majority of his problems. The systems being
developed by this writer and others here at Ohio State
hope to provide meaningful and productive answers to the
present problems facing the television producer. This
is not to imply that any one system can or will provide
all the answers or predict with total accuracy the future
of any television program. There is a need to develop better Systematic - approaches td-attempt-to- s61ve -Lthe - :
producerproblem;This Stddy: is ohe such systematic approach. i.' v ■: .'J' CHAPTER II
THE PROBLEM AND THEORETIC RATIONALE
• • • the best way of understanding another human being, or at least a way necessary for some purposes, is to get Tnto his Weltanschauung and to be able to see his worl'3 through his eyes. A. H. Maslow, 1962
What is needed in audience research The present communications research services available to the television producer indicate that there is research being done which goes beyond the rating services. There are indications that research can supply some answers to the producer to help him solve production problems. There are obvious shortcomings, however, in the various research systems and services available to the producer today. William Stephenson discusses in his most recent work some important theoretical principles which demonstrate a need for a fresh look at audience research:
1. Communication via mass communication is grasped by persons, not audiences.
2. It is in a tripartite context of the person
(X), the media or social mechanism (Y), and an event or message (Z).
15 IS
3. What communication means, what its effects are, what may or may not result from it, is never directly a matter of ideas, notions, beliefs, attitudes, opinions. wishes, or the like, but always directly ideas, notions, beliefs, etc. of a person. 4 0 The primary data, therefore, are the person’s self-referent statements. These are primary elements of communication theory. ■*" p In a study examining the present state of television audience research, Dwight Williams discusses the current problems of present television audience research and what needs to be incorporated into future
systems. Williams states: These weaknesses and limitations of the present system, examined above in terms of each separate system or method, can usefully be expressed as a series of needs to be incor porated into a single new System of target programming. (1) There is a need to measure a person’s preferences among programs - ranking the preference for each program against every other program. In real life, we tend to think of preference as a ’preference for program A over programs B,C,D, etc.’ or that ’I prefer program
^"William Stephenson, The Play Theory of Mass Communications (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 19S7J, ppr"3'l-32. 2 Dwight Williams, "The Concept of ’Target Pro gramming’ in Recent Television History" paper presented to Speech 860, The Ohio State University, Autumn Quarter, 1966. 17
A to programs B,C,D, etc.' The programs are seen in relation to each other, not evaluated individually. (2) There is a need for a system which defines the elements of decision-making oper ating in the viewer's preference for certain programs. The present systems tend to define these in terms of format, yet format does not appear to be the basis for decision-making. The elements of decision-making in fact cut across format boundaries. TJ) There is a need for a system which defines the target audience in terms of the decision-making elements held in common by certain members of the audience. Such a definition would be much more useful than the current definitions which are using demographic characteristics to define the target audience. (4) There is need for a system which has the ability to elicit cues from the audience as to what decision-making elements should be built into the program. There is a need for such information at the earliest stages of creativity in developing a new program. Present systems are clearly limited in their ability to provide such information.3
There are other characteristics which a new research system must have in order to help answer the critical questions of the producer. Including the above recommendations, the new research system must have the following criteria to best serve the producer of the program.
1. In order to ensure some success in the pilot, research must be conducted during the creative phase of the pilot as well as on the finished product.
3 Ibid., pp. 30-31. 18
2. The research needs to reflect as closely as possible the creative production process. 3. More variables need to be isolated and analyzed from the audience’s frame of reference to insure success of the program. 4. Effort must be expended to identify and define the most receptive audience to the proposed program. 5. The researcher needs to work cooperatively with the producer of the program rather than separately. That is, the producer must supply the questions and
incorporate the researcher’s answers into the program.
The problem If a research system can satisfy these criteria,
the likelihood of the new program's success would be
increased. This study includes these criteria and
attempts to provide a systematic research approach to
solve the producer's problem. The problem facing the
program producer is to predict the success or failure
of a television pilot or program before it goes on the
air. The conceptualization of the producer's problem
in terms of this systematic approach is to determine the
elements of content and style most appropriate for a
program in order to appeal to a proposed target
audience(s). IS
The problem as stated will be investigated under
a systematic research approach which in turn generates various questions at each stage of the srudy. Some of
these questions are (1) Is there a sizeable audience
which is favorable to the general idea? (2) what are
the viewer’s meanings for the general idea and other possible ideas? (3) What are the viewer’s meanings for
the proposed program format? (4) What elements of con
tent and style do the viewers prefer? (5) Is there an
appropriate time period for the target audience(s)?
(6) How do members of the target audience(s) respond to
the script? and (7) How do the members of the target
audience(s) respond to the produced pilot? This study is a systematic research approach
which can help produce a program and series which would
reflect the tastes of a target audience(s)* The approach utilizes audience reaction to the creative artist’s
ideas at the various stages of a program’s development.
The producer has several alternatives from which to choose at certain critical points in the program’s
production. Answering the producer’s questions will involve research over a period of time with reports
and consultations with the producer at the various
critical points in production. 20
In a sense each phase of the program's develop ment becomes a study in itself with data and recommen dations provided to the producer in order to move to the next phase* This is a departure from the usual single report at the end of a research undertaking® A final report providing all the information and conclusions of the total study will also be made available to the pro ducer. This dissertation is the total product of this systematic research approach®
Underlying theory Some basic theoretic postulates should first be stated in order to completely conceptualize this research system and the system of the viewer. These postulates are critical to the approach, the methodologies, the In s-;iisc one?: of Vo., pro;.;j. ’ ? gov-?: ..o instruments, and the analyses used in this study® With out some understanding of these basic postulates much of the research system would appear meaningless * since no >* t ph.';:-..!.. Thio is :: ; or fu r o fro-r: tiv. oouo.1 oiroplo there are radical differences from traditional research i.' c c rt i no oi-C- of u - >• '" cfi u n o •.'.■rt :!
it is presented to them. Rather than conceptualizing
they"mass" we can conceptualize it as
)'\f- pC c,. 21 various "sets" of viewers with each set or group of viewers having similar viewing behavior and viewing preferences* A typological concept of the audience has been articulated in previous audience models in communication.^ For example, if one looks at apples w® could say they are all apples; yet each one is unique* We also can find similarities and differences which we use to group the apples* We give the similar ities of apples names such as Delicious5" "Winesap,"
"Jonathan," etc* Within each named group of apples there are similarities even though each individual apple is in some way unique from every other apple. It helps us conceptualize the apples better, however, when we group them on the basis of similarities and differences.
The criteria for grouping the apples could be along many dimensions such as color, taste, texture, etc. In order to better conceptualize the television audience we can group them along many dimensions. It has been traditional to group the audience along the
4 Martin Brower, "Mass Communications and The Social Sciences," Sociology Today, ed. Robert Merton, et al. (New York: Basic Books 7”1959), pp. 547-59. John Riley and Matilda Riley, "Mass Com munications and The Social System," Sociology Today , ed. Robert Merton, et al. (New York: Sasic Books, 1959), pp. 537-47. Bruce westley and Malcolm M&cLean, "A Conceptual Model for Communications Research," A-V Communications Review (1955), pp. 3-12. 22 dimensions of sex and age. In recent years other demographic dimensions (socio-economic, education, product-usage) have been used to group and define the audience. Our typological concept of the audience is similar to "set theory" in mathematics in that each
"set" is somewhat similar to another set, but that there are differences among the sets. For example we could break down the audience along some dimension into four sets A, B, C, and D. We can state that all four "sets" like different kinds of television programs, but that all four "sets" like realism in their television programs. This could be conceptualized in the figure below. The area connected among the four sets is the area of realism which is common to all four sets. The area of the circles which are not connected represents the characteristics which make each set different.
From this type of a model our concept of the audience becomes a more meaningful one than if we were to con
ceptualize the audience as a "mass" or a number of unrelated groups of viewers. We postulate that there 23 are patterns of viewing and preference within the audience and that the audience is made up of sets which are different in their behavior patterns but with cer tain patterns common to alio Postulate 2
Our second postulate is that the differences and similarities among the "sets" are based on their viewing behavior and preference for elements of content and style within programs <, Using certain methodologies which this study employs, these differences and similar ities can be measured and definedo Rather than limit ing the dimensions of our sets to demographic character istics we believe a more accurate prediction can be made by measuring the sets along the viewer’s viewing and 5 preference dimensions» The predictive value of viewer preference was first articulated by Kurt Lang who stated,
"The Process by which people come to decide on certain favorite programs is by no means random., A listener does not haphazardly become a fan of all types of programs, but is inclined to favor those which especially suit his dispositions and to reject those which are incompatable
5 This is not to imply that demographic character istics are not valuable in conceptualizing an audience "set" but rather that preference characteristics tend to be more predictable and useful to the producer® with him."^ Lang clustered viewers together into sets on the basis of similarities of favorite programs* Along mahy dimensions our approach is similar
to Lang's* In other dimensions it has been carried
much further than the preference for programs* Althoug .
program preference is predictable to some extent, we have learned that elements of content and style within
the programs are more predictable* We can identify
differences and similarities of viewer's preferences for
elements of content and style* Given that these pref
erences were accurately identified and interpreted, then
incorporated into a new television program, we could
predict with more likelihood that certain "sets" of
viewers would respond favorably to the new program* In
other words, if we identify two or three sets of viewer preference and build the program along these dimensions
of preference, then chances are quite good that these
viewers would watch the program.
It makes sense to build a program to suit
audience preferences and even more sense to have the program suit certain audiences rather than attempting to
suit the ’'whole" audience. This rationale has been
g Kurt Lang, "Mass Appeal and Minority Tastes," Mass Culture, eds. Bernard Rosenberg and David White (Glencoe, Illinois: Free Press, 1957), pp. 379-85, 381. 25 7 suggested by a number of persons. Our second postulate states that the "sets" of viewers be determined along the lines of preference for elements of content and style and that the program be developed along those preferences to appeal to more specific and clearly defined audience(s)- This is a target approach to creative program production - building a program to match the preferences of certain identifiable sets and not others in order to better pre dict viewer satisfaction.
Postulate 3 A third postulate is that within each viewer and each set of viewers there is a hierarchy of preference for programs, personalities and elements of content and
style. These elements and programs are operating within the viewer's decision-making system and are ranked from most like to least like. It is this ranking within the viewer's decision-making system which provides a predic
tive base for future behavior. This hierarchy within a
person's decision-making system has been suggested by g Guttman and he has provided one way to measure and analyze
7 Berelson and Steiner, 1965; T. W. Adorno, 1957; Joseph Klapper, 1963; and MacLean and Crane, 1960. 8 - Louis Guttman, "A Structural Theory for Inter group Beliefs and Action," American Sociological Review, XXIV (1959), pp. 318-28. ~ 26 this hierarchy,, For example, if it is learned that the element "complexity” is ranked highly or is operating strongly within a viewer’s system, more chan likely he will want "complexity" to be operating in the programs he enjoys - be it a comedy, western, drama, etc. It would be most profitable to build complexity into a program for this viewer or type of viewer no matter what
the "kind" of program we are developing if we are con cerned in maximizing his enjoyment. This postulate states
that a hierarchy of elements is operating within a viewers decision-making system and knowledge of this
ranking would be most profitable to the creative pro
ducer as he develops the new program.
Postulate 4 A fourth postulate is that actual viewing behavior
and preference are not the same thing. Actual viewing is
the viewer’s or someone else's selection of a program
among the alternatives available at a certain time on
television. Television ratings are designed to measure actual viewing behavior among a number of alternatives,
but do not measure viewer involvement and enjoyment nor
do they predict if the same viewer would watch that pro
gram again. Preference on the other hand is a measure of what the viewer enjoys and what he may want to see
in the future. The future behavior of a person can never 27 be accurately predicted, but preference offers a fruitful insight into future decision-making. More and more modern theories of psychology are including the con cept of the future and aspirations in order to better understand and predict human behavior. One of the major spokesmen of these theories is A. H. Maslow who states: "I think it fair to say that no theory of psychology will ever be complete which does not centrally incorporate the concept that man has his future within 9 him, dynamically active at the present moment." We assume that this future can be, at times, articulated by the viewer and at other times inferred from other measures. Our postulate is that the difference between actual viewing and preference is a critical one and that we should be concerned more in the process of building a new program based on preference rather than on actual or past viewing behavior.
Postulate 5
Our fifth and final postulate is that meanings are in people. The real world is that world which persons have a meaning for and we can only communicate that world when there are similar or shared meanings.
9 A. H. Maslow, Toward a Psychology of Being (New York: Van NostrandJ 19627, p. IS". 28
The capacity of persons to "shape" the world around them is stated by Berelson and Steiner: Perhaps the character of behavioral science man can best be grasped through his orientation to reality- He is a creature who adapts to his own ends, who transforms reality into a congenial form, who makes his own reality-10 This capacity of a person or his system for giving the world around him meaning is an important consideration in any attempt to communicate to a person® The meaning of the communication should be similar to the meanings the receivers of that commun ication give it in order for it to be effective® The most effective communication is one in which similar meanings are attached to it by creator and receiver®
This similarity of meaning produces more involvement in the communication because the receiver can incorporate it into his system as it has meaning for him® The most ineffective communication is that which has no meaning for the receiver®
This concept of meaning is discussed in depth by George A® Kelly'*’'1' who conceptualizes a person’s
10Bernard Berelson and Gary Steiner, Human Behavior: An Inventory of Scientific Findings (New York: HarCourt, Brace and world, lnc«, 1^64), p®663.
■^George A® Kelly, The Psychology of Personal Constructs (New York: Norton and Company,~"T955) ® 29 psychological system as one made up of constructs.
These constructs can be conceptualized as operating within a system which has positive, negative and neutral responses to the world the person is attempting to pre dict* A person does not respond to experiences and events in the world around him which are neutral or hav no meaning to him. Events and experiences for which he has meaning are useful to him and he understands them in either a positive or negative fashion. If the television program has a positive meaning for the personj we have good reason to expect him to become involved, enjoy the program and want to watch it again.
If the program contains elements which he does not like, we have good reason to expect the opposite reaction.
Our final postulate states that people have meaning for the world around them through the use of personal con structs. We need to learn the other person’s meanings for television programs before we create television programs for him.
The design^ methodologies, instruments, analyses and interpretation used in this sttidy are strongly rooted in these postulates. These postulates form the theoretic framework upon which this systematic approach is built and carried out. Without some acceptance of these postulates, acceptance and understanding of this 30 study would be difficult if not impossible because of the departures from traditional television research ventures.
Along with the methodological and theoretical departures, a critical departure of the study is the working together of the researcher and the creative artist to build a new program* In the past the creative artist has had a con cept of the audience he was attempting to attract, but has had little research information which he could use to better conceptualize that audience* In an analysis of the movie creators, Herbert Gans states: Every creator is engaged to some extent in a process of communication between himself and an audience, that is, he is creating some thing for somebody* This somebody may be the creator himselt, other people, or even a non existent stereotype, but it becomes an image of an audience which the creator develops as part of every creative process* For analytical purposes this audience image can be isolated from the creative process as a w h o l e *12
The researcher can provide the creative artist
with data which can clarify or expand his "audience
image" which should help him to be a more effective
communicator* The researcher can also answer critical
questions which the creative artist may have* In the
past the creative artist has relied primarily upon
"intuitive" feelings and past performance as guidelines
12Herbert Gans, "An Analysis of Movie-Making," Mass Culture, eds* Bernard Rosenberg and David White (Glencoe, Illinois: Free Press, 1957), pp» 315-24, 316* 31 or "answers” to his questions„ In a venture where the producer and researcher have worked together to produce a pilot, the enjoyment of the viewer would be "maximized" and the probability of program success would be greater than if the two worked independently of each other or not at all. CHAPTER III
THE DESIGN OF THE RESEARCH APPROACH
So in the application of the notion of probability to the actual affairs of life, the process of reasoning from observed events to their most probable antecedents must go before the direct use of any such antecedent, cause, hypotheses, or whatever it may be correctly termed. Agustus de Morgan, The Cabinet Encyclopedia, 1838 "
The importance of a design
The design and problem of a study are more crucial and require more attention than we often like to admit. It is important that the design be appropriate to the problem and reflect as closely as possible what is actually operating within the phenomenon under study.
The design must be so developed that one will be answering the right questions and provide fruitful insights into the future. The design of this study is developed so that it reflects as closely as possible the actual production process of a new television program. It is designed to rigorously approach each problem or sets of problems as they confront the creative artist in the program pro duction process. Although a final report will be
32 33 furnished upon completion of this study, a report and a
series of recommendations will be presented to the creative artist at each important phase of production,,
The design is outlined in entirity here to give the
reader an overview of the systematic approach- The design is broken down into a series of studies, each
with its own design, methodology, analysis and con
clusions- Each of the designs systematically relate
and combine to produce a total systematic research design to appropriately answer the basic problem.
The overall design The overall design of the study includes the
following elements: (1) breakdown of the study into six
steps, (2) a narrowing down from a large sample to
representative respondents as the study and production process examine details of the new program, (3) a "sub
design" for each step under the overall design, (4) a
description of the methodologies and analysis used in each "sub-design," and (5) an attempt to reflect as
Closely as possible the actual program production pro
cess as it generally occurs at a production company or
station. As this study attempts to answer different
problems at different steps, the samples for each step 34 are different in size and composition in order to appropriately reflect these different problems.,
There will not be an attempt to generalize to a larger population in every step9 we have found that a large sample is not necessary to answer every kind of problem and that for certain problems it is uneconomical to use large samples„ Under the analytical procedures employed in this study it is assumed that at a certain point the highly representative persons provide similar data as would all the persons they represent. It would be uneconomical then to continue to investigate every person after highly representative persons have been identified*
The sample The study begins with a large sample (N = 200) from which generalizations to a larger population can be made in terms of acceptance of the program idea and potential audience for the program., If it appears in
this first sample that the potential audience is not large enough to warrant further production, it would be
fruitless to carry the program idea further® Thus, at
a very early stage in the program’s creation we have
identified the potential audience for the new program®
The sample for the first step is selected at random on
the basis of 1960 census tract information for Columbus, 35
Ohio. This sample is developed to provide a segment of all socio-economic classes and other demographic char acteristics o As the study proceeds from this step, the
samples become progressively smaller in size up through the fifth step. The sample for step six is equal in
size to the original sample of Step I.
The first reduction of the original sample comes
at Step II when the sample (N = 200) is divided, based on responses, into (a) favorable towards the program idea,
(b) unfavorable to the idea, and (c) neutral or no reaction to the program idea,, For Step II the sample is reduced to those favorable towards the program idea and
a few who were unfavorable and neutral. Those who are favorable towards the program idea become the "target
audience(s)" for whom the program is built* A few
unfavorable and neutral respondents are added to the
sample in hopes that elements can be built into the
program which might attract others who have an initial
unfavorable reaction* Our main concern is with the
members of the sample who are favorable towards the
idea, for it is their preferences which we will attempt
to incorporate into the new program. We have moved from
a large sample in Step I to a smaller sample for Step II.
The sample is then made smaller for Step III and IV based
on the findings of Step II. 36
Using cluster analytic procedures, the sample for Step II is broken down into audience preference
"sets." The size of each "set" is determined by the audiences preferences for elements of content and style and preference for program format. The persons who are most representative (e.g., correlate strongly within each set) in the target audience(s) compose the sample to be used for Steps III and IV. However, a few persons selected at random are also included in the Step III
sample because of its far-reaching, exploratory nature.
Step IV only includes those persons who are most repre
sentative of the target audience(s) from Step II. The
sample for Step V is composed of the persons who load highest on the factors developed in Step IV. The sample used in Step V is the smallest sample used in the study.
For the last step (Step VI) of the study, the persons
from Step II plus a randomly selected sample (N = 100)
from the general population of Columbus make up the total
sample for Step VI. Thus we have moved in our overall
design from the general to the specific* back to the
general again, in order to "zero-in" oh audience preference,
provide "in-depth" data, and to determine general reaction
to the new program. 37
Rationale for our multiple step design The study is flexibly designed so that at any step problems can be identified and the direction of the new program changed to better suit the target audience(s) preferences„ The design is such that the findings of each step provide the direction and refine ment of the next step in the study,. In order to prevent large economical losses and failure of the new program, problems are investigated at critical points in the production before it is too late to make changes in the program,. The interaction of the creative artist and the researcher also determines the direction and design of the study so that for different programs aspects of the design can be modified* The total systematic research approach presented here could be applied to any production process of a new or already established television prbglam. The contribution of this study is two-fold: (a) the systematic research design and (b) the findings of the Study in terms of audience preference theories and the creation of a new program*
Step I Testing the basic idea for the program*— The major question to be investigated in this step is the receptivity of the audience for the general idea or 38 ideas for the program. This does not imply investigating the format, leads, or treatment of the program, but rather the original idea such as "two men go to Alaska in search of a fortune" or "a discussion between top political leaders on major issues of the day." The objective of this step is to determine first if a sizeable segment of the audience is favorable toward the general idea, and second, what meanings do the audience members associate with the general idea? This step investigates the reactions of a large representative sample of respondents in Columbus, Ohio derived from standard random sampling procedures. The respondents are selected under a random system using the
1960 census tract information. The structured interview is conducted by telephone with the respondent by one of ten trained interviewers. Demographic data relating to age, education, and number in household is obtained from each respondent. The responderits are asked their favorite television programs in order to provide a general framework of viewing behavior and to provide guidelines when interpreting their responses. The remainder of the structured interview is related to the problem and investigates the respondents disposition toward the new idea(s). The respondent's meanings for the general idea
are elicited along with probes as to preference for basic elements of content and style. 39
The demographic data are tabulated and analyzed on the basis of responses to the general idea® Compar isons are made along demographic dimensions between those who like the idea and those who do not. The other responses are tabulated and analyzed to provide insights to the creative artist as to the future direction of the programo This step provides the creative artist with knowledge of (1) viewing behavior of the viewers, (2) per centage of the sample favorable to the program idea,
(3) demographic data on viewers favorable and unfavorable to the general idea, (4) viewers meanings for the general idea, (5) viewer preference for elementary elements of content and style, and (6) recommendations as to the possible direction the program’s format should take®
Step II Testing the proposed format(s)®— The general idea(s) will now be incorporated into a framework or
format by the creative artist and researcher based on
the findings of Step I® Step I will provide data so
that the creative artist will have insight into the
direction the format should take® The sample for this
step will be composed of those persons who respond
favorably to the general idea and a few who are unfavorable toward the idea® The persons who respond favorably will 40 be defined as the target audience and will be the persons whose preferences are incorporated into the new program.
At this stage the creative artist will have decided if the persons favorable toward the idea in Step I are numerous enough to justify further investigation of the idea. This is perhaps the most crucial step of the study, for it is at this point that the producer and researcher begin to ’'zero-in" on the target audience(s) and begin to give the new program form. The objective from this step on is to "maximize" the enjoyment and involvement of the target audience(s). A descriptive paragraph of the format for the proposed new program will then be developed by the researcher and producer. The general idea could take perhaps two opposed directions (e.g., same idea with one format being humorous and the other being straight drama)
and two descriptive paragraphs representing the two
directions which would be developed. A possible example
of the descriptive paragraph might be:
Great Scientists - each week an actor portrays a different scientist of the past in a setting of the past, explaining his scientific law or achievement and how it came to be. Tonight, the setting is England in the 17tb century with Sir Isaac Newton.
The descriptive paragraph of the format as the
producer envisions it will then be inserted into one of 41 two "New Program Concept" instruments. The two "New
Program Concept" instruments are 36 item Q-instruments developed at Ohio State. The two formats will be inserted, one in each instrument, so that preference comparisons can be made in the analysis. Probes will be made in-depth on the extreme preferences of the respondents to determine their meanings for the program descriptions. Additional data will be obtained in terms of "personality" characteristics to learn if there are
"personality" similarities as well as preference similarities. Demographic data will be collected and time usage patterns isolated on each respondent.
This step will provide the programmer with data and recommendations concerning (1) acceptance of and preference for the program format tested in relation to other program formats, (2) percentage of the sample preferring the new program formats, (3) audience preference fpr elements of content and style, (4) composition and description of the different audience "sets," (5) the best possible direction the new program should take to appeal to the target audience(s), (6) insights into alternative formats if the proposed ones are strongly rejected, and (7) an appropriate time period for the target audience(s). Eliciting treatment variables*— This step is designed to elicit meanings from persons in terms of the treatments which could be given the selected format* In many ways this step is similar to a "brainstorming" session that might occur among the production staff to determine the best kinds of leads, sets, props, plots, character development, etc. Our purpose here is to
"brainstorm" the audience and to then incorporate their meanings and the producer’s ideas into a "treatment" instrument., No attempt is made to elicit every con ceivable treatment or idea from the audience, but to elicit major constructs related to their concept of what the new program should contain* Semi-structured focused interviews with respondents are the major pro cedures for eliciting meanings related to the new program*
Due to the in-depth, exploratory nature of this step, a large sample is not necessary or practical to obtain meaningful and useful data* A structured sample of 18 persons will make up the sample for this exploratory step* From the data obtained in this step, and recom mendations from the producer, a semi-structured Q-instru- ment which will isolate many of the variables inherent in a program’s treatment (e.g., types settings, kinds of humor, types of leads, etc.) will be constructed* 43
This step will provide the "treatment" instrument to be administered in Step IVo It will also provide
(1) analysis of many variables inherent in the treatment for the new program, (2) insights into other patterns of elements which could be included in the treatment of the program, (3) a clearer definition of the meanings viewers have for the proposed program, and (4) data and state- ments for future program instruments.
Step IV Testing "treatment" of the new program.— The importance of this step is the isolation and ranking of the treatment elements to be included in the new program.
The analysis of the factors developed from this step tells the producer what the viewer would like to see in the program. The sample for this step will include the most representative persons from the viewer "sets" developed in Step II. The persons will be asked to sort the treat ment elements on the basis of what they would modt like to see in the new program. The data from the sorts will be subjected to factor analysis to provide the major factors operating and the most important treatment elements to include from the orientations of the viewers. Data obtained from probes on extreme preferences by the respond ents will be analyzed to provide further insights into 44 viewer meanings. This step will narrow down the number of possible "treatment" alternatives for the producer and writer so that a script can be written, story boards developed, and possible personalities for the program selected. Upon completion of this step, the producer Would have data and recommendations related to (1) reactions of the respondents to more specific elements proposed for the program, (2) major preference factors of treat ment elements, (3) a ranking by the respondents of the most important treatment variables (such as setting for the program and kind of humor), and (4) specific recom mendations as to the kinds of treatment elements to be included in the script and pilot in order to appeal to the target audience(s).
Step V Testing the script and visual variablesFrom
the recommendations of the preceding steps and the mind of the writer, a script will be prepared for the new program which will be designed to appeal to a target
audience(s). This step will be designed to measure the
effectiveness of that script from the orientations of the
target audience(s). This step will also be designed to
investigate and answer questions pertaining to the visual
elements of the proposed program. If the producer has 45 four possible male leads, for example, the respondents will be asked to select the lead of their choice from photographs of these four persons® The male lead which best fits the preferences of the respondents will be recommended to the producer® Other visual elements of the proposed program will be determined under a similar procedure® The sample for this step is composed of the most representative persons from Step IV (e®g®, those who load highest on the determined factors)® The sample will be asked to respond to major scenes from the script and
probes will be made into their reactions to and meanings
for the script® Probes will also be made into reactions
to and meanings for certain visual elements® The respondents will also be asked to react to story boards
based on the new program. This fifth step will provide the producer with
insights as to (l) effectiveness and acceptance of the
script, (2) effectiveness and acceptance of visual elements
of the new program, (3) viewer meanings for the script and visual elements, (4) further conceptualization of the
target audience(s), and (5) recommendations as to final
changes before the pilot program is produced. Testing the pilot program,— After incorporating research findings and the insights of the production staff, the pilot program will be produced and ready for testing on the audience. This step will test the pilot before sale to the network or station in order to assess its effectiveness on the audience. The purposes here are to determine the reactions of the target audience(s) and other viewers to the pilot. The sample for this step will be large and will include members of the target audience(s) plus a systematically selected sample of the general population. It will be possible to test the pilot in two ways at this step, depending upon resources. The pilot program could be shown in a theatre arrangement with the respondents reacting during the showing and interviewed after the showing. An alternative would be the broadcasting of the pilot program on the air with viewers reacting to the program in their homes and responding to an interview shortly after the program.
There are advantages and disadvantages to both methods of testing, but we believe that the viewer seeing the program in the context of his home more closely reflects the actual viewing situation.
This step will provide the producer with (1) infor mation and insights as to acceptance, enjoyment, and 47 involvement of the viewers to the pilot program, (2) comparison of the acceptance of the pilot program by new members of the audience with the target audience(s),
(3) elements which were appealing or not appealing as perceived in the framework of an actual program, (4) the meanings the viewers have for elements and the total program, (5) suggestions for changes of or strengthening of certain elements of content and style, and (6) the basis for prediction of the program when actually scheduled on the network or station. The results of this step will also provide data to be used as sales tools for the program and series to the network and/or advertiser.
What this design provides the producer We believe that use of the systematic research approach as outlined in our design and tested in this study would satisfy the following major objectives for the producer: (1) Help the producer maximize the program's potential and enlarge the range of creative alternatives within which the artist works in developing a new program.
(2) Provide a more in-depth and comprehensive concept of the target audience(s).
(3) Help increase the likelihood of the success
and life expectancy of the new program series once on the
air. 48
(4) Decrease the probability that large sums of money will be spent before knowledge of audience reaction is obtained and the program rejected. (5) Help build a catalog of preference theories with each study building upon and refining a theory of audience preference. The total design and the six "sub-designs" have been described so that the reader will have an overall concept of the approach and insights as to execution of the research system. In a venture where the creative talent, producer, and researcher might work together to produce a pilot, the enjoyment of the viewer would be expected to be "maximized" more than if the researcher and production personnel have worked independently of each other or not at all. All have in common the goal of a successful program. By using the systematic research approach outlined here a number of significant questions could be answered in time to be of value in making the "critical decisions" on which the success of a new program rests. CHAPTER IV
STEP I OF THE RESEARCH APPROACH
For example, when one takes a poll of the relative appeal of TV talent, as Gallep does regularly, one can only ask *like-dislike* questions about a given attraction among people who are familiar with that attraction.... Liking is not just knowing, but choosing. William N. McPhee, Formal Theories of Mass Behavior^ 1963
The program idea Most television programs or series begin with an idea or a concept. Where this concept or idea origin ated it is often difficult to ascertain. It has been traditional for most program ideas to develop from a limited number of sources. Although most new program idea$ are initiated by the producer or writer, the original idea is often articulated in a play, a movie,
a book, a comic strip, or a radio program. The producer or writer often takes an idea or retains the total con cept from the original source. Often the idea is modi fied somewhat in accord with the writer or producer*s own feelings about the idea, or in accord with the nature of the television medium itself. At times an idea from 49 50 another source provides a framework and the idea from that source is given a different direction® One of the sources for television programs which frustrates viewers and critics alike is other television programs® This event is often called a "spin-off." Very few ideas are unique to television without some basis from another source. In fact, the most suc cessful television fare in recent years has been the motion picture® In the 1967-58 television season there will only be one evening of network television which will not contain a "Night at the Movies." Reasons the new program fails seldom lie in the lack of sophisticated production of the program, lack of publicity on the program, or lack of good writing® One cannot accurately determine what element or combination of elements within a program caused a program's failure.
Other factors outside the program, such as placement, competition, availability of the audience, etc® also determine the success or failure of a program series.
However, a large number of television failures occur in the early viewings of the program. A low rating on the initial program implies a lack of interest in the total program concept by the public® One could hypothesize that from what the viewer knows about a program before it is on the air he predicts that he will not enjoy it 51 and therefore does not select it* In such a case the writing, the plots, production, etc. were not responsible for turning away viewers, but rather the concept of the program* It seems important then to have insights into audience acceptance of the program idea or concept* This is the purpose of Step I in this systematic research approach to television program production*
Regardless of the source of the program idea or concept it is possible to determine audience acceptance for this idea as a new television program* We want not to determine the acceptance of the idea in any context, but to determine the acceptance in the context of television*
An idea may be acceptable as a book or movie, but due to factors such as selective viewing, social desirability, social facilitation, taste, orientation to television, etc* the idea may not be acceptable for television* Thus the assumption that a popular book or a popular movie will also be acceptable to certain audience ’’sets" does not have strong imperical or theoretic support* Our intent in this initial step of audience research is to determine audience acceptance of the idea in the context of a new television program* We are interested in the respondent's general viewing behavior in terms of the programs he most enjoys out of those already available to him* In testing the new idea we are concerned with 52 not only his acceptance or Rejection of the idea, but what dimensions of the idea he likes, what dimensions he does not like and what his aspirations are for the idea® We also want to know what basic elements would he prefer the program idea to contain (e.g., serious vs. humorous, fantesy vs® realism, etc.). From these data, insights and recommendations can be passed on to the producer so that the idea can be conceptualized and carried further through the creative phases of production with some assurance that the basic idea has audience acceptance.
The sample The sample for this initial research step is selected systematically from the population of Columbus, Ohio. The sample is composed of two hundred persons from different age, educational and socio-economic backgrounds.
It is recommended, however, to develop a probability I sample similar to those used by the commercial rating
services for this initial step since the criterion for program success is high ratings. The size of our sample
is sufficient enough in relation to the Columbus popu
lation to provide fruitful insights into the problems
posed by this study. 53
Methodology Each respondent is contacted by phone by one of ten trained interviewers and asked to respond to questions from a structured questionnaire* (A sample of the tele phone questionnaire is included in the appendix of this study*) Our concern here is with the respondents meanings and reactions to the proposed program idea* The questions are open-ended in nature to allow the respondent to supply data as he is inclined* Future steps of this research are designed to go further "in-depth" and provide more systematic data* Demographic data are gathered on each respondent in an attempt to adumbrate the possible
"target audience(s)»" The demographic data and responses of each respondent are tabulated and broken down into audience
"sets" based on their reaction to the program idea*
Statistical analysis is made on each audience "set" to determine demographic similarities and differences among the audience "sets*" The bulk of the statistical analysis is descriptive in nature rather than correlated or factored analysis* These more powerful statistical analyses will be performed on the data in future steps of the study.
Our purpose is to provide insights and recommendations for further planning rather than provide refined con clusions for the finished program* 54
The "case study" problem The specific program under study within the frame work of our systematic research approach is intended for viewing over the Columbus educational station (WOSU-TV,
Channel 34). The original intent of this study was to work with a major production studio in order to research a proposed network program. The time schedules of the
Hollywood production studios were such that it was impossible to research a program before next year. Although the results of research conducted on a network production might have wider interest to broadcasting decision-makers, the findings and implications from research conducted on our specific program should be no less meaningful to research development than a network program. Because the program under study is being developed locally it is possible for the researcher to
I work more closely with the "creative team" and it is possible to determine quickly and meaningfully the pro gram's impact oh the audience.
The design, methodology and analysis are not affected because the program is locally produced. One difference between our "case study" program and the systematic research approach described earlier within the framework of Hollywood-produced programs is that our specific program under study is developed and produced 55 locally rather than in Hollywood. The other difference is the amount of money spent on our specific program compared with the amount spent on Hollywood-produced programs. Thus, the economic and sales implications for our program under study are not as important as for a program destined for network viewing. These factors should not affect the findings or diminish the implica tions for the systematic research approach in developing network programs. It is assumed that the problem of creating and producing a successful educational television program is equally relevant and appropriate to program development and research as network programs.
The creative team working on the program under study hopes that the program will be successful. It is their desire to develop and produce a local program which will involve the viewers and provide them with a
program they could not enjoy elsewhere. Even though it
is not the purpose of an educational station to draw the
largest audience possible so they can in turn offer the
advertiser an attractive "cost-per-thousand" figure, it
is hoped that the program under study will attract and maximize the enjoyment of a large number of viewers.
They hope the new program will attract viewers that
previously were not attracted to programs on channel 34
and to maintain previous channel 34 viewers. It was 56 determined that the sample under study should contain persons who are known to view channel 34 and persons from the general population of Columbus. Thus, 75 per cent of the sample for our first step was developed from the channel 34 mailing list and 25 per cent was developed at random from the Columbus telephone directory. This would allow us to sample audience reaction to the new program idea from the perceptions of both channel 34 viewers and non-channel 34 viewers.
Three meetings were held before research started with the program director, executive producer, the pro- ducer-director assigned to the new program, and the researcher. A purpose of these meetings was to outline the research approach and what it could provide for creation of a new television program. The other purpose of these meetings was to determine the alternative pro gram ideas which could be developed into a program using the systematic research approach. Various ideas were discussed, evaluated, and eliminated. The program idea which they were most excited about and interested in developing was the program idea selected to be researched and developed. This idea could be produced well locally and was hypothesized to appeal to broader range of tastes than many educational programs already on the air. 57
The specific problem o F ' s g j f i — ----- The idea selected for our "case study" within the systematic research approach to television program development was "a series of live, one half-hour programs presenting a critical analysis of contemporary art forms, such as Film, Theatre, Television, Literature, and Art."
The problem is to determine if this idea is acceptable to a large segment of our sample and if not, what changes
should be made to make the idea more acceptable* We need
to determine what kinds of people like the proposed idea
and what kind do not* The people who demonstrate a preference for the idea plus a few persons who are unfavor
able to the idea will be interviewed further in the other
steps of the study*
Methodology
All the interviews for this step are to be con
ducted by telephone and take approximately fifteen minutes
to complete* The interviews are to be conducted in six
days and the data tabulated and analyzed in two days*
This will enable the creative team to have insights
quickly into the feasibility of developing the program
further* Our problems for this step are to (1) determine
the audience response to the program idea, (2) determine
a suitable direction for the idea, (3) determine what 58 aspects of the idea are appealing to the audience,
(4) determine what changes might be made to the original idea, (5) define in terms of demographics the persons favorable towards the idea, and (6) determine insights for recommendations as to the program’s format* To obtain data to provide insights into these problems a systematic open-ended questionnaire was developed along with a telephone introduction* The interviews were designed to be conducted by phone in a short period of time, yet provide data that is needed to answer the questions for this step* A meeting was held with the interviewers to orient them to the study and the interviewing procedures for the first step* The interviews were conducted by the ten interviewers in six days allowing preparation and insights to move on to Step II* The data were tabulated and analyzed in two days and recommendations passed on to the "creative team."
The findings
The findings of this and subsequent steps are not intended to be generalized to the general population, but are intended to reflect the specific problem and the reactions of the audience sample* The importance of the findings are not in terms of an accurate prediction of the program's rating once on the air, but in terms of 59 insights to the "creative team" and an attempt to increase the probability of the program's success.
Acceptance of the idea When asked their reaction to the new program idea, 83 per cent of the sample were favorable to the new ideao Ten per cent of the sample had either no reaction or wanted more information about the program, and seven per cent of the sample did not like the idea at all. Considering error (Sp = 2.96), the number of respondents favorable to the new program idea indicate that there would be a sizeable audience for the proposed program and that the program idea should be developed further. The respondents appear to like the idea that various contemporary arts will be presented and the variety in topics is perhaps the most appealing factor of the new idea. Respondents indicated a preference
for their favorite art form, but the majority were
favorable towards the variety in presentation. Many
felt that this program would enable them to keep abreast of and learn more about contemporary art forms in an
enjoyable and concise fashion. This orientation is implied in statements made by the respondents: "Should keep you well informed without having to read the 60
TABLE 1 DEMOGRAPHIC BREAKDOWN OF PROGRAM IDEA PREFERENCE (N=161)
Demographic Program Idea Preference Characteristic Like Dislike
Male 59 17 Sex Female 74 11
Married 102 23 Marital Status Single 31 5
6 - 1 7 2 1
18 - 25 12 2
Age 26 - 35 25 6
36 - 55 49 7
55+ 44 12
Elementary 5 3
High School 38 10 Education College 62 10
College+ 25 5
newspaper "Gives a broader understanding of different fields," and "Keeps a woman informed who can1t get out so she knows what to do when she does get out occasionly*"
Thus, one of the most appealing elements in the new pro
gram is the presentation and analysis of various contemporary art forms* 61
Another factor operating in the preference for this program idea is the feeling on the part of the respondents that we receive little exposure to or^/ information about art forms, The respondents perceive this program as helping to fill the "culture gap." In connection with this guilt feeling or criticism about a lack of culture today, respondents were critical of many television programs. This desire for more culture sug gests not only a social desirability factor, but also preference for wanting to be "well-rounded and keeping up with the times," One respondent stated, "Columbus needs a program that deals with fine culture." This implies that this person feels that others need culture and especially Columbus, but feels that he is cultured,,
Another felt that he needed culture, "We are not exposed to culture enough in the home,," And another stated along the same lines, "I feel that I miss out on the newer forms," These statements imply the need to be socially
acceptable and well-rounded. Some respondents indicate
a need for "instant culture" about things that are
important today. This is implied in the statement,
"Include topics that are crucial right now!"
The live discussion by real people in a real
setting is a third dimension of the proposed idea which has considerable appeal to the audience. It is inter esting to note that persons like the "live" factor. 62
This is in direct contrast with the bulk of TV fare.
This may suggest why live events on television such as
’’Th e Rose Parade” or "The Miss America Pagent" are so successful. The live factor appears to provide a
"freshness" that they donft perceive on other forms of television programs.
Preferred elements of content and style
The respondents who were favorable towards the program idea indicated that they would prefer certain elements over others in the proposed program. The new program should contain a strong element of realism and believability. The persons, settings, and topics should be real and believable within a certain framework. The program could be most "real" in its use of real people who are known to the audience and in a setting which communicates a realistic setting as opposed to something "abstract." Within the dimension of realism, the topics and discussion should be real and not devote time to trivia or "way out" ideas. The audience should be able to relate what is occurring on the screen to their lives in some fashion. Perhaps this could be accomplished best by avoiding as many unrelated aspects of discussion as possible. Make the program real and relevant to the audience. 63
The new program should contain elements of con flict as perceived by the audience. Those persons who like the program idea perceive the program as one which not only presents conflicting points of view, but also might include a small element of controversy outside the program itself<. This might be accomplished through a few controversial guests on the program and through occasional ’’controversial" art forms. The audience would not like to see the new program be strictly objective and analytical, but contain a touch
of lightness or comedy. The new program would be enjoyed
more by the audience if it contained a pleasant balance
between seriousness and lightness. In other words, the
audience would not prefer this program to be all serious ness nor all comedy, but contain elements of both serious
ness and comedy. This might be carried out best by using
both serious art forms and light art forms or through the
lightness of a panel member. It appears that the important
variable here is that the program contain both serious
and light elements. The indications from the audience imply that the
program should be easy to follow. The majority of the
respondents would prefer a program that requires thinking,
but is not difficult to follow. This implies a preference
for some predictability in the program. This predictability 64 from program to program might be manifested through a
continuing host or perhaps through a similar procedure of presentation and discussion in each program. The
opening might be similar each week or the sequence of
events similar. Yet within each sequence there could
be variety in each program. This preference for ’’ease
in following" also might imply that a person tuning a
few minutes late would be able to follow the remainder
of the program. There needs to be some element of
predictability in order for this program to be highly enjoyable to our target audience(s). In terms of the action elements, the persons
favorable to the new program overwhelmingly prefer a
good deal of action. They do not want a program that
moves slowly and does not have action within it. This
strong preference for action might be the action in the
dialogue of discussion, the camera movements, movement
from sequence to sequence, or action of the people on
the program. Without some action this program might not
hold its intended audience. The preference for the various elements Was
determined by responses to question 5 of the question
naire. The elements included in that question were based on previous research findings which indicated those
basic elements to be operating most strongly in identifying 65 differences in television preference.. The elements most strongly preferred for the proposed program by the target audience (e.g., persons favorable to the idea) were realism, conflict, serious, comedy, easy to follow and action<> The elements operating most strongly among the persons unfavor able towards the proposed idea were realism, no conflict, serious, comedy, easy to follow and action* The preferences of the two groups for elements for the new program were similar except in terms of the conflict vs. no conflict*
These two patterns of preference indicate that perhaps one reason for rejection of the program might be along the lines of amount of conflict and simplicity within the program* Some persons might not watch and enjoy this program because it might contain too much conflict and be too difficult to follow* A far greater percentage of the favorable respondents preferred some complexity in the program than the unfavorable respondents* It appears that the viewer most favorable to the proposed i program prefers a program which cohtains elements of conflict and is a little more complex than many of the
"formula" programs offered on television*
Other dimensions of the proposed program
There were dimensions of the proposed program idea which the respondents did not like and there were i. I
66 suggestions made as to what the program might include to maximize their enjoyment. The majority of these changes and suggestions will be investigated later in order to make recommendations based on more systematic data and analysis* The changes and recommendations are presented here as guidelines to the producer and also to indicate the kinds of findings possible at this stage of research*
One finding, encorporated into one of the format descriptions in Step II, was that the respondents indicated a preference for the showing or presentation of excerpts from the art form under discussion* This would mean that if the art form under discussion was a specific film, excerpts from the film would be shown on the program in addition to analysis and discussion.
This preference was indicated by statements such as, •'Show excerpts of the form under discussion," "Use of actual art objects," and "Show part Of the film, have people in the field explain, and then have someone not an expert explain his ideas*"
Another factor which appears to be operating strongly among the respondents is the length of the program* Many of the respondents stated, "Should be longer than a half-hour." The length of the program is a factor which will be investigated further and determined by many variables. One reason for the 67 preference for the longer program is the desire to see excerpts of the art form under discussion and the respondents feel a half-hour program could not include enough excerpts and still discuss the art form in-depth.
Also operating here might be a trend that appears to be occurring in commercial television — the disappearance of the half-hour program, what is the cause and what is the effect in this trend is an interesting topic for investigation. It might develop that the length of the program is an important success factor. Many of the respondents indicated a preference for "involvement of the audience" in the new program.
People like the proposed idea because it might involve them in some manner. One respondent stated, "Have the viewer respond by mail, telephone or in person." Another respondent suggested a specific way that he would like to be involved, "Audience critique of the program to be phoned in to be answered on the air the last ten minutes of the program." Other possible ways the audience might be involved are to allow the audience to select the topics and art forms each week, have a live audience in the studio, or have the viewer fill out a questionnaire at home. For this program to be successful, it appears at this stage that some kind of "audience involvement" is necessary. 68
Perhaps the factor or factors most crucial to the success for the new program are the type of moderator and the composition of the panel. The personalities of these persons and the interaction among them appears at this point to be important in terms of audience preference fob the program. This area of "who?" on the program will be studied in depth in Steps III, IV, and V. On the basis of the number of responses from the sample, the area of personnel on the program appears to be a major concern to the viewers. The viewers appear to separate the people on the program into three categories based on their function: the moderator, the artist or expert, and the panelist. Since all three categories deal with personnel and are crucial to the program's success some of the initial preferences should be noted. The kind of moderator the target audience appears to prefer is a person who is interesting, dynamic, has the ability to keep the discussion moving, yet not monopolize the
conversation, and be a "personable” communicator. One
respondent conceptualized the moderator as "an interesting
person," and another felt he should be a "good host."
Another kind of person or persons on the program
as perceived by the viewers were "persons who know the
field" or "persons whose opinions are respected in the
field." These statements indicate the "expert" or 69 someone who has knowledge about the art form or specific topic under discussion,, This kind of person might be a professor, a journalist, a critic, a person in the field, but not necessarily directly involved in the creation of the art form. Most important it seems is a person who can speak with some "authority" in an
"objective"fashion about the field. Along similar lines a preference was operating to hear comments from the creator of the art form under discussion. The viewers are interested in "the feelings of the artist or creator." Perhaps it might be a painter giving his views of another painter's work. It is implied that it would be interesting to hear what people involved have to say about the art form as opposed to persons
"outside" the art form. The third kind of person on the program as perceived by the target audience is the panelist or person "outside the field." Many of the viewers indicated a preference for persons who "are well-known" to fill this role in the discussion. One respondent would like to see "occasional appearances by well-known people." The implication here is that the persons "outside the field" are known to many of the audience
and could be local politicians, known businessmen or on occasion nationally-known persons. There is a definite 70 preference here for persons on the program who the audience "has heard of." Other kinds of persons who might be on the panel are movie fans, art fans, etc. to present the viewpoints of a typical audience member.
The persons who make up the panel are important as individuals as well as kinds of persons. This whole area of personalities on the program will be crucial in the research of the program and important to its success.
The respondents made statements about other elements in the program such as the kinds of art forms, the background of the art form, historical perspectives, content of the discussion, etc. These statements were scattered and touched a wide variety of elements with none of them clustering together strongly to be con sidered indications of total audience preference at this early stage. Many of these statements and other variables will be investigated in Steps III and IV of the study.
Demographic data
The total number of persons completing the telephone interview was 161 out of the original sample of 200 persons. Some of the respondents did not wish to answer the questions, some were not available, and others unable to respond because of illness, disability or language problems. Of the 161 persons responding to 71 the interview the majority were willing to answer further questions at another time. No significant difference was found in sex using the chi square test of significance between the respondents who preferred the idea and those who did not. There was no significant difference in age between the two groups, and no significant difference in education between the two groups. There was no significant difference found in marital status between the two groups.
The target audience favorable towards the idea was on the average older and had more education than the audience which was unfavorable to the idea. A demographic profile of the target audience might be a person who is married with one child, completed two years of college and is about 47 years of age. The demographic profile for persons unfavorable to the idea might be a person who is married, completed an eleventh grade education and is about 41 years of age. It is interestihg to note that demographic characteristics do not distinguish or adequately describe the differences between those favorable and those unfavorable to the program idea.
Favorite programs
The programs mentioned most often as one of their favorites by the persons favorable towards the idea and the number of persons mentioning it were: Walter 72
Cronkite (14), The French Chef (14), Dean Martin (12),
Plays (11), Sports (9), Mission Impossible (8), and
Projection Room (8). The favorite programs mentioned ran from The Ohio Press Conference to Smothers Brothers to Captain Kangaroo. No real orientation to favorite television programs for the target audience could be abstracted from the data in terms of preference for elements of content and style. The favorite programs mentioned most often by the persons unfavorable to the idea were: Sports (5), Red Skelton (5), and Family
Affair (4). Programs mentioned ranged from Today to
Walt Disney to The 21st Century. The only orientation emerging from this group might be a preference for
'•light entertainment" as opposed to serious programs.
Recommendations of Step I Upon completion of Step I of our systematic research approach several recommendations can be made to the "creative team" in regards to the proposed program idea — "a series of live, one half-hour programs presenting a critical analysis of contemporary art forms, such as Film, Theatre, Television, Music, Literature,
Art, and Dance." The recommendations presented here are based on the findings of Step I and are subject to change as the research progresses. The recommendations and 73 findings are to be evaluated within the theory, design and methodology of the study., It is recommended to the creative team that the proposed program: 1. be continued in its development along the lines as proposed with further recommendations made as the study progresses. This recommendation is based on the large acceptance of the idea by the audience sample.
Eighty-three per cent of the sample was favorable to the idea. 2. will have broad appeal to a wide range of viewers in terms of age, sex, and education. The program is most likely to have its strongest appeal to the more educated and older (35-60) viewer.
3. should include the following elements of content and style to be most appealing:
a) elements of realism b) elements of conflict
c) both serious and light elements
d) be easy to follow, yet make the viewer think about the program
e) elements of action
4. should continue the variety of contemporary art forms from program to program without emphasis on any particular art form. This might mean that for some 74 art forms viewers will be lost, but the total audience will remain quite stable. 5. fill an apparent need for culture in an enjoyable and accessable form. Many viewers indicated
a "cultural gap" today and feel that this program would help fill the "gap.” 6. should remain a live program because a majority of the viewers are attracted to the live,
spontaneous aspects of the program. 7. should also take into consideration the
following factors which appear important at this early
stage in research. a) The program should include excerpts and objects from the art form under discussion.
b) The program length might be best at an hour rather than the proposed half- hour length. c) The program should involve experts in the field under disdussion, artists or the creators from the field under discussion, and well-known person alities from "outside the field." These recommendations are to be considered,
evaluated, and utilized in the development of the proposed
program and investigated further in our systematic research
approach. The implications of the findings and design of this first step indicate that fruitful insights can be
passed on to the producer at this early stage of a new 75 television program’s development.. As is built into the overall design of the study, each step is integrated with and builds upon the previous step of research. CHAPTER V
STEP II OF THE RESEARCH APPROACH
Probably, the best we can say is that the measure of any individual receiver is not very reliable, but the measure of a group of receivers may be fairly reliable* Paul Deutschman, Introduction to Mass Communications ResearcH^ T95IT”
The development of the format At the idea stage there are many directions a new television program may take, but as the idea begins to take shape the producer becomes committed to certain variables* Usually, the next step the producer takes after developing the program idea is placing the idea into a format. The format often includes the direction of the idea, possible plot lines, characters in the program, and other elements of content and style. The producer is often unsure at this point in the creative phase of the program of specific elements, characters, settings, episodes, etc. The format most typically includes a possible title for the program and an expanded description of the program idea. From the format, story boards are developed, scenarios written, and eventually
76 77 scripts prepared. The acceptance of the format becomes a critical step in the creative process because from this format many committments are made. If it is the wrong format or "vehicle" for the program idea, serious problems can arise which often cannot be completely corrected later. It is important to have insights into audience reaction and meaning for the proposed format(s). Future acceptance of the program is often quite predictable from the audience reaction to the format. This assumption of predictability is made by Home Testing Institute in their PIQ [Program Interest Quotient] research. PIQ attempts to predict program success from audience reaction to the program format before it is scheduled on the net work. We do not assume that the success of the program can be predicted from audience acceptance or rejection of the format. The format is an important consideration however, and helps provide insights into the program’s success and can form a basis for further program develop ment. Audience response to the program format in our systematic approach provides the basis for our audience
"sets" which are developed analytically. Where PIQ predicts program success from audience response to format, we build our definitions for our target audience(s) from response to format. This definition provides the producer 78 with concepts of his target audience(s) as well as insights into the performance of the program once on the air. One added dimension in the definition of our audience "sets" is that of the elements of content and style as well as demographic definitions of the audience "sets." This dimension will become clearer as the reader examines the audience "sets" developed in this second step of our approach.
The sample The sample for this step is made up of those respondents who responded favorably to the basic program idea. This is the audience for which we are attempting
to build the program and, in a sense, is the "target"
audience. Based on our findings in Step I we have a loosely defined concept of our target audience plus a
rather weak indication of the audience’s preference for
elements of content and style. We still need further
definition of our target audience(s) and more insights into the direction of the program. Our sample for this
step is composed of N persons from the original sample who represent varied demographic characteristics and a variety of meanings for the proposed program. 79
Methodology We are concerned at this step in further determining the similarities and differences within our sample in terms of meanings for the format and preference for elements of content and style* We want to learn what elements and meanings are operating most strongly in our sample's preference for program formats* For this reason we want to determine their preference among a number of possible alternatives* Rather than receiving their per ceptions of each proposed format in isolation, we want to learn their perceptions of the proposed format in relation to many other proposed formats* For this reason two Q-sort instruments have been systematically developed which we call "New Program Concept" instruments* They are highly structured instruments; yet are very flexible in their application to television audience research.
The first instrument was designed to elicit and define audience preference for various elements of content and style within television programs in general. They can be adapted to a specific problem with certain modifications such as those made for this study.
One of the "New Program Concept" instruments was developed prior to this study and the other one was developed primarily for this study. The original instru ment was basically developed in three stages with 80 modifications made for subsequent studies in which it was used. First, television programs were analyzed for elements of content and style. This analysis formed the basis for focused interviews conducted with a number of television viewers. The data from these interviews were analyzed and yielded six areas of appeal including fifteen major dimensions of television preference among the persons interviewed. These fifteen dimensions were systematically combined to produce 216 short descriptions of television programs. The descriptions were of television programs already on the air which best represented each combination of elements. A sample of viewers was asked to respond to these descriptions along Q-dimensions expressing their preference for the programs they would most like to watch. The Q-sort data was factor analyzed for the major trends which appeared to be operating in the preference of the respondents. There were ten elements of appeal which were found to be operating most strongly:
Reality; Factual-Informational, A2 Fictional-
Representational, and Ag Fictional-Non-representational;
(B) Value; Moral, B2 Moral-Sentimental, and Eg Amoral; (C) Complexity; Highly Complex, and C2 Simple;,
(D) Seriousness; D1 Comedy, and D2 Non-comedy. Operational
definitions of these terms are supplied in the appendix. 81
These ten elements were used to factorally generate the "New Program Concept" instruments. Each contains 3X3X3X2=36 descriptions of hypothetical television programs which probably have not been seen on television. Each of these 36 different "types" contains a unique combination of elements which can then be given substance to produce or "create" a "new" description of a television program. For example, we could combine
A2B1C1D1 is a combination of the fictional- representational, moral, highly complex and comedy elements. A possible description in the form of a new television program of this combination of elements might be: You Talk About Junk - adventures of a small town garbageman who knows everyone and their troubles. Everyone confides in him and as a result he often finds himself involved in more than garbage or junk. Tonight he becomes involved in a counterfitting ring.
Thus, 36 different program descriptions are
developed for each "New Program Concept" instrument and
each program has a combination of the ten basic elements
coded into it. When analyzed, the coding provides insights into a respondent’s preference for one or more
of the ten basic elements of appeal. From this kind of
analysis we are able to learn what elements are appealing
to the respondent as well as what programs he might enjoy. 82
In this step of our research we are concerned with both
dimensions of the respondent's preferences (elements of
appeal and programs)* The original purpose of the "New Program Con
cept" instrument was to identify and isolate the elements of appeal without much concern for the programs
selected® In the study conducted for MGM-TV a modi
fication was made which gave the instrument the program
measurement dimension® In the MGM study we wanted to determine the appeal of the proposed program under study
as well as the elements of content and style® To
determine this, a descriptive paragraph of the program
under study was developed (containing the proposed
elements of content and style) and substituted into the
"New Program Concept" instrument for a similar program
/ -already a part of the instrument. Thus we were able to ascertain the appeal of the program under study in
relation to the other 35 programs in the instrument®
Development of instruments
For our present study it was decided to factorally
generate, using the 36 element combinations, a second "New Program Concept" instrument. In most cases the
producer has alternative directions which the new program
may take and we could determine which direction, in terms 83 of format and elements, is most preferred by the respondents. This could not be done with one instrument alone unless the title and other aspects of the program’s description were changed. We do not want to change these aspects, but want to determine which direction is most appropriate for a program format. The most pro ductive way to determine this is to develop two (or more) descriptive paragraphs of the proposed format and insert one in each instrument. This would provide insights into which format is most preferred, which elements are operating most strongly, and the similarities and dif ferences between the "sets" developed from the responses to each of the two instruments.
We want to also examine behavior dimensions of the respondents, A paper and pencil instrument has been developed for this study to measure a dimension of the respondent’s self-concept. This instrument, designed to measure the personality aspirations of the respondents, is called the "Ideal Self" instrument. This instrument was developed similar to the "New Program Concept" instru ment and has been carried one step further to a pencil and paper administration of the variables. The "Ideal
Self" instrument in its present state can be administered to a large sample in a relatively short period of time whereas the Q-sort is time consuming when used on a large sample. 84
The "Ideal Self" instrument was developed out of three studies conducted by this writer. The first phase of development involved eliciting constructs from a structured sample of respondents using an adaptation of the Repertory Grid.1 The constructs operating most strongly with each respondent's "ideal" were extracted from the grid matrix and incorporated into a Q-sort instrument of self-concept statements. The Q-sort was administered to the same respondents who completed the grid four months earlier plus a number of new persons.
Ideal self "sets" were developed from these data and described in terms of the persons* orientation towards 2 an ideal self. From these "sets" or "factors" of ideal self orientation, a smaller Q-sort was developed and presented to another sample of persons. The data from this study was subjected to elementary factor
analysis to develop an even clearer definition of various
factors operating strongly ih tertas of a person’s ideal.
These factors were described and the most representative 3 statements of each factor were placed in a rank order.
1George Kelly, loc. cit. 2 Joseph T. Plummer, "Man the Scientist: A Theoretic Approach to Ideal Self." 3 _____ , "A Theory of Actual-Ideal Self Perceptions in Preference." 85
This rank order of statements from each factor produced a paper and pencil test of statements related to ideal self. This test was administered to a large sample of respondents and again factor analyzed. 4 This analysis provided again (as did the first two studies) four main factors from which our present "Ideal Self" instrument was developed. This instrument is a ranking instrument based on a person’s basic orientation toward how they would like to be like. An example of the instrument is included in the appendix. The data from this instrument will be correlated with the program data to determine the ideal self orientations of the viewers as well as their television orientations.
In order to obtain insights into the most produc tive time placement of the new program so that the largest number of "target" viewers will be available to view, a time usage pattern instrument was developed for this study. Most persons have some stable, recognizable pattern of the ways they spend their time from which we can make predictions. A basic evening time usage instru ment was developed for administration at this step. It is similar to a college time schedule and asks the respondents to indicate in each time period, each evening,
4 Monaghan, Plummer, Rarick and Williams, loc. cit. 86 one of three ways he generally spends his time. The three ways of spending time which we ask each respondent to indicate on the schedule are (1) watching television,
(2) out of the home and (3) other activities in the home.
From an analysis of the respondent’s time usage we can make recommendations to the producer as to the best scheduling times for the new program when the probability is the highest that the largest segment of the target audience(s) is available to view. We also can provide insights into the times not to place the program because of a small number of viewers available and the nature of the competition on at that time. From Step I and this step we have insights into the television viewing behavior of the respondents. We would recommend that our new program not be placed opposite one of the viewers' favorite programs. These four instruments are encorporated into a structured interview schedule to be administered at this step. It is administered by one of ten trained inter viewers in the home of each respondent selected as a member of our sample. Demographic data would be col lected on each respondent and incorporated into the analysis. A copy of the structured interview schedule is included in the appendix of this study. Each inter view is expected to take from one to two hours to 87 complete depending upon the length of time it takes any given respondent to make his decision,,
Specific problem The problems in this step of the research for our "case study" program are similar to those facing any producer in developing the format* In our specific case the producers would like to know if they have created the appropriate format for an acceptable idea
(as determined in Step I). The producers conceive their idea within the format of a discussion program and some attempt to involve the audience* The producer-director of the proposed program developed a format for the pro gram idea as he conceived it* This format was incor porated into the first "New Program Concept Instrument"
•bo determine its relative appeal to the other 35 programs*
After the recommendations and findings from Step I were discussed with the producer-director, a second format was developed, different from the first one and based on findings from Step I® This format was incorporated into
the second "New Program Concept Instrument" to determine its relative appeal to 35 different programs*
We want to determine if either or both of the formats are strongly preferred over the other programs by the respondents* We want to determine which of the 88 two formats appear most appropriate for the proposed program as perceived by the respondents. It would also be helpful to learn what aspects of each format the respondents like, what aspects they dislike and what changes they might make in the proposed formats. We also want to determine at what time periods the largest number of audience members would be most likely to view the new program. Finally, we want to define in terms of preference the types or "sets" of viewers in our general target audience.
The format incorporated into the first instrument was developed by the producer-director based on his aspirations for the program. This format was developed and inserted into the 36 program Q-sort according to the elements coded into it. This format below was substituted for program #2 in the first Q-instrumerit.
2. The World, of the Contemporary Arts -* a weekly live hai^-hour series presenting a critical analysis of contemporary art forms such as F*iim, Theatre, Television, Literature, Art, Music and Dance. The analysis is done by a panel made up of a continuing moderator, one permanent member from each art form, and three interested persons. The pros and cons of each art form will be dis cussed and responses from the viewer included in the critical analysis.
The second format was developed by the researcher and producer-director together based on the findings of
Step I . The differences between format 1 and format 2 for our proposed program came from the responses of the audience members. If the findings of Step I hold true, then format 2 should be preferred over format 1 by the viewers. Format 2 below was substituted for program #4 in the second Q-instrument»
4. A View of the Arts - a weekly panel discusses and analyzes various contemporary art forms such as Film, Art, Theatre, Dance, Lit erature, Television and Music. Excerpts from the art form under discussion will be shown or acted out. The panel will consist of a mod erator, an expert from the field and three guests. Tonight - a discussion of "A Man For All Seasons" and responses are taken from the audience.
The first difference between format 1 and 2 is the deletion of the word "critical." Many of the respondents in Step I indicated negative meanings for the word "critical." A second difference is the addition of "excerpts from the art form." Responses from Step I indicated a desire for excerpts. A third change was in the composition of the panel. Respondents indicated a
strong preference for "experts and well-known guests." Mention was also made of "audience involvement" and specific art forms.
After the viewers respond to the programs along
Q-dimensions, probes are to be made into reasons for
selecting the "most like" programs. The purpose of the
probes are two-fold: (1) to determine if the viewers 90
selected the program as one they would like for the elements in the program or if there were other reasons for their choice, and (2) to gain insights into the meanings viewers have for television programs. Probes
are to be made on the two formats of the program under development to determine what changes the viewers would make in the program. This should provide insights into what kind of changes could be made to maximize the
enjoyment of the viewers. This step should provide the producer with
insights into (1) which program format description is
preferred by the target audience, (2) which program
format description is preferred by the different audience "sets,” (3) what changes or additions might be
made to the program at this stage, (4) what types of
viewers the program is likely to appeal to, and (5) the
appropriate time period or periods for the new program. From the data and insights provided from this step the
producer will be able to move ahead in the development of the program with a well-defined concept of the
audience.
Data analysis
The sample for Step II was developed from the original sample of Step I and included seventy-five 91 respondents. These seventy-five respondents agreed to further interviews and made up the general target audience. The majority of the seventy-five persons indicated a preference for the program idea in Step I and a few of the persons indicated no preference or did not like the program idea. Of the seventy-five persons selected for this sample, thirty-eight persons were interviewed. The remaining thirty-seven persons could not be reached, would not consent to an interview or could not be scheduled for an interview within the time allotted for Step II. The thirty-eight interviews were conducted by ten interviewers in the respondent's home and the average interview lasted about 90 minutes. The interviews for Step II took three weeks to complete. The Q-sort raw data for both "New Program Con cept" instruments were tabulated and submitted to Ohio
State’s IBM 7090 computer which produced two 38 x 38 person-to-person intercorrelation matrices and a principle axes analysis of factors with varimax rotation. The factors were selected based on contribution to total variance. Typal analysis^ was performed on the matrices in order to produce the "sets" for each Q-sort.
5 Louis McQuitty, "Elementary Linkage Analysis for Isolating Orthogonal and Oblique Types and Typal Relevancies," Educational and Psychological Measurement, XVII (Summer, 1957). 92
A factor developed from the analysis represents
a pattern of preferences of the respondents most representative of each factor and their most representa
tive preferences. A factor array represents the "com monalities" of preference for the factor and is representative of a hypothetical "viewer." This hypothetical viewer is described in terms of the pro
grams he would most like and least like and the preferred
elements within those programs. A "set" developed from the typal analysis
includes the persons who are more like the persons in
their "set" than like any other "set." That is, the
persons in one set have preferences among the programs
and elements more like each other than like any other "set." The preferences of the persons in each "set"
were examined for their common preferences among the
programs and then for the common elements within those programs. The "set" is described in terms of these
common preferences and the person’s within the "set."
The "sets" are exclusive in nature and the factors are
inclusive in nature. That is, a person is only con
sidered as a member of one "set" and in the factor
everyone is considered a member but in terms of differ
ing strength or loading. Thus, there will be similarities 93 of preference between a factor and a "set," but each provides a different dimension of analysis.
The personality type preferences of each person were tabulated in terms of membership in an audience set.
All the persons in Set 2, for example, were compared in the dimension of "ideal self" to determine the common self preferences for the set. The statements most representative of each personality type were tabulated in a similar procedure to more fully describe the respondents meanings for each personality type.
In a like manner, the "availability to view" based on the responses to the time usage chart were tabulated according to the audience "set." This was done to determine the viewing patterns of each audience
"set," rather than overall viewing patterns of everyone irrespective of audience "set." Also the responses to the open-ended question of which of the two proposed program formats the respondents preferred were tabulated on the basis of audience set membership. The other analysis performed on the data was the analysis of the probes on the most preferred program.
The findings
The findings for this step are discussed in terms of the factors, audience sets, and other data collected 94
and analyzed in the second step. Each factor and
audience set is described as a hypothetical viewer
which is known to exist as it emerged from our datao
The findings indicate what might be operating among similar "kinds" of viewers and provide us with a work
ing theory. Stephenson states, regarding the inter
pretation of Q-findings, The one table of factor scores lists the only Q-sorts for an XY2 situation which occur with consistency; it is independent of the size of the P-sample. Theoretically it models major conceptions, images, or view / points about a situation for the public at large (if, as is reasonable, one projects data upon the wider public, having regard to any limitations involved).6
The factors and the audience sets are not to be inter
preted as exhaustive.
Preference for program format.— Format number
one received a mean ranking for all respondents of 6.8
and format number two received a mean ranking of 4.8.
This would indicate that format number one would be the
most preferred format, but when asked to select which format between the two they preferred, the respondents
selected format number two twenty-six times and format
number one eleven times. These findings appear
g William Stephenson, The Play Theory of Mass Communications (Chicago: The University of Chicago Press',""'T^"6'7Tj""p. 29. 95 contradictory, but when seen within the design they have
a different meaning. The high mean rank of number one
indicates the respondents rank it high in comparison with
the other 35 programs in the Q-sample, and number two is
not ranked as highly in comparison with 35 different
programs. When compared with each other by the
respondents, number two is preferred by a wide margin.
It is also interesting to note that both number one and
number two are highly representative of the program
preferences of the audience sets and by all three factors.
It could be inferred that the respondents did not see
much difference between the two formats and because they
prefer the program concept, both formats appear to be
operating strongly in the viewer's preference patterns.
Based on these findings and the in-depth data
obtained from the respondents it appears that the most
preferred format is number two. It is preferred m a i n l ^ ^
because it includes excerpts from the art forms. It
appears that this is a major appeal element in the
proposed program and a number of respondents selected
number 2 for that reason. It also appears that the notion of "critical analysis" is not as undesirable as the findings from Step I seemed to indicate. Thus, the
format based on the findings of Step I is preferred by 96
TABLE 2
FACTOR LOADINGS OF RESPONDENTS
Variables Audience Set Factors (Persons) Membership A B C
1 E , X -583 061 090 2 D,X -421 732 325 3 D , X -405 158 247 4 E , X -187 170 -271 5 X 000 184 -248 6 Z -251 075 -673 7 Z -073 019 -838 8 X -216 637 -283 9 E -834 159 -170 10 F -174 224 170 11 D, X -269 044 -170 12 Z -054 220 -822 13 Z -040 303 -613 14 D,Z -293 186 -774 15 D , Z 027 018 -468 16 D,Y -184 254 -101 17 D,X -099 203 -016 18 D,X -093 049 -087 19 E -288 039 -073 20 D,X -178 498 -275 21 D,X -401 151 089 22 X -129 044 -040 23 X -247 135 -258 24 X -546 683 -194 25 A -056 232 -015 26 F,Y -627 538 -089 27 E -727 394 -072 28 D -009 -259 117 29 D -198 471 -165 30 D, X -031 660 -040 31 E.X -140 015 -046 32 f Iy -720 533 008 33 F -083 069 -076 34 X -129 332 008 35 D,X 139 266 004 36 E -442 266 431 37 F 049 061 -153 38 D , X 080 299 -291. 97 the respondents over the format based on the producer’s thinking and the major factor in preference is excerpts from the art form. Factor A«— -Four persons were most representative of this factor from the first of two 36 item Q-sorts performed by the respondents. This factor was the only factor emerging from the data of the first 36-item "New Program Concept" Q-sort. (The factor array of programs is given in the appendix.) Viewer A has an "exploring,"
"problem solving" orientation to television viewing. The exploration and problem solving should have some present relevance to him and indications of some future potential. Viewer A strongly prefers factual-infor- 7 mational elements of content and style in his programs.
He very strongly rejects the non-representational or unbelievable elements in programs. He takes a very realistic approach to television programs and wants to see realism and believability reflected in the TV pro grams he watches. The analysis of problems should be based on "facts" and other information instead of pure conjecture.
Viewer A like the moral element or the intel- lectualized values of a program and strongly rejects the
7 Operational definitions of each element of content and style coded into the programs are presented in the appendix. I i
98 moral-sentimental elements. He does not see things as either "black or white," but sees things as having possible alternatives and shades of grey. An element of conflict would add considerably to this viewer's involvement in a program. The conflict shouldn't be
simple on a "good guys versus the bad guys" dimension, but can be along many dimensions such as intellectual, physical, values, etc. The more complex the program
is the more viewer A is apt to enjoy the program. He
strongly embraces the high complexity elements and
dislikes low complexity. This supports his preference
for the moral element and suggests that a highly
thought-provoking or intellectual program would be
enjoyed by viewer A. The program should come to grips with serious problems, however, and these problems
should have a sense of immediacy* "Way-out" programs
would be strongly rejected by this viewer and especially
any form of unbelievable comedy.
The seriotis element is endorsed by this viewer
and the non-serious or comedy element is clearly hear
the bottom of his preference scale. Meaningless and
"silly" programs seem to be strongly rejected by this
viewer. He would like programs to have depth and con
tain some message or meaning for him. There also appears
to be some desire for TV programs to provide some function ■■■■•• ! j i I(
99 for him in his life. He is concerned about things going on in the world today and appears to be interested in an analysis of these things such as the world of business or art forms. The presentation of these things should be interesting and contain movement, A slow moving or an uninteresting topic would be considered dull and not worth watching by this viewer. Interesting topics are "current issues of life that matter" and have
"relevancy" to him. This viewer has some "curosity about life" and is interested in "what is coming." Any pro gram for this viewer should contain "concreteness" or facts, deal with current problems and their analysis, and be a quick moving program. It is also important to this viewer to obtain information and enjoyment from television programs and he wants this presented concisely and quickly. All four persons loading highest on this factor were males.
Factor B.— The basic orientation of viewer B to television programs is characterized by an "artistic interest in meaningful and historical human experiences,"
Viewer B tends to prefer programs with some historical perspective and flavor which deal with some meaningful dimension of human experience. This viewer enjoys discussion about these dimensions of life as much as or more than actually seeing the experience. There i ! i
100
seems to be some interest in obtaining information, but it does not need to be "at the science.." The non- representational or unbelievable element is strongly rejected by this viewer and he tends to endorse the
factual-informational element of programs. Viewer B
tends to enjoy intellectualized values which is shown
in his endorsement of the moral element. This endorse ment implies meaningful dimensions of experiences as
opposed to the trite or "everyday experiences."
Viewer B does not want too much complexity in
his programs, and wants to be able to follow the program
at a moderate pace. A complicated program without much
direction would be rejected by this viewer. Although
this viewer likes to watch serious programs he does not
mind a touch of lightness from time to time. He has a
preference for rather high-level comedy slich as satire
or irony. This viewer would not mind "fuh" in the
program, but this "fun" should be rather sophisticated
in nature. Viewer B would not enjoy "slapstick,"
"situation comedy," or "corny" humor. The lightness
must be cleverly done and injected into the program only to provide relief.
This viewer appears to enjoy the historical dimension of different life experiences. The experiences 101 which he tends to enjoy most are those of the arts or ones which provide the viewer with some emotional involvement* Literature is the art form which would probably be most enjoyable to this viewer, but the other
art forms would also be interesting to him* It appears
that he likes discussion about present problems or values, but they should be placed into some perspective*
Although this viewer does not appear to be overly con cerned with relating the programs to himself, he wants to
obtain information from his viewing* Unless he has
'•gone away from the screen" with some new information
it is very unlikely he would watch the program again* Action or adventure in the physical sense does
not seem important to this viewer, but rather mental or
verbal action is his preference® He prefers this action to deal with human experiences that are realistic,
but have more than one viewpoint* This person would
like to see "dialogue moving" and to be "involved" in
the idea® At the same time this viewer would like to "see" excerpts from the subject in order to provide a
frame of reference for the discussion* The discussion should have direction and not be meaningless* The
dialogue or discussion should deal with contemporary
problems as well as a historical perspective® Anything
that is "way out" or ridiculous is strongly rejected by 102 this viewer especially if it is presented in a humorous framework. The dialogue should reflect the knowledge of the participants and also their "personalities."
Accuracy and concrete examples of facts should support ideas and opinions. This viewer tends to enjoy programs which stimulate him while amusing him at the same time.
This viewer would most likely be a younger person with an interest in the arts and history. Factor C.— Viewer C is best characterized through his strong interest in "human relationships as seen through portrayal." He enjoys human conflict and its solutions as seen through the stage, literature or TV drama. This viewer enjoys all forms of culture. Yet he is interested primarily in the human element of culture. The things he wants to watch are very real not only in content, but in their style of presentation.
Viewer C appears to be drawn more to portrayal of events than mere discussion of them. At the same time he has some concern for the problems of and motivation behind these events. This viewer would be most interested in
"seeing" something and then involve himself in some form of analysis of what he has just seen.
This person enjoys portrayal by "good" actors and has a strong preference for the fictional-represen tational element of content and style. The situation 103 portrayed should be "real" or at least appear very real and the actors should be believable. The realism, however, has to be within certain areas of human experience. For example, this viewer does not appear to enjoy realism when it includes "action-adventure" or violence. He is attracted to conflict, but not physical conflict. The enjoyment seems to come when there is conflict of the mind or of the emotions. One might infer that this kind of viewer can become very emotionally involved in many forms of serious drama.
Viewer C tends to favorably endorse the moral element in programs where the solutions are never "clear- cut." He seems to enjoy very involved problems or issues on a feeling level and is not disturbed if the issue is not clearly resolved. This "greyness" (as opposed to white vs. black) of problems and issues seems to provide a kind of mental adventure or excitement to this viewer.
Although the program itself need not be terribly complex, the issues or elements of focus should have more than one possible solution. There is a level of complexity which this viewer does not want to go beyond, however, and it appears that he wants to be able to understand everything. He would not enjoy something about which he has no previous knowledge. 104
His dislikes seem to center around programs which involve physical adventure or programs with little con flict such as a panel or quiz program. Humorous programs do not appear to be within his "range of convenience" as he neither strongly prefers humorous programs nor strongly rejects them. One might infer that this kind of a viewer seeks enjoyment from programs, but not pure entertainment. Good literature or drama would be most appealing to this kind of viewer. The other strong interest of this person appears to be in human relation ships. This interest covers a wide dimension of relation ships from the relationships of two people to the relationships between nations. Within this construct of human relationships viewer C sees art as playing a major role. He feels we can learn much about each other through art forms or the portrayal of human problems.
This viewer is operating primarily on a feeling basis in his orientation to television programs and appears to possess a great deal of sensitivity. This viewer would most likely be female with a strong interest in art forms.
All three types of viewers are potential viewers of the proposed program under research. Viewer A would be the least likely to watch the new program, but if enough factual information was given and enough relevance of the art forms to everyday life shown he could become 105 a steady follower of the program. Viewers B and C are most predisposed to a program such as the one proposed because of their strong interest in the arts. However, each has a different orientation to the arts which would have to be fulfilled in the new program before they would enjoy the program. Viewer B is interested in the his torical perspective and "intellectual analysis" of the art forms and viewer C is interested in the portrayal of human experiences through art forms. Viewer C would not watch the proposed program unless excerpts of the art forms were shown and human relationships involved.
Viewer B would enjoy the discussion and analysis of the art forms and the historical dimension included. All three types of viewers have a serious orientation to television programs, but would like to see some light ness from time to time in the program. Based on the findings it is hypothesized that all three viewer types would watch and enjoy the program given their major interests were included in the program. The kind of program proposed should be able to encorporate these preferred elements and appeal to all three types of viewers.
Audience sets.— The audience sets are defined
in terms of the viewers who make up each set and the program and element preferences they have in common. 106
There are three audience sets for each 36 item Q-sort and each set is described along the dimensions of the particular Q-sort. Since the two Q-sorts were con structed similarly using the same basic element com binations, we would hypothesize that there will be few differences between the sets for the first program
Q-sort and the sets for the second program Q-sorto Our first primary concern here is the composition and size of the audience set. Our second concern is the probability that the audience set would view the program under researcho A third concern is the best viewing time for each set. Our final concern is the preference orientation of each audience set.
First Program Q-Sort
Audience Set D
13
18 107
Audience set D is the largest audience set of the first program Q-sort including twenty-two persons.
This audience set ranks the proposed program very high and should be one of the major target audiences for the new program. The typical viewer in this audience set rejects the unbelievable or non-*representational element and tends to prefer more "believable" programs. This viewer likes the factual-informational element and likes to learn things about the world around him from television programs. He likes news programs and programs dealing with current events. The moral element is endorsed
strongly by this kind of viewer and he likes to feel challenged by many of the programs he watches. The complexity of the program does not appear to be important to this viewer since he enjoys programs with high com plexity and low complexity. He tends to have very wide tastes in his television Viewing and enjoys a wide variety of programs. He tends to enjoy serious or
dramatic programs and strongly endorses the serious element.
This viewer seems to get enjoyment from learning experiences, especially when obtained from the mass media. He likes the idea that he can learn about
contemporary art forms sitting in his home. He likes to learn more about things in the present rather than
the future or the past. There is some humanistic 108 orientation operating within this viewer's preference pattern and he enjoys programs about people. He seems to enjoy challenges on programs and things or ideas which challenge him seated at home. Stories or events which are "true to life" are interesting to this viewer.
If this kind of viewer feels he has learned something from the program, it is an enjoyable program to him. The proposed program appears to fulfill this need. At the same time, he does not appear to enjoy "straight education," but wants to learn in certain ways that are enjoyable to him. Viewer D is interested in the arts and likes to learn about real things in our world so the proposed program would be highly enjoyable to him. This viewer watches a lot of television so that almost any evening hour would be convenient for this type, except during the news times (6:30-7:30 and li:00). The best time for this set appears to be Friday evenings at 8:30.
This viewer tends to want to be intelligent and considerate in terms of his own aspirations. He is most likely a member of the first "ideal self" factor who is a "concerned, mature person who has the freedom to come and go as he pleases." The strong preference for an intelligent ideal self supports this person's desire to learn from television,, Based on his self preferences we might infer that this person would most enjoy intelligent, considerate, and mature people on television®
Audience Set E
34 I 26 1 31 V 27 y't 1 4 36
Audience set E is the second largest set of the first Q-sort and closely resembles Factor A in that the four persons loading high on that factor are included in this set® This set is not as strongly in favor of the proposed program as set D, but some members are a possible target audience for the proposed program.
Perhaps the most appealing element of the proposed pro gram to this set is the factual-informational content they perceive in the program. This preference for real situations and information is probably the strongest preference of this audience set. A viewer in this set has a narrow range of program preferences and tends to be a "selective" viewer. 110
A typical member of set E strongly rejects the non-representational element in programs and tends to most enjoy the factual-informational element. He would enjoy the fictional-representational element if the basic orientation of the program were believable or "true to life." The preference for realism is very strong in this viewer's program selection. He would not select or enjoy any program which was "way-out" or could not
"really happen" in the world as he perceives it. There appears to be a dislike for programs that deal with supernatural or mystic experiences. Viewer E does not seem to be concerned with the value level of program elements of content and style as long as realism is operating. The fact that the issues are intellectualized or unclear does not appear any more
I important than if they are simple and clear. It would seem that any combination of the two elements or things presented in either dimension would appeal to this viewer.
The basic approach of the program should be complex, however, instead of the "formula" approach of programs such as situation comedies. Viewer E seems less con cerned that elements within the program are clearly labeled "good" or "bad," but that the topic or basic idea has some aura of complexity about it. A program Ill would not have to be structured or predictable from program to program in order to appeal to this viewer®
He may enjoy sudden surprises or spontaneity in programs®
The comedy element is rejected by this viewer and he has a strong preference for the serious elements®
He would especially reject humor that would appeal to children such as "a pie in the face," etc® His orienta tion tends to be problem solving and evaluation of things and events® He considers himself a sophisticated viewer who wants more from television viewing than pure laughter®
There is also a rejection of elementary things in pro grams, e®g®, things repeated or presented on a "child’s level®" He wants to learn about important aspects of our society and wants it presented on an "adult" level®
There is some interest in the future implication of events as well as analyzing present problems. There is a "curosity about what is coming."
In order for the proposed program to appeal to this audience set it should be highly factual and information-oriented® The art forms under discussion should be very real and the evaluation should be backed up by facts and include some insights into the future.
The program should take a rather "high-level" approach to the analysis of the art forms in order to appeal to j
112 this viewer. He wants to be able to relate what he "learns" from this program to himself so that there should be information and discussion which has relevance to the layman. Viewer E is highly selective in his television viewing and tends to watch a program rather than a specific time. The best time for this audience set appears to be 9:30 Friday evening, but it is predicted that anytime after nine in the evening would be appropriate for this type of show if he wanted to watch.
The typical member of this audience set has aspirations for an "honest and considerate" ideal self.
He would also like to be perceived as "friendly" and
"intelligent." He is most likely a member of ideal-self type B which is " a person who shows honest consideration for his friends and others." This viewer would most likely enjoy persons on television who are friendly and considerate and who are honest and objective in their views. This viewer would most likely enjoy a moderator on the proposed program who is not involved in the discussion.
Audience Set F
10
I 33--- > 37131=7 30 113
This audience set is the smallest of the sets in the first program Q-sort and would not be a potential target audience for the proposed program. The general Orientation of this audience set is to seek "escape1' and entertainment from television. Although a typical viewer of this set tends to enjoy realism it is a rather enjoyable form of realism. This set tends to enjoy
"true adventure" and action in programs. This viewer wants to be entertained and be able to relax when watch ing television. This "escape" orientation is supported by a strong endorsement of the fictional-representational and moral-sentimental elements by a typical viewer of this set. Viewer F also enjoys a kind of nostalgia in the fictional-representational format. Stories and events which take this viewer into the past are very enjoyable to him. There should be some hint of realism in the program, but situations do not always have to be believable to this viewer.
Viewer F prefers programs that are predictable and easy-to-follow. He doesn't want to "strain" in order to follow the flow of the program. The heroes and villians should be easily identifiable and the plots resolved in clear-cut fashion. There should be conflict in the programs, but the antagonist or obstacle should be 114 simple and recognizable. The conflict should be in terms of natural elements (e.g., a flood, storm, etc.) or in terms of evil (e.g®, robbers, killers, etc®) rather than any inner human conflicts® The typical viewer of this set prefers both serious and comedy elements of content and style® He does, however, reject programs with no light touch or those which have sarcasm as a form of humor. Serious programs should not deal with real people, but rather people who appear to be real in order to appeal to this viewer® This viewer would not be a potential viewer for the proposed program unless there were longer excerpts of the art forms and less discussion among the participants. Viewer F would probably not enjoy the program because he is not that concerned with obtaining information or thinking about the programs he watches,, Most likely he might be an occasional viewer if something such as a movie or book he highly enjoyed were under discussion.
Viewer F tends to watch a lot of television and does not appear to have any set pattern of viewing.
Compared to the other audience sets, he does not watch during the news times. He tends to watch television 115 in the middle of the evening and the early parts of the week. In terms of ideal self viewer F would like to be "considerate" and "appreciative of others." He likes people who tend to be out-going and friendly toward others and wants to be that way himself* Persons who are "good" would be most enjoyed on television and this suggests that the hero or "all-American" type is his television favorite. On the basis of the audience sets developed from the first program sort, sets D and E would be potential viewers for the proposed program and rank the program high on their preference scale. Although both sets would be potential audiences for the program their preferences for elements within the program differ.
Both sets seem to enjoy the informational elements within programs, but like information presented in dif ferent ways. Set D tends to have a humanistic interest
and set E is interested in the problem-solving dimension of informational situations. The proposed program, given a few modifications, should appeal to audience
sets D and E. 116
Second Program Q-Sort
Audience Set X
Audience set X is the largest set of either program Q-sort and is the target audience the proposed program should most try to attract* The typical viewer in this set is a potential viewer for the proposed pro gram and ranks it high on his preference scale* There is a wide range of preferences in this audience set, but the commonalities indicate a receptivity for the proposed program and tendency to prefer elements of content and style most suited for the new program*
Viewer X tends to enjoy programs dealing with contemporary topics and appears to be interested in the various art forms. Because of his wide interests, viewer X would enjoy the variety of art forms proposed for analysis on the new program* 117
Viewer X likes both the factual-informational and the fictional-representational elements of content and style® While he enjoys the factual-informational elements, he does not appear to enjoy "straight infor mation" programs® Programs which have broad implications and meanings are enjoyable to this viewer. He likes to see the relationships of things and especially the relationships of art forms to people. There is a strong rejection of the non-representational elements of con tent and style and a rejection of "meaningless" or
"way-out" elements. The fictional-representational programs should deal with real life situations and be
"deep" drama in order to appeal to this viewer.
The typical viewer in set X endorses the moral element of content and style' and- likes programs to' - -
deal with complex and intellectualized ideaS and0con cepts. ; The moral-sentimehtai or good-bad approach to
ideas1 and concepts is unacceptable to viewer X:# :
Involved plots and involved issues are most preferred by this;; respondent , .' yet he does not enjoy'watching
discussion-or: programs dealing with things "over his head." ;;While viewer X enjoys controversy and intel-
lectualizing, he does not prefer highly^complex programs whi'Oh are- unpredictable or difficult to' follow. This 118 viewer likes unpredictability and spontaneity, but within some predictable framework. The serious element or non-comedy element of content and style is preferred over comedy elements by this viewer. This viewer tends to prefer drama over comedy, but does enjoy certain kinds of humor. It appears that viewer X enjoys humor which has some message or meaning behind it or makes light of serious events.
While there is a strong preference for seriousness in programs, this viewer does not enjoy programs that deal with unpleasant aspects of life or extreme violence. Viewer X tends to enjoy learning new things
and "exploring new fields." There is some preference for research and what research can provide in analysis.
There is a strong preference for people who are talented
and people who know what they are talking about* The
typical viewer in this set is not interested in average
opinions Or ideas, but wants to know what the "expert" has to say.
The two best times for viewer X are Wednesday
and Friday evenings. On Friday evening 8:30 appears
to be the best time and on Wednesday 9:30 is a good
time. The typical member of set X is most likely to be
a member of ideal self factor D. He would like to be 119 mature, intelligent, and considerate* This adds support
to his preference for "experts" on television and people
who are interested in exploring. One important dimension to viewer X which should
be incorporated into the proposed program is the impli
cations for the future. There is a definite fascination
by viewer X in space exploration and what things are
going to be like in the future. Also his interest in
art forms and the analysis of them is a strong element
of appeal in the program. For this viewer the program
should have excerpts of the art forms and often deal in
specifics rather than abstractions.
Audience Set Y
16 . . . - ^ 32 £ ------26
Although audience set Y is small in number it
is most likely to be the most faithful and interested viewer in the proposed program. The program under
research is most representative of this set’s viewing
preference. The overall orientation of this set is an
objective analysis and insight into the various cultural
phenomena of today. This viewer has a strong interest
in the motivation behind things and wants to see a 120
’'true1' picture of things. Viewer Y endorses the factual-informational element and likes to see the popular conceptions of things analyzed for what is really operating* There is a preference for the moral element of content and style operating within viewer Y ’s viewing behavioro Viewer Y would like to see many different viewpoints about an event* As the variety of view points are presented he feels that he is gaining insights into the eveht. He also enjoys variety in programs.
Variety prevents too deep of a discussion about just one aspect and this viewer does not appear to be that inter ested in great detail. He would like to get as much from a program as possible along a number of dimensions.
A program which has some structure and direction is preferred by this viewer as is demonstrated in his endorsement of the low complexity element. If there is to be complexity within a program for this vieweri it should be within the ideas, scenes or segments of the program. Viewer Y does not like comedy programs, but does prefer some lightness in programs. That is, he enjoys elements of humor, but does not enjoy programs that are all humor. It is interesting to note that this viewer would prefer a program like "Peanuts," 121 _ reject comedy programs, and endorse the element of realism. One might assume that many viewers perceive
"Peanuts" within their definition of "realism." The dialogue, characters, and ideas in the show must represent realism in the mind of many viewers. They must also perceive the show as basically serious in nature with a light touch. Another explanation might be that people like "Peanuts" even though it is inconsistent with their other preferences. (This preference is also true for audience sets X and Factor B.) Viewer Y does not watch much television and is selective when he does watch. Thursday or Friday evening at 9:30 appears to be the best time for this audience set. Early evening is not an appropriate time period for this audience set. Viewer Y is most likely a member of ideal self factor B. He would most like to be honest and intelligent. This may explain the desire to learn from television programs and see many view points presented. He would probably most enjoy articulate, intelligent, objective people on television. Viewer Y is one who would enjoy the proposed program because of his strong interest in obtaining information and analyzing events. He likes variety of topics and different dimensions of something examined i ji
122 from many angles. The program as proposed would appeal strongly to this viewer with few or no changes.
Audience Set 2
13 25 «---- 28
6 ----- => 14 7 <------15 /
Audience set 2 is small in number, but it has an interest in the proposed program. The typical viewer of this set would watch the program more for the people than for the art forms. The general viewing orientation of this set is toward human relationships and dimensions of our world. At the same time there are cultural interests operating within this audience set. Viewer 2 enjoys the theatre and other art forms and also shows a preference for discussion about different aspects of society. Viewer 2 is concerned about people * culture I and the problems of people* The typical viewer of this set does not like programs without a reason other than
"fun" and programs which deal with adventure and intrigue.
Viewer 2 has a preference for the factual- informational element of content and style in programs. 123
The program should be real and believable even if actors take the place of real people and the program should provide new and interesting information. Whether a program provides factual information or not is not important to this viewer. The typical viewer of this set ranks the moral element high in terms of what is operating within the program. He tends to select the program along the informational and realism dimensions, but enjoys the program for its human conflict and moral value. The psychology of people and their intricate relationships is interesting to viewer Z. Something without people or the interaction of feelings would not appeal to this viewer. Viewer Z tends to endorse a balance in complexity, but does not like "simple" programs such as "game" shows.
Viewer Z likes programs to deal with serious problems in a serious manner. He is concerned about the world around him and wants to learn more about it, but not in a light manner. The proposed program would appeal to viewer Z most if the implications of the art forms on society were analyzed and the human aspect of the creation of the art forms were stressed. Viewer Z would also be
Interested in and enjoy the inter-relationships of the 124 people on the program. The informational value of the proposed program would, be important to him, but not of prime importance. The best time to present the proposed program for audience set Z is at 8:30 Wednesday or
8:30 on Tuesday. The typical viewer in this set does not watch television after 10:00 on any evening. Viewer Z would like to be mature, intelligent and have faith in people. The aspiration to have "faith in people" might explain this viewer’s interest in human behavior and society. It would be hypothesized that this viewer enjoys people on television who are mature, intelligent and have faith in others. An older, intel ligent moderator would probably be appealing to this
audience set.
The findings of the second program Q-sort in
terms of the audience sets developed indicate that all three sets are potential viewers of the proposed
program. Sets X and Y tend to be more predisposed to
a program such as the one on contemporary art forms,
but there are differences between these two sets in terms
of preference. Set X is quite interested in exploring,
looking into the future, and seeing the relationships of things. Set Y has a major orientation toward objectivity,
diversity of viewpoints, and insights into culture. What 125 is crucial here is that if both sets of preference^ were encorpotated into the new program it would appeal to both audience sets rather than the one. One commonality between sets X and Y is the desire for information, learning, and an opportunity to better one's self in terms of the cultural world* The difference appears to be in terms of the means to the end, rather than the end itself. Both sets have a preference for realism and moralism which the proposed program should incorporate.
Set Z also has a preference for realism and moralism among elements of television programs, but viewer Z has a stronger preference for conflict than either viewer X or viewer Y. Viewer Z is most interested in the human elements of our world and the problems facing man. If this human element were encorporated into the new program, then it would be probable that viewer Z would enjoy the proposed program. It appears that the proposed program would
appeal to a wide range of viewer sets if it provided at
least the three mentioned levels of appeal. As was
indicated in Step I a number of viewers like the program
idea and findings from Step II indicate that if certain
elements of content and style are included in the pro
gram, the program will probably appeal to more than one 126 audience set. This will depend upon the feasibility to include these elements and the interpretations given these elements.
Recommendations of Step II
The recommendations to the producer of the program upon completion of Step II are based on the design, methodology and findings of step II. These recommendations do not include descriptions of the various audience "sets" developed in this step, but do include the elements of content and style from the audience sets which should be included in the proposed program. The descriptions of the audience sets are included in the findings and should be referred to in forming a concept of the target audiences for the pro gram. The factors developed are described to provide a concept of the kinds of viewers the proposed program is likely to attract and what elements should be encorporated into the program in order to appeal to these kinds of viewers. First the factors developed are described and recommendations for the proposed pro gram based on the factors are made. Second, the recom mendations are based on the commonalities of preference in the audience sets. Finally, other recommendations 127 are based on further data emerging from the research conducted in Step XI.
Viewer A The hypothetical viewer in factor A has an
"exploring, problem-solving orientation*' to television viewing. He enjoys programs which examine problems or dimensions of current phenomenon and contain elements of exploring ideas and new fields. The present relevance of things as well as the future implications of things are interesting to this viewer, viewer A has a preference for realism and conflict, especially on a thinking level, in the kinds of programs he would enjoy. Viewer A would most enjoy programs which focus on things which have a meaning or message to people. This preference is sup ported by a preference for thought-provoking" concepts and elements presented on television programs. Viewer A tends to most enjoy programs which move quickly and contain stimulating thoughts.
Viewer B / / Viewer B has viewing preferences which indicate / / an "artistic interest in meaningful and historical human experiences." This viewer has an active interest in art forms and would be most anxious to learn all he can about I1
128 art forms* This viewer tends to enjoy discussion about things as well as "seeing" things. There is a preference for realism and structure within programs. The feeling level or reactions of people to things are more important to this viewer than facts or straight information. This viewer feels that programs should have a light element to prevent the program from "boring" him. Excerpts of the art forms are appealing to this viewer and the feelings of the artists are also operating in his preference for the proposed program.
Viewer C A preference for "human relationships shown through portrayal" best characterizes the viewing orientation of viewer C. An interest in inter relationships of people and preference for "fine acting" is indicative of the elements viewer C would enjoy in television programs. This viewer likes realistic pro grams and realistic situations which demonstrate true emotional conflict. Viewer C has interests in the theatre and would enjoy seeing excerpts of drama on the proposed program. He likes to enjoy programs, but does not seek entertainment in programs. Deeply involved situations between people provide delight to this viewer and he enjoys the analysis of such situations. 129
These three types of viewers are favorable toward and potential viewers for the proposed program*
Each, however, has a different distinctive interest in the program. It might be possible to appeal to all three types if their distinctive interests were encorporated into the new program as well as the common interests of all three. In order to appeal to one, two or all three of the viewer types the new program should include the following: (1) The program should include certain elements of content and style in a combination similar to those in the constructed formats. The program should include factual-informational elements and be realism-oriented.
Where differing views are presented in some form of conflict the moral element should also be included in the program. A balance between high-complexity and low complexity elements should be maintained to be most appealing to the viewers. Finally, the basic orientation should include the non-comedy elements, but on occasion there should be a touch of lightness in the program (e.g., it should not be all "business.")
(2) The information-deriving aspect of the program appears to be one of the major determinants of viewer interest in the new program. There is, however, 130 a preference for two distinctly different types of information about art forms. One preference indicates a predominance of facts to support the analysis and another preference indicates an emphasis on opinions and feelings. Thus, a balance between fact and intuitive feeling would be most appropriate for the kinds of viewers interested in the new program.
(3) The program should include excerpts from the art forms under discussion and/or concrete examples of the art form. This preference appears to be operating among all three viewer types. (4) Some historical perspective of the art form should be included where appropriate. This need not be long and involved in order to satisfy the historical preference of some viewers, but should be included.
(5) There should be some element of the art forms* impact on society and implications for their future effects. The art forms should be in some way related to the viewer at home and this dimension might provide this involvement since he perceives himself as an important part of society.
Pour of the six audience sets appear to be potential viewers of the proposed program and should constitute the target audiences. Audience sets E and F 131 do not appear to be potential viewers of the proposed program although they may watch. The program should not be developed for these two audience sets because their preferences suggest that they would enjoy other kinds of programs. Of the sets which comprise the target
audience, sets D and X are the two largest which suggests there is a sizeable potential audience for the program.
In order to appeal to set D the proposed program should
include: (1) Elements of realism, such as realistic
settings, realistic issues, realistic art forms, etc. should make up the bulk of the program because viewer D
has a strong preference for realism.
(2) Current issues, art forms, ideas, and
experts in the field. There should be a sense of present day importance about the program so viewer D
has a sense of relating this program to the world
around him.
(3jSpontaneous and involved interaction among
the people on the program which includes everyone - not
one person as the dominant figure. Also, the feelings
of artists, actors, and creators should be articulated
because viewer D is interested in people as much as the art form. 132
(4) Information about the art form and bring in interesting sidelights which will help the viewer feel he is learning things about art forms that a non viewer of the program might not know. In order to appeal to audience set X the program should: (1) Have a sense of exploring art forms past, present and future. Viewer X is interested in the future of present things and new things intended for the future. This viewer likes to feel he is seeing new frontiers and gaining new insights. (2) Include a discussion or analysis of the relationships of the art forms to other dimensions.
Relate the art forms to other similar art forms, relate the art forms to contemporary institutions such as politics, education, interest groups* religion, and human behavior.
(3) Intellectualize or speculate from time to time among experts about the art forms. This means that ideas should be stressed rather than facts or information, but the ideas should come from experts and not just "interested people."
(4) Include discussion which has depth and a message. Pure entertaining art forms should not be 133
selected, but rather those with meaning and those which attempt to say something to the audience.
In order to appeal to audience set Y the program
should: (1) Be concerned with objectivity and not prejudiced subjectivity. Viewer Y likes things to appear objective and fair in the analysis. Objectivity
to this viewer means many views and these views must be
supported by facts or by experts. (2) Provide insights into our culture and
society. Viewer Y wants to know how an art form reflects
society and if it represents our culture, a sub-culture,
or a foreign culture. It might be interesting to this viewer to hear an anthropologists views on some of the
art forms.
(3) Have lively and meahingful discussion among the participants. There should be some structure, but
the participants should be free to state their opinions
and add to the program whenever possible.
In order to appeal to audience set Z the program
should in some way:
(1) Show "human interest" aspects of the art
form. This could be along the dimensions of the creation
of the art form, its developments, rise to importance, or responses to the art form. 134
(2) Include conflict about the art form in the discussion or show how the art form has conflict within it. Viewer Y has a strong interest in the emotional conflicts within and among people. This preference should be included in some element within the program.
(3) Deal with serious problems and not just interesting or common dimensions. The problems approach in the discussion should have consequence to people and the art form itself. Even if these are serious "behind- the-scenes" problems, they should be confronted on the program. (4) Focus on reality as much as possible and not deal with "way-out" or unbelievable things or ideas.
This does not mean to stay away from new ideas or art forms, but stay away from things which have no relevance to the "real" world.
Based on other findings, the data suggest the following elements or aspects should be considered in the development of the proposed program.
(1) Although the first fofmat description is not rejected, the second format description appears to be preferred by the majority of the respondents. The second format description is most appealing because it 135 includes excerpts of the art forms and includes experts on the panel. Format #2 - A View of the Arts - a weekly panel discusses and analyzes various contemporary art forms such as Film, Theatre, Dance, Liter ature, Television and Music® Excerpts from the art form under discussion will be shown or acted out® The panel will consist of a moderator, an expert from the field and three guests® Tonight - a discussion of "A Man For All Seasons” and responses are taken from the audience® (2) The respondents do not appear to be interested in responses from the audience. They want to learn some thing from the program and they feel this element adds nothing® (3) Experts appear to be preferred over "inter ested persons" or laymen from the audience. Also the respondents are interested in the feelings and ideas of the creative person as well as the expert who will analyze the art form.
(4) The respondents.do not appear to mind
"critical" analysis as was suggested in Step I, but they do not like sweeping "good*-bad" criticisms of the art form® Again, the viewer wants to learn about art forms and not necessarily whether someone thinks they are good or bad - this the viewer at home will decide.
(5) It appears that the viewers feel a half- hour is too short for this type of program and that the program should be an hour long. 136
(6) The art form selected for discussion is an important factor in the success of the program on a given night. Viewers appear less interested in Dance and Television than the other art forms. (7) The best times for the proposed program appear to be 8:30 or 9:30 Friday evening. Perhaps other times would be good since the viewers tend to like the proposed program, but the program should not be early or late evening nor early in the week.
Based on the findings of Step II it is sug gested that the proposed program, provided the above recommendations are encorporated, should appeal to the target audiences and "maximize the enjoyment of the viewer." This enjoyment would be within the framework g of Stephenson's "play theory of mass communications" and appears to be "communication-pleasure" that the viewer would derive from the new program.
8 William Stephenson, o£. cit., pp. 54-57. CHAPTER VI
STEP III OF THE RESEARCH APPROACH
So much there is to see, but our morning eyes describe a different world than do our afternoon eyes, and surely our wearied evening eyes can report only a weary evening world.... What I set down here is true until someone else passes that way and rearranges the world in his own style. John Steinbeck, Travels with Charley, 1962
Determining the program1s treatment There is activity which often occurs during the creative phase of a television program which some label "brainstorming." This "brainstorming session" or a number of similar sessions might involve the producer, the director, a writer or two, perhaps one of the stars, and perhps other members of the "creative team0" These persons sit and discuss the various elements and treat ments which the new program could incorporate. For a time, different locations for the action might be dis cussed, or perhaps the character of the supporting actors is talked about, or perhaps the issues to be included on the program are evaluated. The final decisions on
137 138 the appropriate treatment the various elements of the program will be given often come out of similar "brain- storming sessions.” This type of "brainstorming session” is one way to develop new ideas for a program, evaluate old ones, and determine the treatment the different elements of the new program might be given. Often these decisions are made individually by members of the production staff.
There are occasions when decisions are made by personnel outside of the production staff. Seldom, at this point in production, are potential audience members included in the "brainstorming" for possible treatments of the program's elements. In the two previous steps of our research approach we have utilized audience response to aid in determining what elements the new program should contain. Our research system also permits us to obtain ideas for possible treatment of the program's elements.
We intend to "brainstorm" the audience and incorporate major ideas from the "creative team" into "treatment"
instruments to determine audience responses to this dimension of the new program.
This third step of our research approach is the "brainstorming" of the audience members. The ideas and meanings obtained from audience members will be combined with ideas from the production team into a "Treatment 139
Instrument.." The "Treatment Instrument" will be developed along Q-lines and administered to audience members so that we can systematically isolate treat ments of the different elements which are operating
strongly within our target audience(s). Our purpose
in this step is to conduct highly exploratory interviews with audience members so that we will have statements
from the audience which can be built into our "Treat ment Instrument." Our third step is designed to build
an instrument which can be administered systematically
in the fourth step of our research.
Methodology In this step we are attempting to reflect as
closely as possible the manner in which treatments for
the elements are determined by the "creative team." We want to be highly exploratory and consider as many
possible treatments as possible. In order to accomplish
this purpose, focused interviews^ are conducted with
a number of respondents. The focused interview is
highly reflective and exploratory in nature similar to a non-directive counseling session. Certain areas of
exploration are determined before the interviews. These
■*"Ro K. Merton, M. Fiske, and p. Kendall, The Focused Interview (Glencoe, 111.: The Free Press,' 1"§56). 140 determined areas include many possible elements planned for the new program and, depending upon one's purpose, other elements which could be in the program. Each possible element is then discussed in-depth, in a non directive manner, with a respondent. The interviewer mentions the various elements, elicits responses from the person, and explores further statements made by the person which he feels are important. An interviewer should have experience in conducting focused interviews since a great deal of sensitivity is required. The interviewer should follow the leads given by the respondent, yet always skillfully guiding the interview.
The focused interview is very productive in eliciting a large number of ideas and statements from a respondent, but it is difficult to systematically score or evaluate the data obtained from the interview.
The responses of each person interviewed are recorded in verbatum fashion by the interviewer to reflect the meanings the respondent has for the elements. We have found that the most fruitful approach in eliciting statements from persons is to begin with their present behavior and attitudes. That is, focus on pro grams they watch, performers they enjoy, and the reasons they watch and enjoy certain things. With this as a 141 basis, we move to preference and our specific elements under study.. In concluding the interview it is best to open up the area of preference to whatever the respondent chooses to discusso This kind of approach has proved to establish good rapport, make the respondent feel at ease and free to talk, and provide insights that we may not get by immediately probing the respondent for the elements in which we are interested..
The focused interview provides raw data in terms of a semi-transcript report of the respondent’s remarks.
This report is analyzed and the important statements culled out so that they may be incorporated into a measuring instrument such as the Q-sort. An example of this procedure would be a segment from an interview 2 conducted during previous research:
Not too much sex „.o» she should use her brains along with her appeal® Her doing under cover activity would be acceptable®®®„ The men could come in and clean up®
Several statements for use in another instrument could be culled from this segment® For example: (1) "The girl should use her brains to get out of tight situations®" (2) "The girl should do undercover work and let the male agents follow up by cleaning up the enemy®"
^Monaghan, Plummer, Rarick, and Williams, loc® cit® 142
Statements such as these, culled from the inter views, are combined with similar statements which the
"creative team" feels best express the treatment they would hope to give the elements of the new program.. From this population of statements a Q-instrument would be developed for testing in Step IV. Step III would
provide, in terms of our systematic approach, (1) an
instrument which would isolate and analyze many of the variables inherent in a program's treatment (e.g., exotic settings, compassionate people, classy cars,
kinds of humor, etc®), (2) insights into other patterns
of elements which have been isolated, (3) data and statements for future program instruments, and (4) more
in-depth meanings the viewers have for the proposed
program.
Sample The sample for this step is small, but is
factorally generated giving us a wide range of types
of viewers. A factoral sample is used since no attempt
is made in this step to generalize the findings to a larger population. The sample is obtained from various
sex, age and socio-economic classes in Columbus, Ohio.
In order to obtain diversity from a small number of
respondents, a factorally generated sample is used. 143
The following demographic characteristics were used to generate the sample for this step:
Levels Categories Sex Male Female Age (A) 10-25 (B) 26-45 (C) 45-75 3 Socio-Economic I II III
This provides a simple 2x3x3 matrix which can produce 18 possible combinations of respondents based on the above demographic characteristics® This procedure gives each combination of characteristics an equal chance of appearing in the sample® For example: an MAI combination is developed by taking one category from each level and symbolizes a male respondent between the ages of 10-25, who lives in an "above-average" socio economic area® This procedure gives us a mathematically precise representation of important demographic char acteristics with each set of characteristics being represented in exact proportions. The total sample for this step is eighteen persons®
The focused interview guide
The interviews are conducted by two highly trained interviewers within the respondents home® Each interview takes from 1 to 2 hours to complete. An
3 Socio-economic refers to geographic areas of Columbus based upon medias of income, education, and tax ation value of homes as reported in the 1960 Columbus census. 144 outline for conducting the focused interview is based upon past interviews and variables considered important by the producer and researcher. Listed below are some of the areas of exploration which are incorporated into the final interview guide. In the focused interview guide there are several central concepts which we are interested in exploring with the respondents. We are also interested in probing many of the elements which might be encorporated into the proposed program. One of the central concepts we are interested in exploring is the concept of "interest ingness o" A large number of viewers indicated this concept in the earlier steps of the study in their preference for the proposed program. The "interesting ness" concept appears to revolve around interesting persons, interesting topics and interesting discussion.
The implications of this concept in terms of the pro gram's appeal to the viewer appears definite so that further investigation of this concept to determine viewer's meanings is important.
A second major concept we would like to explore further and for which we hope to determine viewer meanings is the concept of "critical analysis." Many of the viewers had negative reactions to the concept of
"critical analysis" as proposed in the original idea of 145 the programo It appears that there is a wide variety of meanings for "critical analysis" and different persons respond quite differently to the concept. To some persons this concept has negative meaning and other persons appear to have favorable meanings to the concept.
We want to determine the various meanings for this
Concept, what common meanings persons might have and What alternative concepts might be best suited for the proposed program.
The third major concept that we are interested in exploring is the concept of "moderator" for the program. It appears from the early steps of research and conferences with the producer that the "moderator" on the program is crucial to the success of the program.
It appears that this program needs to have a competent, highly communicative moderator in order to maximize the enjoyment of the viewer. The moderator is perceived as the central figure of the panel and a major factor in the type and manner of discussion. We want to learn the viewer's ideal concepts of a "good moderator" and the characteristics that he or she should possess to be effective on the program.
The other factors incorporated into the focused interview guide are concerned with the elements as 146 related to other discussion programs on television, favorite television programs, proposed elements for the new program, and ideal concept related to discussion programs. The basic approach of the interviewer is on an "actual-ideal" continuum. That is, we are interested in the past and present viewing behavior of the respondents and also interested in what they would most like to see in future television programs. Although we are most concerned with the viewers* meanings and preferences for discussion programs, we also want to be aware of preferences that appear to be operating strongly in their basic orientation to television viewing.
Findings The major importance of the findings and data obtained from this step is the contribution to the instruments to be used in Step IV. The data do suggest certain constructs operating strongly in this step, however, which may prove useful to the creation of the new program. The findings are to be interpreted within the framework of the total approach and methodology of this step. The findings of this step are not intended to be generalized to a larger population, but are intended to provide meaningful insights into viewers1 meanings for the proposed program. 147
In terras of the "interestingness" concept the respondents tend to define "interestingness" along three major dimensions: interesting persons, interesting topics, and interesting discussion. The kind of person the respondents tend to find interesting is one who has a variety of interests and knowledge. He is a person who can discuss a wide range of subjects intelligently and will often point out inter-relationships among ideas. The ability to make you "think" is also operating within this concept of an interesting person. Another important characteristic is the ability to communicate. Statements made by the respondents imply the importance of a good communicator:
"Speaks well and has a good command of the language," "One who is straight to the point," and "Talk on a level the audience can understand." The most important con struct operating within the "communication factor" for almost all the respondents is the ability to discuss on a level the average person can comprehend. This implies a limited use of "jargon" by the person because to most viewers this is difficult to follow and becomes "boring."
A second dimension of interestingness appears to be the topics and issues incorporated into the discussion. Operating in the viewers preference and 148 definition of interestingness is an importance of the
"nowness" of things. There is a strong desire to have the topics and issues relate to them, in some way that is functional. This is implied in statements such as
"Show the relationships between personal life and art forms," "Topics that are original and fresh," and
"Include questions that are crucial right now." In this desire to relate things on the program to themselves, the viewers tend to perceive some function in this relationship. Some hope to learn more about art forms, others want some cultural self-improvement and others want to "Be able to share what happened on the program with someone else." It is apparent that there is some motivation to change their self-image and they perceive this program as supplying some aspect of this growth.
The topics discussed should be important now in some fashion to the viewer and he needs to get a feeling that what is discussed will supply him with personal cultural growth.
Along these same lines the viewers tend to be interested in the impact of the art forms on society or
the "social implications of art forms." This is demon
strated in questions like "What effect does this art
form have on people in our society?" There seems to be
strong interest in relating the art to people and to 149 society* The implications for society should have some , empirical support as well as intuitive judgment by the people on the prograrh. There also appears to be some concern with the future effects of present art forms and "Problems that might affect us in future years*"
Although there is interest in the art forms themselves, the viewer tends to want to see a relationship to him self and the impact on the society. The viewer tends to feel that some background or "behind-the-scenes" information about the art forms would put the art form into a perspective that interests him. They want to see the art form in some context and most viewers feel that some background or historical development would provide this context. The kinds of
art forms the viewers prefer discussed are those whidh have some "depth and meaning." They feel that these kinds of art forms would provide more basis for dis
cussion and allow for alternative interpretations.
This means that the "pure entertainment" art forms
would not be as interesting to the viewer as those with some message or moral.
The kind of discussion the viewers tend to find
most interesting is spontaneous, in-depth discussion and
having some direction. The spontaneity in discussion ! t
150 should provide some conflict and a touch of the unexpectedo Although there is a preference for con flict in the discussion, the viewers do not want to see a debate. There needs to be some order to the discussion, but not to the point of stifling spontaneity or the opportunity for challenging, unexpected statements. All the conflicts do not need to be resolved, but the viewer does want some direction to the discussion. They do not want people "to get side-tracked too much." It appears that spontaneous discussion within some framework is the kind of discussion most preferred by the viewers. A third major dimension in the meanings of interestingness is a kind of analysis of art forms.
There appears to be some negative feeling toward the word "critical analysis." The viewers tend to per ceive "critical" as a negative, one-sided approach to analysis which has no positive or dunctional use to the viewer. The viewer tends to see "critical analysis" as a "good-bad" kind of analysis and this is not his main purpose for wanting a program on art forms. The viewer wants to be able to "form his own opinions" and "match his opinions against those on the program." He does not want to know simply that an art form is "good" or "bad" because he feels that he can make that kind of evaluation. 151
He wants to know the motivation behind the creation of
the art form, why it was created the way it was, and why
it is better than other similar creations. In a sense
they want rationale behind the art form and information
which qualifies an evaluation of the art form. If the
art form is given some kind of rating, they want the
"rating given to be qualified." The viewer also wants to see as many elements of the art form analyzed as
possible rather than picking out just one aspect and
making an overall judgment of the art form. Any analysis should have at least two sides
presented and made on some objective criteria. Although
the viewer wants to form his own opinions, he wants to
feel that the analysis is "fair and honest." The most
meaningful and interesting kind of analysis to the
viewer appears to be the motivational and interpretation
kind of analysis which primarily answers the question
"why?". The analysis should tend to cover a wide
variety of elements within the art form, but not all
the elements in every discussion. The viewer wants
the people on the program to select the significant
elements based on the specific art form. At the same
time the viewers tend to want some direction and want
some motivational questions in every analysis. 152
Other dimensions which appear to be operating in the viewer’s meaning for the proposed program cover four main areas: (1) panel personnel, (2) information on the program, (3) audience involvement, and (4) an exploration of new fields. The viewers tend to prefer persons on the program who fall into either the "expert” or the "artist" category. They do not appear to be strongly interested in having "interested" people or "laymen" as members of the panel. This is tied in closely with the preference for information and they perceive "laymen" as supplying little information. There is some interest in the average person's opinion, but the viewers tend to see this as separate from the discussion and analysis.
Perhaps a short segment of the program could include a sampling of the "laymen's" opinions about the art form plus perhaps the "average opinion" expressed in terms of acceptance through ratings, box office receipts or letters written to the program. There is a strong preference to hear the creator or artist's viewpoint and analysis on the art form. This need not be given by the creator himself, but could be expressed by "some one who knows the feelings of the artist." The other people on the program would be experts or specialists 153 who would analyze the art form from another viewpoint*
The viewers perceive the proposed program as providing information to them about art forms and specific creations* Unless the viewer gets the feeling
"that he has learned something" from this program, it appears that many persons would begin to reject this program* The viewer hopes to get information on the arts from this program, but would not want to go out and find the information himself* As one respondent
stated, "I like to have information fed to me." The information should be presented in an enjoyable and interesting fashion* Most would like to see this program
as "a combination of information and entertainment*"
This implies a program with a touch of lightness at times, and enough variety to be "entertaining*"
Perhaps the variable operating most strongly among all the viewers was the preference for excerpts
from the art form or the object itself included in the program. This factor may not necessarily be the
determining variable in the appeal of the new program, but it is important to the viewers who prefer this kind
of program* They feel that excerpts or examples will
provide a basis for discussion and orient the viewer
to the art form* This may also increase viewer involve ment by seeing an excerpt or example because he then 154 has some reference point for what is under discussion. There appear to be three types of viewer con cepts of audience participation or involvement as it relates to the proposed program.. One type prefers no audience participation at alio "If I don't like the program or what they are saying, I'll turn it offo" This kind of viewer seems to feel that this ability to control the set has some magical influence over all programs. He feels this tells the creator of the program what is enjoyable or not about his program and what the viewer's opinions are on certain topicso The second kind of viewer would not mind audience partici pation, but would not participate himselfo The kind of audience participation would have to be limited because this viewer only feels people who know some thing or have something worthwhile to offer should participateo This kind of viewer strongly recommends some kind of screening process. The third kind of viewer wants to be involved personally and wants to see other audience members participate on the program.
This kind of viewer appreciates an opportunity to express himself and to hear others. Almost any audience participation approach would be suitable to this type, but there is some preference for the telephone. At this stage of the research it appears that the best approach would be to have limited audience participation and only provide a short time segment in the program for some kind of audience response. This program appears to provide an opportunity to learn about and explore new things as perceived by the viewers* One respondent stated, "The idea of exploring new fields is fascinating to me." The viewers perceive this program as a "wide-open" approach to the arts and they find this exciting for many do not have this kind of opportunity in their homes. They want to explore new fields, learn about art and watch something a little more challenging than a 30-minute comedy, but they want to do all of this in the comfort of an easy chair. The program should make them think, but not too much "entertaining and exercising of the mind without burden." If this program can provide information about new and exciting things in art forms
in a challenging and entertaining fashion, it would
appear to appeal to a sizeable audience.
A final preference which appears to be operating
in the viewer’s meanings for this program is the
preference for a "two-level" approach to the arts. The viewers want to see the art forms discussed on two
levels - on a feeling level and the other a "thinking"
level. Perhaps this could be placed on an "objective- 156 subjective" continuum, but it appears as though the meanings are somewhat different here. The viewers want to hear the artist's or the creator's "feelings" about his work and how others "feel" about the work. They also hope to receive information and an analysis of the art form in terms of criteria outside the realm of affect on the receiver« The findings of this step in the research approach support many of the previous findings of Step I and Step II, add further meanings to these findings, and open up some new findings for consideration in the new program. The respondents interviewed in this step are not members of any other sample used in this study and this provides support for the notion that our findings are operating in others outside our original and sub sequent samples. This is not to imply that we can gen eralize our findings with accuracy or that we can provide correlation data to show the similarities among Step III respondents and other respondents in our study. This third step was designed to provide further insights into the creation of the new program concept and to supply data for the construction of instruments to be administered in Step IV» 157
Recommendations of Step III The recommendations from Step III are based on data gathered in focused interviews with a factorally generated sample and the major constructs or meanings operating among the sample,. These recommendations should be interpreted within the methodology and analysis used in Step IIIo These recommendations are presented as further insights into the possible framework of the proposed program. The proposed program is perceived as an "interest ing" program by viewers and the dimensions of the program which appear most "interesting" are: (1) The kinds of persons on the program — The kind of person which should be on this program is one who has knowledge about the topic and may be seen as an
"expert" in his field. He should speak with authority on the subject and be able to communicate this knowledge effectively. The other kind of person which should be on this program is the "artist" or "creator" who has the feeling of the art form and can articulate the rationale behind the creation of the art form. Both kinds of person's should be able to speak to the point and enjoy confrontation of ideas.
(2) The topics or questions on the program — All the topics on this program should have a sense of immediate 158 or future relevance. The topics should relate in some way to the viewer at home o * * How does this art effect him?, What does this art form say to him?, etc* The topics should relate to our society and the influence of the art form on our society. There should be some indication of future impact or changes in the art forms* Any art form discussed should have some message or depth as opposed to "pure entertainment" art forms* The bulk of the topics should be controversial along some dimension*
(3) The kind of discussion on the program — The discussion on the program should have some direction, some goal, and some guiding principles. The viewers do not want to see people sitting around talking about any thing that pops into their head* Within some semi structured framework, there should be freedom and an opportunity for the unexpected* Spontaneity is important to the success of the program, but at the same time the viewer wants to know about certain things * There needs to be some conflict in the discussion, but not to the point that it becomes a debate. The viewer does not always need a consensus on every aspect of discussion nor does it appear that a consensus on the overall art form is necessary* There must be interplay among the people and no one person should monopolize the discussion* Each individual must be able to handle himself well in a 159 discussion context and keep the discussion moving. (4) The kind of analysis made on the art forms —
The viewers want the kinds of analyses which go in-depth into the motivation behind the creative work. They want to know: Why it is better; Why it was done this way;
What could have been done differently; What effect the artist was trying to create, etc. They are less concerned with a critical analysis of whether the art work is good or bad. Most of them want to be able to form their own opinions about this aspect of analysis. Thus, the pro gram should not contain analyses which make sweeping good or bad evaluations. If criticisms are made of the art form, they should be supported and qualified,, In other words, analyze more than criticize.
Other recommendations developed from the findings of Step III are:
(a) The moderator on the program should have a wide range of interests and know a little bit about a lot. He should be articulate and to the point. He should not be the dominent factor on the program, but should keep the program moving. He should have the ability to ask the right kinds of questions and draw out from others what they are thinking. He should not state his opinion about the art forms in every case, but keep probing an issue until a person supports his statements. 160
He should have the ability to tie things together and have a good sense of humor.. (b) There should be two levels to the program —
One of the levels should be on a feeling basis - e.g., the feelings of the artist, the reactions one gets from the art work, etc, The other level should be on a
"thinking" basis - e.g., the criteria of art forms, the motivation of the art form, information about the art form, the relationship with society, etc. The pre dominant level appears to be the "thinking" level, but there should be some "feeling" level within the program*
(c) There should be information on the program about the art form, the artist, the background, and aspects of the art form* The art form should be broken down into meaningful elements for analysis and when possible various elements pointed out within the art form.
The approach of the Leonard Bernstein Specials in breaking
the music down into meaningful and understandable elements
should be done from time to time on the program. The viewer wants to feel as if he is learning something and becoming more cultured as a result of watching the program.
(d) The program should not be a simple "formula"
approach, but should be in terms the average person can understand. The use of "jargon" and the attempts at a 161 strict intellectual or sophisticated approach would not be appropriate for this program. The viewer is watching this program to learn something about art forms and does not want to be lost in a high level discussion, that only specialists can comprehend. At the same time it should not be on an elementary level because this would probably bore the viewer. Perhaps a good approach would be one with an elementary presentation on occasion and at other times some sophisticated discussion. The panelists should not attempt to "impress” each other or the audience, but should attempt to communicate interesting and meaningful things to them.
(e) The question of audience participations on the program is still not resolved, but laymen or the average person should not be involved in the analysis of the art form. Initial indications are that a short segment of the program should include audience remarks or a sampling of the average person's opinion.
(f) Perhaps most important this far, the research indicates that excerpts and concrete examples should be shown on the program. This will add interest to the program and provide a reference point for both the participants and the viewer. This aspect appears most crucial to the success of the program. 162
(g) Indications are still strong that this is a good program concept and that there is a potential audience for the program® The type of viewer most interested in this program is someone who wants to better himself and learn about art forms in an enjoyable fashion®
He does not necessarily spend hours going to see art forms or reading about them, but has some interest and hopes that this program will fulfill his needs in a short period of time® CHAPTER VII
STEP IV OF THE RESEARCH APPROACH
If communication is a fully human enter prise - employing within us a wide range of human competencies - why is it not appropriate to behave both systematically and creatively at the same time? There are at least some occasions when a merger of these human abilities may be desirable and appropriate* Robert Ro Monaghan, A Systematic Way of Being Creative ,~*196i
The program* s treatment Once the idea of the program has been accepted and the program format developed within certain dimensions, the new television program has gone through two critical creative phases* At this point the program is often given the "green light" for further creative development* Pro grams are often scheduled or committed by the networks on the basis of the basic idea and format* One problem is that neither the program nor its development ends here*
Although the idea and format have found acceptance, the other variables and the execution of the program also influence the end result* It is at this point in creating a new program that a large number of treatments and details are determined* This often takes place before the script 163 164 is written and storyboards developed,, "How many characters should be involved?"; "What should the basic issues be?"; "What geographic locations should be used?"; "What characteristics should the characters possess?"; etc. These are questions which need to be answered before the scripts are written, and actors, production people and other committments made and brought together to produce the program□
The role of the audience
The answers to the critical questions at this phase in the new program’s creation are seldom, if ever, supplied by the audience* They are most often provided by the people who raise them - the producer, network, advertiser, or other members of the creative team* The answers are most often based on experience, intuition, other programs, and/or "insight*" These methods for determining the treatment of the program are used and if the person making the decisions has an exceptional
"feeling" for his work, in most cases the product might be appealing to the audience* It is our belief, however, that audience research at this stage can provide insights which will help the "creative team" determine which treatments will maximize the enjoyment of the audience*
We realize that it would be uneconomical and almost 165 impossible to test every alternative treatment for the new program on the audience® There are some treatments which are evident or inferred from the format or nature of the program.,
The problem It is our purpose in this step to determine what alternative treatment variables are most important to the new program and to investigate the audience's reaction to the possible alternatives® We want to answer the questions which the producer or other members of the creative team consider crucial to the program's development and effect® To do this the researcher must work closely with the creative team and at the same time conduct exploratory research into the possible treatment variables® Step III of our systematic approach provides a method for conducting exploratory research® At the same time, the creative team has determined certain treatments and has questions about others® It is our job in this step to investigate and determine which treatment variables are operating most strongly in the preferences of our target audience(s)® Using this approach the producer should have clearer insights into the possible treatments for the proposed program® 166
Methodology The findings from Step XII are combined with the suggestions of the creative team into a measuring instru ments) so that we may systematically isolate the most strongly operating variables. Because most television programs are highly complex and contain a wide range of treatments, more than one measuring instrument should be used in this step. The type and number of measuring
instruments used in this step is determined by the scope
and nature of the problem. We have found that one of
the most useful instruments for the type of research
required in this step is a quasi-structured statement Q-instrument.^ This does not preclude the use of other kinds of measuring instruments, however. For our pur
poses in this study two types of instruments are used.
The instruments which provide the bulk of our ddta for
this step are two statement Q-ihstruments which are called
our "Treatment Instruments."
The major findings from Step III, along certain dimensions, are placed on 3 x 5 cards in statement form. The treatment variables the producer has questions about
are also placed in statement form on cards. This is the
Q-population from which our "Treatment Instrument" is developed. All the cards are examined and broken down
■'"William Stephenson, loc. cit. into different piles with each pile reflecting similar qualities« This is done a number of times by different persons until some agreement is arrived at by the researcher® These piles represent the various levels of our instrument® Within each pile are various categories which reflect different dimensions of the major levelsB Some of the statements are then eliminated based on parsimony, duplication, and relevance to the problem® The remaining statements are written in a neutral manner and coded according to the level and
category of which they are a member® This procedure provides us with a quasi-structured Q-instrument which
can then be systematically administered and analyzed to provide insights into our problems® (It should be
noted that in a quasi-structured Q-instrument all
statements are not required to be members of a category
or level®) Our "Treatment Instrument" is admihistered asking
for the respondent's preference for treatments as they
relate to the program under study® We are concerned with his meanings for the possible treatments as they relate
to the proposed program instead of his general preference
pattern® Our "Treatment Instrument" includes the major
2 The terms levels and categories are defined in Stephenson® 168 treatment variables and is limited in its scope. In order to investigate all possible treatment variables one could conceivably construct a "Treatment Instrument" containing hundreds of statements which by the nature of
Q-procedure would take a respondent hours to complete* For this reason a paper and pencil instrument to test a variety of treatment variables is constructed for this step* The purpose of this instrument is to measure a wide variety of treatment variables which have relevance to the program* This paper and pencil instru ment is developed along the lines of attitude rating scales* Statements not included in our "Treatment Instrument" are listed and the respondent is asked to respond to each statement based on his orientation to the statement* These data are also systematically analyzed to provide additional insights for the researcher and producer. Other types of measuring instruments may be Used during this step depending upon the problem under study.
The sample
The persons that are most representative of the different "sets" within our target audience(s) from Step
II make up the sample for this step. This sample is much smaller in size than sample one or two and is a "sample 169 of a sample*" It is not necessary at this stage of the research to return to the original sample in order to provide recommendations to the producer. The persons in this sample are most representative of the tastes and preferences of the other respondents based on our procedures* It is assumed that the other respondents represented by our sample respondents would behave similarly* Based on the early findings of our study the data suggested a few major constructs which were impor tant to the viewer’s perception of the proposed program* One of these major constructs was the concept of "interest- ingness." The proposed program was perceived by the respondents to provide them with information and this appeared to be a major construct in the minds of the viewers* A third major construct appeared to center around the kinds of analysis which would occur on the new program* A fourth major construct was the kinds of people which would be involved in the new program* The final construct which appeared to be operating strongly in the viewer's perceptions of the program was the notion of the kind of involvement the viewer at home would like to experience* These are the five problems, suggested by the data, that we are most interested in 170 investigating in this fourth step of our systematic approachs The statements taken from Step II which best reflect these problems were incorporated into our
"treatment instruments.," Questions were raised by the producer of the proposed program which should be investigated in Step
IV« These questions were formulated by the producer in consultation with the other members of the creative team and based on the early findings of our research. The important questions asked by the producer are: (1) What type of moderator would the audience most like? (2) What kinds of people would be the best guests on the program? (3) what sort of setting would provide the most positive background for the program? (4) what suggestions are there as a title for the proposed program?
(5) Would the viewers like to be able to call in and have their conversation or question made part of the program?
(6) Would the audience like a "Man on the Street" insert to obtain their views of the topic under discussion?
(7) Would the audience like to have a set series 171 of questions for each program or leave the program open to follow whatever path it takes? (8) Rather than a panel, would the audience like
to see the artist questioned by just one person?.»..
Should it be one person and phone calls from the
audience? (9) Should the artist begin the program with
some statement concerning his work, or should he just
answer questions? The problems or main constructs which appeared
to be operating in the perceptions of the viewers toward
the proposed program and the questions raised by the
producer are the ones we are most concerned with in this
step. The concept of interestingness, the concept of information, the concept of analysis, and the concept
of involvement in the program are the major dimensions
of the first "Treatment Instrument" constructed for
application to Step IV. Forty-four of the most represen
tative and revealing statements made by respondents in
Step III were selected and developed in neutral fashion
for Treatment Instrument #1. Respondents were asked to
sort these forty-four statements along Q-dimensions from
most like to least like they "would like to see them in 172 a new TV program®" They were asked to sort the statements along the following Q-dimensiohs:
Least Like Most Like Frequency 345686543 N=44 Loading 123456789
The perceptions that the viewers have about the kinds of persons on the proposed program appear to be very crucial to the success of the program» Because of the seeming importance of this dimension of the proposed program, a second "Treatment Instrument" was developed along Q-dimensions to gain insights into the viewer’s perceptions of the kinds of people they would enjoy apart from the other elements. Twenty^one statements were selected from the Q-population of statements gathered in Step ill. These 21 statements were judged to best represent the major dimensions of possible kinds of persons which might appear on the proposed program®
The respondents were asked to sort the statements along
Q-dimensions from those "which best describe the kinds of people you would like to see in a discussion program dealing with contemporary art forms" to those which
"least describe the kinds of people you would enjoy®" 173
The statements were sorted under the following dimensions
Least Best Describe Describe Frequency 1 2 4 7 4 2 1 N=21 Loading 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
The questions asked by the producer were put into statement form and encorporated into our third instrument for this step. Other dimensions might be encorporated into the program, but were not reflective of the "interestingness" concept or the perceptions of people on the program, were also written in state ment form to be included in our third instrument.
Examples of the statements which make up the third
"Treatment Instrument" are: "An Hour Long," "Informal
Meeting of Noted People," "Evaluate Mainly American
Art Forms," and a "Man on the Street" insert in the program. The respondents were asked to react to fifty similar statements on a 1 to 5 rating scale from "Do
Not Prefer At All" to "Prefer Very Much." The respondents were asked to circle the number opposite each statement which best reflects your preference for that element in the new television program. At the end of the third instrument the respondents were asked to suggest an appropriate title for the new program.
These suggestions for a title will be used in Step V. 174
The recommendations and findings of Step IV are intended to aid the producer in determining the
kinds of "treatment" the elements in the new program should be given. The findings are based on the factors
developed out of thedata from our three treatment
instruments. The factors are analyzed to suggest the treatments which should be given the elements. Fourteen
persons who were most representative of the factors and
audience sets of Step II make up the sample of Step
IV. These fourteen respondents were interviewed in
their home by six of the trained interviewers over a one week period. The responses to all three treatment
instruments were tabulated and submitted to the Ohio
State University 7090 IBM system. The computer pro
duced three 14 x 14 inter-person correlation matrices
and a principle axis analysis of factors with varimax
rotation. Factors were selected on the basis of contribution to the total variance.
The findings are discussed along three dimensions
Chich are derived from the three "Treatment Instruments." The three dimensions are (1) what would be interesting to the viewers, (2) what kind of person the viewers would
enjoy, and (3) what elements of treatment the viewers
would enjoy on the new program. Each dimension has
certain factors operating strongly which indicate the 175 preference patterns of the representative viewers of our sample,, Each factor* along the three dimensions
(labeled 1, 2, and 3) is described as a hypothetical viewer* The first dimension we shall examine is the concept of "interestingness*"
1st Dimension Five strong preference patterns emerged along the dimension of "interestingness" which indicate a number of possible treatments to make the proposed program "interesting" to the target audiences,, All five preference patterns should be encorporated into the new program in order to "maximize the enjoyment of the viewer*" It should be pointed out that these preferences patterns reflect the tastes of persons who are favorable to the proposed program concept.
Viewer A will find the new program interesting if there is a "sense of relationship with the present world*" The program must point out relationships among the art forms and our modern world. This viewer wants the program and the art form under discussion to relate to him. There needs to be a sense of involvement on the program so that it does not appear something apart from
♦Factor arrays are presented in the appendix. 176
TABLE 3 FACTOR LOADINGS FOR THE FIRST DIMENSION (N=44 Statements)
Variables Audience Set Factors (Persons) Membership A B C D
1 D, X o693 -.164 .202 -.016
2 D, X o 098 .165 -.014 .840
3 D,X -.298 .762 .056 .270
4 Z .149 -.054 .118 .280 5 X .187 .817 -.035 .249
6 X .794 -.050 -.092 .241
7 X -.123 .227 .467 .548
8 C .612 .407 .030 -.132
9 X .419 .468 .194 .144
10 D,X .600 .141 .461 -.051
11 D,X .628 .195 .492 .316 12 D,Y .423 .456 -.282 .576
13 D,X .272 .572 .513 -.121 X 14 o .085 -.069 .824 -.005 177 everyday life. Viewer A has a "down to earth" interest in things and wants this feeling to be projected in the program. The program also needs to have an immediacy about it that demonstrates an awareness of modern problems.
To be interesting to Viewer A the program should deal with "topics that are original and fresh" and "include questions that are crucial right now." This viewer does not find any social use for the program and does not care to "be able to share what happened on the program with others." The analysis of the art forms is not as important to this viewer as the meaning the program has for him.
He wants the program to deal with "art forms with depth and meaning." There appear to be little concern with the comparison or analysis of art forms along certain dimensions. He does not want to know "why the art form is better" or "how it would differ if done another way."
Viewer A wants to see the art formfe and then learn how they relate to him and the world around him.
The level of discussion and thinking on the program should be sophisticated and intelligent to interest Viewer A. Discussion should not deal with meaningless topics and should not insult the viewer by talking "down" to him. Any attempts at rating the art form on the program would be a waste of time to viewer A. 178
Crucial, probing questions and relationship are more interesting to this viewer,, Viewer B finds the lives of the artist and people most interesting,, He wants to know about the artists and entertainters who are connected with the art forms. The information about the artists should come from the artists themselves and be in the form of experiences and feelings rather than "factual" information. Viewer B does not feel that "statistics which show new trends" are inter esting. The program should be challenging to this viewer in order to be interesting. He wants to see conflict on the program and become involved in the conflict. He does not want to "sit back and relax" during the program, but wants to "exercise his mind." Viewer B has an interest in people and what they do especially people who create in some manner,*
Viewer C has a strong interest in the possible future of things. His interest in the future tends to be "problem-centered" and he wants to know what will con front him in the years to come. Exploring new fields and problems provides an interesting dimension for viewer C and he has a special interest in the future importance of the interaction of (1) the artists,
(2) the art form, and (3) society. He wants to know how these factors depend on and affect each other. Along 179 this same dimension he is interested in the growth of things. This interest in growth appears to be centered in people, especially artists and entertainers. The analysis of things on a "good-bad" scale has no interest to this viewer. He is more interested in the implications of things rather than how good they are.
Viewer C rejects the kinds of questions which ask, "Why is it better?" as uninteresting. He is more interested in problems and future effects. He also wants to con sider things on their own merits instead of making comparisons with other things. Viewer C is interested in the artist’s role in things and the artist’s per ceptions of the world. Viewer D is interested in things that are different and provide a "breath of fresh air" from the average. He is interested in things that are original and creative. Something that hasn’t been done before is interesting to this viewer and he wants
"topics that are original and fresh." There is a preference for a modern, lively tempo in things by viewer D. Things that are "free-moving and various" are interesting to this viewer and hold his attention.
He doesn't like to be static and "have information fed to him." There is an interest in a historical perspec tive of the art forms by viewer D. A historical 180 perspective implies an interest in the development of the art form and its relationship to the growth of a specific kind of art form. Viewer D is also interested in a "behind-the-scenes look" at the art form. What went into the creation of an art form, what steps are needed, what kinds of people are involved and what "sidelights" occurred are of interest to this viewer. Viewer D enjoys conflict in a program and feels that "differences of opinions do not need to be resolved."
Viewer D is interested in the interaction of people on different views in a semi-structured situation. Any attempt to "neatly" resolve every issue would be rejected by viewer D. There is little or no interest in the
"average" person's opinion on art forms by viewer D and he strongly rejects any element of "sampling of opinions from the 'man on the street,'" in the new program. This viewer wants to form his own opinions about the art forms and compare them with the "experts" on the program.
Viewer D sees no need to bring in "average" opinions and is not interested in summaries throughout the prograrrib
He is interested in sharp, intelligent, and fast moving discussion on original topics.
2nd Dimension
This dimension examines the kind of person the target audience(s) would most enjoy and be interested in 181 seeing as moderator on the new program.. The early find ings suggested that the "kind" of moderator would be crucial to the success of the program,. This "personal" dimension of the program was investigated in our second
"treatment instrument" to learn the viewer’s "ideal" moderator,. The four factors developed from this instru ment based on the responses of our respondents are described in terms of "hypothetical moderators" rather than "hypothetical viewers*" This kind of description appears more useful to the producer and helps to con ceptualize the best kind of moderator for the new program*
Moderator A is an articulate, thought-provoking type of moderator* He can "ask the right kinds of questions and go in-depth*" Moderator A knows how to listen to others and follow-up important points* He is
"challenging" to the viewer at home through his per ceptive and knowledgable questioning of the people on the program* Moderator A has the ability to come up with the right kinds of questions which make others
"think*" This kind of moderator knows the subject well and does not need "notes" to carry him through a program*
He not only knows the subject under discussion, but has a "wide range of interests and knowledge*" He should be able to bring factors from outside the subject area to make his point and challenge the guests* 182
TABLE 4
FACTOR LOADINGS FOR THE SECOND DIMENSION (N=21 Statements)
Variables Audience Set Factors (Persons) Membership A B C D
1 D,X .820 -.258 .061 .205 2 D,X o 768 .074 .160 -.440
3 D,X o 170 -.214 .877 .051
4 Z .707 -.312 .147 -.197 5 X .845 -.053 .130 -.309
6 X .068 -.081 .056 -.202
1 X .613 -.424 .361 .255 8 c .135 -.051 .073 -.865
9 X .774 .349 .377 -.083
10 D,X .239 -.060 .704 -*.180
11 D,X .042 -.078 .024 .009
12 D,Y .632 -.195 .205 -.486 13 D,X .124 -.938 .157 -.115
14 X,C .270 .065 .624 -.449 183
Moderator A is not "pushy," however, but approaches the program in a cordial and sophisticated manner« He does try to make himself "look good" or
"try to put the critic in his place®" The questions he asks and the lines of thought he pursues are con ducted in a gentlemanly manner, (as opposed to the approach used by Joe Pyne and others.) Moderator A is in many ways predictable and does not "do things you don't expect on the show." He is the stabilizing factor and he is on the show to keep the discussion moving and on-the-subject. This type of moderator expresses him self well and has a "good command of the language." He should not attempt to use words or "jargon" the viewer at home cannot comprehend. The ability to communicate with the people on the program and the viewer at home is one of moderator A's strong points* This kind of moderator does not have to be "well-known," but should
demonstrate an ability to handle the subject matter and
the media.
Moderator B is a genuine, warm and considerate person. He has the ability to remain concrete and not
"intellectualize" or deal in abstraction all the time.
This kind of moderator is more rigid in his approach to
the subject matter than moderator A, but should have a
"wide range of interests and knowledge." Moderator B 184 is a "fun" type person who has a "good sense of humor®"
It is evident by his behavior that he enjoys the program, the subject and the others on the program® The statements and questions posed by this moderator are direct, clear and simple® He allows the guests to elaborate rather than pursuing a topic in-depth himself® He does not push or attempt to put his guests "on-the-spot®" He is more concerned with establishing a warm, friendly and free atmosphere on the program® Moderator B likes to deal with practical elements and is somewhat conservative in his approach® He tries to observe the expected standards and does not attempt to surprise or shock the guests or viewer at home® At the same time, he knows what he is talking about and does not allow erroneous statements to "slip by unnoticed®" He keeps the program moving and within boundaries that the viewer expects. Most of all, moderator B shobld be perceived by the viewer at home as one who is friendly, sincere and interested in people and art forms®
Moderator C is very contemporary in his speech, dress, and ideas® He should be "up on modern ideas and information®" The viewer at home should feel that this moderator is in constant touch with the world of art forms and can bring him the "latest" in new trends and information® He is someone who has had experience in the 185
arts and "his opinions are highly respected in the field®" When this moderator speaks, he speaks with
authority and in an "up-to-date" manner using the most modern terms® Moderator C does not have to "challenge the viewer at home and make him think®" He should provide
information himself as well as getting information from
others® He should allow the guests to develop their
ideas and not attempt to "draw things out from others®"
He should, however, be able "to ask the right questions"
so that the guest has an interesting base from which to i express himself® This kind of moderator would participate
more in the discussion than the other three kinds of moderators because of his close association with the art
forms and ability to "pass the latest" information on to
the viewer® Moderator D is sensitive to the feelings and
creations of the artists on the program® He should be someone who has had artistic experience of some kind so
that he "has the feel of what it is like to be an artist®" He should be fair and "objective" in his approach to the
art forms and guests on the program® This moderator
should point out the many different viewpoints about an
issue® Moderator D is a good natured person and lets
his personality come out on the program® He should have 186 a "good sense of humor" and enjoy the people on the program., Moderator D does not have to be "well-known" to the viewer and does not have to be an artist at the present time. He could be somewhat younger than the other types of moderators and does not have to present a "mature" appearance. His most outstanding characteristic
should be his knowledge about the "creative experience"
and his sensitivity to other people. r
3rd Dimension The third dimension of Step IV was designed to
explore the questions posed by the producer and investi
gate other variables which might be operating in the perceptions of the target audience(s). The third
"Treatment Instrument" used to examine these variables
was a rating instrument which generates four factors.
These four factors are described in terms of a hypothetical viewer and reflect the preference patterns of the other
viewers in the factor under discussion. The most representative statements of each factor are those which
were given a five or a one by the majority of the
respondents loading highest on the factor (.5000 or higher)»
Viewer E would enjoy seeing "excerpts of the
film, play or dance and passages from a book" on the 187
TABLE 5 FACTOR LOADINGS FOR THE THIRD DIMENSION (N=50 Statements)
Variables Audience Set Factors (Persons) Membership E F G H
1 D j X e 742 .103 -.337 .057
2 D, X o 556 .250 .253 .198
3 D, X o 119 .014 -.782 .412
4 Z . 070 .222 -.159 .052 5 X a 307 -.071 -.796 -.037
6 X .811 .123 -.001 .096
7 X .580 .248 -.640 .231
8 F .158 .769 .052 .163
9 X .311 .129 -.139 .864
10 D,X .397 .153 -.416 .237
11 D,X .021 .658 -.585 .059
12 E,Y .236 .547 — .666 .095
13 D,X .171 .793 -.090 .077
14 X,F -.333 .349 — .466 .568 188 new program. This element has shown up very strongly in the first four steps of our investigation. This viewer wants to see what is under discussion so that he may have the same frame of reference as the people on the program.
Viewer E wants the program to include a wide range of art
forms which have universal interest. He is not interested in just "things that are characteristic of the mid-westo"
He wants to broaden his own knowledge in the area of art
forms and does not want to be limited to one area. "Telephone responses to the station" are rejected
by this viewer and imply little interest in any audience participation. This viewer wants to learn about art
forms and feels that the program should only include persons who are knowledgable in the irield. Viewer E
wants to "bring in specialists ■— psychologists, sociolo-
I gists, educators, etc." on the program. He also wants a
"moderator well-qualified in the subject matter." This
preference implies a different moderator or host for
different art forms, unless someone had knowledge of all
contemporary art forms. This viewer also has a preference
for interesting persons on the program and would enjoy seeing "pop artists and hippies" on some programs. Viewer
E wants to learn about and broaden his interests in art
forms by examining all possible dimensions of contemporary
art forms in the new program. 189
Viewer F has a limited preference pattern which is "expert"-orientedo This viewer's major interest in the new program is people on the program who are regarded as experts in a specific art form. He would also like the program to include "specialists" from outside fields to present their views on the art form under discussion*
Although viewer F's major construct appears to be persons with expert knowledge in their field, he wants to hear numerous viewpoints and examine "a variety of art forms*"
He does, however, reject one dimension of contemporary art* He would not enjoy "pop artists and hippies*" This rejection implies a "realistic" orientation to art forms * Viewer F, like viewer E, has no interest in audience participation by the viewer at home* He does not want "letters to the program read" on the show* He feels audience participation would not provide him with comparable information to that obtained from the "experts*"
In terms of analysis of the art forms, this viewer would enjoy all aspects of analysis except analysis from a
"commercial standpoint*"
Viewer G would enjoy a variety of art forms discussed on the program which would include a blend of classical and contemporary art forms* The range of art forms covered should be world-wide and not limited in 190 time or area. Viewer G does not want to see art forms that are only "characteristic of the Mid-West." Every art form should be discussed by persons who know their field well. Viewer G wants to see "experts" discuss the art forms led by a "moderator well qualified in the subject matter." Viewer G wants to learn about art forms and feels that intelligent, sophisticated discussion is the best way to obtain maximum information. This viewer was the only one to strongly indicate a preference in regard to the setting for the program in this step. He is opposed to sur-realistic or abstract settings. Viewer G wants an informal set where the persons appear relaxed and free to exchange ideas. He feels that rigid, abstract sets prevent a free, relaxed atmosphere and distract the viewer from the discussion.
Viewer H wants to see a variety o£ art forms presented analytically so that he may evaluate the various dimensions of art forms* This ahalytic approach can best be accomplished by "presenting both sides of an issue." This viewer does not want to see a dimension go unexamined from many aspects. He wants to see many different kinds of art forms examined openly. Viewer H does not want the different art forms analyzed from the same perspective. Different issues should be examined and discussed relevant to the art form and not "have a 191 set series of questions for every program*" The art form should dictate the issues and the people on the program should be free to interact on dimensions they believe to be crucial and relevant* Viewer H would like to be involved in the program and wants an opportunity to "telephone responses to the station*" He wants to be able to interact with the people on the program and to make his views known to others* This preference is in line with the preference for the presentation of both sides of an issue. Viewer
H feels that if his side is not presented on the program, he wants the opportunity to telephone and make his side known* This viewer wants to see a "moderator well- qualified in the subject matter," but does not want him to dominate the program. He wants everyone to have equal opportunity to make their views known and to question each other. Viewer H wants the artist to confront the
"experts" on the program and not just be "questioned by the moderator." Every person on the program should be free to develop his thinking without having to "debate" every issue* Viewer H wants some conflict, but not to
the point where every issue becomes a debate and the viewer does not get exposed to a variety of dimensions. The people on the program should make a statement and
then move on to a new issue* Finally, viewer H does not 192 want the program to include "pop artists and hippieso"
These kinds of persons do not fit into this viewer's construct of a knowledgable person and thus have no place on the program*
Recommendations The recommendations for Step IV are based on the factors and findings developed dnder our design and approach of this step* Since the sample for this step is made up of the most representative persons from our audience "sets" developed in Step II, the findings in this step reflect the preference patterns of our target audience(s)* The recommendations are discussed in terms of a "composite" of the preference patterns of the factors from the three dimensions of Step IV. The following recommendations indicate the viewer's preferences for "interesting" treatment of the new program*
I* The program should have a sense of immediacy about it in that it relates in some way to our modern world* The ideas expressed should be stimulating to the viewer and current enough so that the viewer feels he is being "kept up-to-date" on the latest in art forms* The issues should be relevant to the present and also indicate future problems and development* The world the viewer is familiar with and not the select world of, say, 193
New York "opera—goers" is the world the program should reflecto The art forms should be related to modern education, mass media, international, economic, and cultural problemso It might be interesting to the viewers to occasionly examine dimensions the viewer has little or no meaning for, but the bulk of the program should include dimensions that have some meaning to our target audiences. 2o The program should be different from the majority of the discussion programs available to the viewerso The viewers see this program as a "breath of fresh air" because it has the potential to be "more" than just discussion. The program should not be a straight "question-answer" approach to art forms, but should include excerpts of the art forms, statements by experts, the feelings of the artist and a free inter change of new, stimulating ideas. The program should have a lively tempo and attempt to stay away from mean ingless discussion such as, "the moderator's favorite book," etc. The discussion and the material in the program should be relevant and attempt to provide information to the viewer. There should not be
"gimmicks," however, in the program just to make it different. The program should be different by the nature of the issues approached, the persons on the programs, 194 the art forms discussed, and the other elements such as excerpts of the art forms. 3» There should be a strong relationship between the program and the viewer at home. The viewer at home wants to be intellectually involved with the program and
"identify" with the people on the program. The viewer does not want audience participation, however, in the form of telephone responses to the station, or question naires filled out at home. The relationship should be developed through communication to the viewer at home and what the program means to him. The program should pro vide the viewer with insights into what the artist is trying to say through his work, what the implications of the art form are to the public, etc. The viewer wants to be involved in the discussion and challenged by the program. The program should stimulate the viewer so that he might read the book, go to the art gallery, or go to the theatre. Another relationship with the viewer could be established if current art forms in Columbus were discussed and analyzed on the program. These art forms should have national interest, however, and not be just "local products." The viewer wants to evaluate the "goodness" of the art form himself so this dimension of evaluation should be left up to the viewer at home.
The viewer wants the "experts" to discuss and analyze 195 the other dimensions of the art form and leave the
"good-bad" criteria to the viewer at home. 4. Some background of the creators of the art forms should be presented on the program. The viewers have an interest in the creator's life and information from them would be effective. This background should be limited in its "facts" because the viewers have a more
"human" interest in the creators. Amusing "sidelights" and "behind the scenes" information would be more appropriate on this program than a barrage of dates, places, and statistics. Some historical perspective, interestingly presented, would add an important dimension for a segment of the audience. An interesting mixture of past and present information would add to the program for the target audience(s). The following recommendations are discussed in terms of the "composite" preferences of the viewers for a "kind" of moderator for the new program:
1. The moderator should be pleasant, friendly, and able to communicate to different levels of under
standing. The moderator should be a male with a pleasant appearance and a sense of humor. He should not attempt to be funny on the program, but able to "enjoy" the people on the program. He should be the true "host" of the program and not be pushy or domineering. 196
2. The moderator should have a wide range of interests and know something about each interest- He should have knowledge about art forms in order to ask pertinent, penetrating, and thought-provoking questions when the need arises. He should be able to draw things together well and summarize the program- He does not need to be well known, but should commend respect from the people on the program and the viewer at home. 3. The moderator should be a good listener and able to respond to others without a written script. He should "know" the people on the program so that he can ask the right question of the right person. He should also be able to remain silent if the discussion and pro gram are progressing well. The program should be the main concern of the moderator rather than attempting to make himself "look good." Although the viewers want a competent, personable moderatot, they are watching the program for other reasons. Thus, the moderator should not be "played-up" as a big part of the program. 4. The program should be enjoyable to the moderator and he should appear relaxed and comfortable on television. He should be sensitive to the artists on the program and for this reason should have had some artistic experience. He should be objective, however, and not "take sides." He should also allow for a wide 197 range of freedom among the people on the program and
encourage spontaneity. 5. The moderator should be the stabilizing
factor on the program. He should keep the program moving, provide summary and comments when needed, and keep the program "on-target." He does not need to stick
to a rigid format, but should, in the best way possible,
prevent irrelevant and meaningless discussion. Other recommendations for the program's "treat
ment" based on the findings of Step IV are:
1. The program should feature experts from the
field of art under discussion and specialists from other disciplines such as psychology, sociology, anthropology,
political science, etc. 2. There should be a wide variety of art forms
discussed throughout the series and the scope of the
program should go beyond Columbus, Ohio and the present.
It would add to the effect of the series if from time
to time art forms presently in Columbus were discussed. Otherwise, there should not be much "local color" even though the program is produced locally. Experts should
have a wide reputation, the art forms should have
national interest, and the issues national importance.
Every program in the series should have excerpts from the art form or the work of art on the 198 program* This element has shown up as operating very strongly in the viewer’s preference patterns in all four steps of our research* 40 The kind of setting which appears to be most appropriate for the program is a semi-formal setting*
The set should appear relaxing and not distract from the program* The set should not be like a "living-room,t! but should tie in some way with art forms* The setting should appear warm and comfortable without a lot of angles and straight chairs* 5* Although the program should have some direction and a basic format, the questions should not be pre-determined* The viewers want spontaneity in the program and want the dialogue lively* Some basic important issues could be pre-determined, but should not be the same for every program* The viewers want a fresh approach to each art form to allow for maximum effectiveness of the people on the program* 6* A number of viewpoints should be represented on the program and both sides of important issues presented* This does not imply a guest on the program for every possible viewpoint, but rather some important viewpoints presented by way of film, tape recording over slides, or read by the moderator* This dimension 199 would also add uniqueness to the program which the viewers would like to see® 7„ There does not appear to be any preference for the artist to make a statement to begin the program®
The artist should have an opportunity somewhere near the beginning of the program to express himself® The artist
should also interact with everyone on the panel and not
just one person or the moderator® 8® The program should move along at a fast-to- moderate pace to reflect the modern life style. The viewers want discussion to be crisp, spontaneous, per tinent, and revealing® They do not want "small talk" i on the program® Anything that will help the program progress and maintain lively discussion is important
to the success of the program® CHAPTER VIII
STEP V OF THE RESEARCH APPROACH
Thus, man comes to understand his world through an infinite series of successive approx imations * Since man is always faced with con structive alternatives, which he may explore if he wishes, he need not continue indefinitely to be the absolute victim either of his past history or of his present circumstances* George A. Kelly, A Theory of Personality, 196"3
Pre-production decisions In the process of developing a new television program the time comes when ideas, discussions, and the different elements must be brought together and, at least on paper, finalized* This finalization usually occurs in the iobm of scripts and storyboards* On occasion a program is produced from an outline or some other rough draft of the program and visual elements, depending on the time available and the type of program* At this pre-production point actors, personalities, production
sites, technical facilities, designers, etc* are selected for the actual production of the program* The opening
and closing for the program, theme music, and other variables are determined* This phase of production is
200 201 very specialized in the tasks which must be accomplished which in turn means that more people are involved in the
decision-making. The number of variables which must be
considered are numerous at this stagea The effect of
the decisions made at this stage are as great if not greater than the earlier ones.. The emphasis is more on
style than on content which was the emphasis in the
earlier stages.
The role of the audience In the past the audience was not considered a part
of the decision-making system at this stage in develop
ment. In terms of our approach, we feel it is important
to consult with the audience at this phase to aid in
making final decisions for the program. Since the next
i phase of development is the production of the progiram or pilot, this present phase presents a final opportunity
to make changes in the program or pilot. Although
changes can be made after the pilot or program has been screened, it is more economical and convenient to make
changes before the program is produced. We realize
that a script, portions of a script or a storyboard
cannot communicate the same meanings that a completed program can. Programs have been committed to networks
on the basis of scripts or a 10 minute "presentation" 202 filmo It would appear then that the viewer could pro vide similar reactions as to the program's communication effectiveness from a script or excerpts from the program..
The problem Our problem in this step is to investigate and determine the viewer's reactions to portions of the pro gram just before final production * We want to learn if the elements and treatments strongly preferred by the viewers is being encorporated into the new program in ways that they would prefer them to be encorporated®
This step is an evaluative one, but at the same time attempts to provide final insights to the producer for the most effective way to produce the program® This step should provide the producer with insights as to
(1) effectiveness and audience acceptance of the script or excerpts, (2) effectiveness and acceptance of major visual elements of the proposed program^ (3) further meanings the viewers have for the proposed program, and
(4) final changes which could be made before production of the program or pilot®
The sample
The sample for this step will be made up of the persons most representative of the factors developed in Step IV® The persons loading highest on each of the 203
treatment factors would be selected on the size of their loading coefficient* Two or three persons would be
selected from those who initially (in Step I and Step II) rejected the proposed program to determine their reaction
to the program at this stage of development* This step would provide the smallest sample used in the study; yet would contain the 'most representative persons from the
target audience(s). We are not attempting to provide information on a lot of people in this step, but we are attempting to provide insightful information from a few, highly representative persons*
Methodology The instruments used in this step are determined by the proposed program, the questions of the producer,
and the kinds of materials the producer is using as a
framework for the produced program or pilot* That is,
if the program is not going to be produced from a script,
but an outline, we could not develop an instrument to
test the script from a non-existent script* The instru
ments used in this step would be approached from a pro
jective orientation rather than a systematic orientation*
Although many of the questions asked of the respondent will be determined by the researcher's and producer's
concerns, the overall atmosphere of the interviews will 204 be probing and projective in nature0 The respondents will be asked on certain problems to select among visual alternatives such as male leads, settings, costumes, opening visuals, etc.. The areas the producer considers to be most crucial to the success of the pro gram and the questions he has about other aspects of the new program provide the basis for research questions in this step. All the interviews conducted in this step will be conducted in the home of the respondent by three trained interviewers,, The time spent on each interview will depend in part on the respondent and in part on the
areas of investigation, This interview will be the most flexible of all the steps which means that much of the data will not be statistically analyzed. Certain of the
data will be systematically analyzed, but the bulk of the
data will be of such nature that a statistical analysis would not be feasible. Much of the analysis will be
similar in nature to that of Step III, This step pro vides the final set of recommendations to the producer before the actual production and screening of the new
program.
Specific problem
The program under research is a non-scripted
program and is planned as a live program. These two 205 factors limit the areas of investigation in Step V„
We are not dealing with a script, storyboard, actors, costumes, etca that many of the television programs includeo In consultation with the producer and other staff assigned to the new program the dimensions of the program to be researched in this step were determinedo
The art director had four different concepts of how the set for the new program could be developed,. All four of the sets were tied in with the basic approach of the program and utilized pictures as a background* <> Pour sketches of the setting were completed in order to determine the respondents* preferences for a set for the new program,.
The producer of the new program developed a basic format outline* for a specific program describing in limited detail the kinds of guestions and persons which would be on this program,, Other elements were included in the format outline to give the respondents some notion of what the program might be like,, We wanted to determine viewer reaction to this outline,,
Did they like the proposed outline? What about the out line did they like? What changes would they make in the
*The four settings are shown in the appendix along with the format outline for the proposed program„ 206 proposed outline? These were the kinds of questions the producer wanted answered to learn if he was thinking along the correct lines and to obtain final insights before producing the pilot program# In Step IV we asked the respondents to suggest titles and/or words which they felt were most appropriate for the proposed program serieso The "creative team" also developed a number of titles for the proposed pro gram,, The producer wanted to learn what title did the respondents like best for the new program since he felt this was crucial in attracting people to watch the new program series# These three dimensions were considered crucial to the success of the new program and were dimensions that he wanted further insights in order to make final production plans# Thus, in Step V we are concerned with the most representative respondent’s reactions and preferences toward (1) a setting, (2) a basic format, and (3) a title for the program under research#
Methodology
In order to provide insights to the producer along the three above mentioned dimensions a simple paper and pencil instrument was developed for admin istration during this step# The four alternative set 207 sketches were lettered A, B, C, and D so the respondents could rank them from most liked) to least like (4) they perceived the set on the new program. The title sug gestions from the producer and those suggested by the respondents were combined into a list so that the respondents could select the three (3) titles they felt best fit the new program. The respondents were then asked to read the format outline and comment on the basis of their perceptions of the outline as it appealed or did not appeal to them. Probes similar to a focused interview were made into their responses to obtain further meanings for the proposed format outline and new program.
A mean rank for each alternative set was cal culated to determine the overall preference pattern of
the respondents toward the proposed settings. A frequency
tally was made on the title selections of the respondents
to determine the three most preferred titles of our
sample. These data would provide insights to the
producer as to the three most preferred titles and he
could then select the one he felt was most appropriate for the new program from the most preferred titles.
Analysis similar to that performed on the focused inter
view data in Step III was performed on the responses elicited from the format outline. This analysis provides
insights to the producer so that he can understand the 208 viewers' meanings for the format, what elements they liked or did not like, what elements could be changed to better suit the viewers' preferences, and what new elements might be added to maximize their enjoyment. The sample for this step was made up of the respondents who loaded highest on two or more of the factors determined in Step IV. This systematic selection of respondents produced the eight most representative persons of our study to comprise the sample for this step. The persons who make up the sample for Step V were highly representative of the factors and audience sets developed in Step II and also were highly represen tative of the factors developed in Step IV. Thus, the preference patterns and responses of these eight highly representative persons should closely reflect the preference patterns and responses of our target audience(s). These eight viewers are described so the reader can conceptualize a broad picture of the kinds of viewers who are favorable towards the proposed program series dealing with contemporary art forms.
Mrs. A is the most representative respondent and her preferences are flective of the three dimensions in
Step IV and the two largest audience sets of Step II.
In Step IV, Mrs. A loaded highly on Factor B and C of
the 1st Dimension, Factor D of the 2nd Dimension, and 209
Factor F of the 3rd Dimension® She was also highly representative of the preference patterns of audience sets X and D of Step II® Mrs® A is married with a daughter and is the age range of 36-55® She has a high school education and her husband is an engineer at
North American Aviation Corporation® They have a very beautiful home in one of the newer suburbs® Her favorite programs include The Today Show, Walt Disney, and
"Specials®" She thought the original idea for the proposed program was "wonderful" and ranked both formats as "most preferred" in Step II® She would like to be intelligent and mature and is a member of "Ideal Self" factor A® Mrs® A appeared to the interviewer as a pleasant woman who likes to keep up on current affairs and has an interest in all types of culture* Her daughter will enter Vassar this fall® Mrs® B is married with two children and has received graduate education® She is in the age range of 36^55 and her husband is a professor at The Ohio State
University in political science® They live in a modest home in one of the older suburbs of Columbus® Mrs® B is highly representative of factor A of the 1st Dimen sion, factor A of the 2nd Dimension and factor E of the 3rd Dimension of Step IV® In Step II Mrs. B is representative of the preference patterns of audience 210 sets X and D. Her favorite programs are Huntley-
Brinkley, The French Chef, Leonard Bernstein Specials, and other "Specials*" She liked the basic idea "very much" and thought the program would "present graphically some of the current art trends which is better than reading about them*" Mrs. B ranked both formats as most preferred in Step II and liked the idea of "being exposed to various contemporary art forms.1' Mrs. B would like to be mature and considerate and is a member of "Ideal Self" factor D. Mrs. C is highly representative of factor B in the 1st Dimension, factor A in the 2nd Dimension, and factor G of the 3rd Dimension of Step IV. She is highly representative of viewer B in Step II and is a strong member of audience set X. Mrs. C is married with three children and twelve grandchildren. She and her husband live in a small, modest home in the city. She has received a high school education and is in the age range of 56-75. She likes the Dick Van Dyke Show, and The
Paul Dixon Show. She does not like any soap operas.
Mrs. C did not like the original idea, but as it was changed she felt she would be a viewer of the program.
She did not like the critical and evaluative aspect of the original program concept, but does enjoy various art forms and likes the program as presented in this step. 211
MrSo C would like to be mature and "think a lot about things" and is a member of "Ideal Self" factor Do Mr. D is highly representative of factor A of
the 1st Dimension, factor C of the 2nd Dimension, and
factor F of the 3rd Dimension of Step IV. Mr. D is
highly representative of viewer A and viewer C in
Step II and is a strong member of audience set F. Mr.
D is single and a student of The Ohio State University. His favorite programs are Andy williams, Dean Martin,
and special documentaries. He liked the original idea
and thought the pjrogram would be "educational" for him.
He was concerned at the start that the program "might
include things which may not concern him." In Step II Mr. D ranked the program under research as "most preferred." He suggested that the "program be an hour
long" and to "use interesting people on the program." Mr. D's father works in a factory and he is the oldest
of a family of sixt He wants to be a teacher upon
graduation and would like to be appreciative, and
considerate. Mr. D perceives himself as a member of
"Ideal Self" factor D. Miss E is a college graduate and enjoys art
forms very much. She works for one of the large
insurance companies in Columbus and shares an apartment
with another young girl near the University. Miss E 212 likes the French Chef, USA Artists, and "Specials*"
She liked the original idea and thought the "different ideas" was very good* Miss E ranked both formats as
"most preferred" in Step II and felt the program should
"deal with specific topics" and "not include audience involvement." Miss E is highly representative of viewer B and audience set X in Step II. She is highly representative of factor A of the 1st Dimension and factor E of the 3rd Dimension. She would like to be honest and sincere and appreciative in terms of her aspirations. She is a member of "Ideal Self" factor B and is very interested in people. Mr. F is a member of audience sets E and Y and is highly representative of viewers A and B of Step II.
Mr. F is highly representative of factor D of the 1st
Dimension in Step IV. Mr. F has few favorite programs, but enjoys sports and specials on the educational channel. He felt the original idea was "interesting and worthwhile." The program would "need concrete examples and excerpts" to be enjoyable to him. He ranked the second format in Step II as most preferred for that reason. Mr. F likes to see variety in programs and does not want a program to "talk down to the audience."
Mr. F is a college graduate in his early fifties and lives in an exclusive, spacious section of the city. 213
He is married, but has no children and is very interested in the grounds around his home and sailing- He would like to be honest and sincere and considerate of others and perceives himself as a member of "Ideal Self" factor
B. MrSo G is a housewife with two young children and is a college graduateo Mrse G is in her late twenties and lives in a quiet suburb of the city» Her husband is a college graduate and the manager of one of the local small industriesc Mrs. G likes The Today Show,
Huntley-Brinkley, Stage 67, and "Specialso" She liked
the original idea of the program and thought it was a
"refreshing change-" She wanted to see "examples" in
the new program and this was again stated in Step IIo
In Step II she wanted "experts" on the program and have no "average" people on the program- Mrs, G is a member of "Ideal Self" factor A and would like to be intelligent
and mature# Mrs0 G is a member of audience sets X and D
and is highly representative of viewer B in Step II-
In Step III, Mrs. G is highly representative of factor A of the 1st Dimension, and factor B of the 2nd Dimension-
Mrs- H is married with four children, two of them twins, and is in her middle thirties- Her husband works
for the Ohio Board of Education and is working on his
PhD at The Ohio State University- They live in a large 214 home in one of the older, residential sections of the city; Mrs„ H has a college education and likes "educa tional" programso She thought the original idea "sounded great" and had "fresh, educational and informative topicso" Mrso H ranked the second program format highest in Step II and felt the program should be "an hour long" and "add more display to the discussion0" Mrs. H perceives herself as a member of "Ideal Self" factor D and perceives her ideal to be appreciative and considerate., This viewer is a member of audience sets
X and D in Step II. She is highly representative of factor B in the 2nd Dimension and factor G in the 3rd
Dimension of Step IV<,
The findings
The respondents enjoyed the opportunity to be "part of" the production decisions for the new program and were very willing to cooperate even further in the studyo The findings are discussed in terms of the eight respondents' responses to the three dimensions under investigation in this step: (1) the setting, (2) the title, and (3) the basic outline for the program«
In determining their preferences among the four alternative settings, the respondents appeared to make their decisions based on two elements in the proposed 215 settings* The biggest factor in their decision-making was the pictures used as the backdrop for the set. They wanted the pictures to relate to the theme of the pro gram and not be too distracting. A few respondents indicated that they would like the background pictures to change from week to week to add variety to the setting. Other respondents felt the background pictures should remain stable to provide a continuing theme. The other major decision-making element was the kind and arrange ment of furniture on the set. They wanted furniture to appear comfortable and provide an area for interaction among the respondents. Arrangements which were spread out and were angular were rejected by the respondents.
The comments made by the respondents suggested that the setting would be an important part of the program's appeal and "image." Setting A Was strongly rejected and was given a mean rank of 3^*7 and setting C was strongly endorsed with a mean rank of 1.5. The respondents ranked setting D second with a mean rank of 2ol and setting B was third with a 3.5 mean ranking.
The titles which implied a humanistic orientation were the ones most selected by the respondents. The
comments made by the respondents regarding the titles were along three dimensions. They remembered the titles
they had suggested and rather enjoyed seeing their 216 suggested titles on the questionnaire.) All the respondents were interested in titles they thought would attract others to the program and they did not want titles that implied just "looking at arto" The two most preferred titles were "Expressions of Man" and
"Man and His Art®" The next two preferred titles were "Art for People" and "Cultural Crossfire.," The remainder of the titles were either ignored or received only one response, __ Generally, the respondents were favorable to the format outline and two respondents felt it was very good. The remaining six respondents felt there were aspects of the outline they would change or completely remove from the program. All eight respondents were favorable to the excerpt and its placement at the beginning of the program. They all wanted the excerpt to last at least ten minutes and be taken from various sections of the book to give a total overview of the booki The excerpts should be read over film to be most effective. One respondent suggested that the film be shown via rear screen projection through one of the panels in the set.
Most of the respondents felt the large number of questions were unnecessary and, in some cases, duplicated. 217
The respondents want the program to have few "pre
arranged" and set questions asked in a question-answer
type approach® One respondent stated, "Maybe there could be a few take-off questions to get things started,,"
The preference is for interaction among the members on
important issues and not responses to set questions®
The majority of the respondents want to see the artist
and the specialists interact, rather than the artist questioned and then the specialists questioned® They want the artist to ask the specialist questions and for
the specialists to raise issues with the artist® There
seemed to be a preference for the artist to discuss the
work with the moderator, and then have the whole group
interact® The composition of the panel seemed to receive
very favorable response from the respondents® They felt I that there were interesting dimensions represented which could provide information and stimulating conflict on the
program. One respondent stated that it is '‘best to bring people together for the first time for maximum
stimulation and spontaneity." The respondents were
favorable toward the notion of statements from a variety
of specialists who could provide different and intriguing
views from those represented on the "panel." The
respondents did indicate, however, that these statements 218 should be strategically placed throughout the program to provide a basis for discussion by the "panel." Some respondents indicated a preference for the
"feelings" of the artist to be articulated at the begin ning of the program and a kind of rationale for the art worko They did not want the artist to "close" the program, but felt a competent moderator should "sum-up" the program., "He should not give his feelings, but summarize the feelings of the group." One respondent stated a preference for a different moderator each week, but most of the respondents felt that a continuing moderator with a wide range of interests would be most effective,, All the respondents indicated that the program should be an hour long. They all felt that a half hour was to short to effectively and efficiently present and discuss the many important dimensions of the art form* All felt the selection of the specific book and artist was an "excellent" one with wide appeal
and present significance. Finally, all the respondents were pleased that the "average" person was not included on the program and that there was no "audience-partici- pation." With a few modifications, this format out
line, effectively encorporated in the final production, would "maximize the enjoyment of the highly representa
tive target viewers." 219
Recommendations The recommendations to the producer of the pro gram are based on the findings of this step and are discussed in terms of a composite preference pattern of our sample,, The recommendations reflect the three dimensions of the program which were under investigation in this step. The recommendations should be perceived within the design and methodology employed in this step®
1. The program should use set C as it was ranked as "most preferred" by the respondents. Set D was second "most preferred" and Set A was "least preferred" of the four sets. Set B was ranked in third position, but was low on the preference ranking*
2. The respondents preferred two of the title suggestions more than the others and an appropriate title should be selected from these two* They are similar and were "most preferred" by the respondents.
There were two other titles that were also selected by the respondents, but were not selected as often. The two "most preferred" titles are (1) Man and His Art, and (2) Expressions of Man. The other two titles
selected were (1) Cultural Crossfire and (2) Art for
People. 220
3. The respondents generally liked the format outline and a similar approach should be taken in the pilot program. Based on the responses of the respondents, the following format outline appears to be appropriate in order to appeal to the target audience(s):
(1) Open
Credits
An introduction and excerpt of the work read over film.
(2) The artist discusses the work with the moderator, primarily discussing his feelings about the work and its develop ment. There should also be some dis cussion about what the artist feels he is trying to say to the world through his work.
(3) The specialists are introduced and discuss the work with the artist. Statements by other specialists on film are inserted in crucial points in the discussions
(4) The artist and specialists may make final statements, but the moderator should sum up the discussion for the evening. This summation need not be long and should not include the moderator's own opinions.
(5) Something about the art form should be related to the viewer at home by the moderator and a glimpse of next week’s program should be presented. (6) Close Credits 221
4® The respondents again reinforced the hour long program as opposed to the half hour time period® 5® The program should not depend completely on
"pre-set" questions, but the panel should attempt to respond to the statements made by people on the program and interact spontaneously depending on the issue® The respondents felt the questions asked of the artist in the "test outline" were redundant and that it would be more effective to ask a few "take-off" questions to let the artist expand® 6® The respondents want the artist to interact with the specialists on the panel after discussing the work® The viewers felt the choice of specialists was good for the specific program and a similar panel com position should be maintained® They also liked the choice of "outside" specialists, but want to see their comments inserted at crucial points throughout the program* 7® Visual images are important to the viewers which means the program should present excerpts of or concrete examples of the art form®
8® The moderator should summarize the feelings of the panel and close the program® In his summation, the moderator should not state his own opinions, but attempt to give a concise summary of what important dimensions have been presented® 222
9. It appears that the proposed program will be appealing and maximize the enjoyment of our target audience(s), if the proposed changes are made and the program is executed well. CHAPTER IX
STEP VI OF THE RESEARCH APPROACH
In summary, it can only suggested that the explanation of various media phenomena by looking for possible audience roles might be a promising one for future research. Such research might also provide insights useful for the evaluation and perhaps even the creation of media fare. Herbert J. Gans, 1956
The production of a program The last step in the creation of a new television
program is the execution of the pilot or program,, Although much planning, decision-making and work must go before the
production of a new program, the actual execution of the
program is seen as the most glamorous and crucial stage
of a new program’s development» The production of a program draws together all the artistic* acting, directing
and technical personnel needed to produce the new pro
gram* Some programs require large production staffs
and many actors, while other programs require a limited
production staff and few actors. Some programs take
weeks to produce, cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, and travel to distant locations to produce the new k 223 224 program.. Other programs can be produced in a few days, use a minimum cost, and are produced all in one studio*
One thing that all new programs have in common is the attempt to "maximize the enjoyment of the viewer*"
The production of a television program is a complex process which draws together many factors* It is a cooperative effort as well as a creative process*
How well this program does in "maximizing the enjoyment of the viewer" depends greatly on the ability of the persons involved in producing the program* It also depends on how well the people producing the program can conceptualize the audience they are hoping to attract* In the past the persons producing a program had little information to help them conceptualize the audience* The people producing the program did learn an audience’s perception of their work in a "pre-test" of the program, after it was produced* "Pre-testing" is not only an expensive undertaking (the cost of pre testing plus production costs), but when completed does not really help the people making the program conceptualize the audience* Pre-testing is primarily an evaluation of a produced program* This perhaps suggests one reason why the people who produce and create television pro grams might not be favorable towards "audience research*" 225
Problem The purpose of our systematic approach is to provide insights for the people creating and producing the program long before the program is actually pro duced# The research is designed to aid in the develop ment at the important steps of development and hot to merely evaluate a finished product# The bulk of our research is completed before production of the new program begins# Our research has provided concepts of the audience and recommendations as to how the program should be developed and produced# In the final step of our research we are concerned with how helpful our research was to the producer, how well our findings were
incorporated into the program and if the program "maxi mized the enjoyment of the viewers#" This step of our research is similar to the "pre-test" research that is
already being done by Audience Services Inc# and other
testing companies in that we are interested in how the
program is received by an audience# At the same time
our final step differs somewhat from the "pre-testing"
research in that we want to obtain insights into what
elements the audience liked, what elements they did
not like, and how well our previous research aided in
the production and development of a new television pro gram# Our research in this final step is designed to 226
(1) evaluate the program, (2) evaluate our previous research, and (3) provide insights as to possible changes in the program. The design of this research approach is such that it builds upon itself from step to step and from program to program continually refining its design, methodology and results. This research approach attempts to build a catalog of preference theories with each study building upon and refining the previous theory. Step VI of the research is thus designed to evaluate our theories for each program and suggest possible refinement of our theorieso The research of Step VI will provide the producer with insights as to the program’s effectiveness when shown in a regular series on the air.
Methodology This step testb the pilot program before sale to the networks or before it is run on a station. A pilot could be tested in a number of ways to determine its appeal to an audience. Here the purposes are to determine the reactions of the target audience(s) and other viewers to the pilot. The sample for this step will be large and will include members of the target audience(s) plus a systematically selected sample from the general population. The pilot could be tested in 227
a theatre arrangement with the respondents reacting
during the showing and interviewed after the showing.
An alternative would be to telecast the pilot and
interview people after the telecast. Both methods have advantages and disadvantages, but we believe that the
viewer seeing the pilot in his home more closely reflects
the actual viewing situation. The responses of the viewers would be tabulated and analyzed to provide
recommendations to the producer and evaluate the audience
research.
Specific problem
The proposed program under research is intended as a two year series on WOSU-TV. Each program would
feature a different art form and different persons. The
producer wants to determine the most appealing format
for the continuing series and wants to test a pilot in
order to learn the appealing elehients of the program.
The producer also wants to learn what kind of a person
would be a suitable moderator for the program. The
producer is also interested in learning if the research
helped the program in its development.
Methodology
The pilot program will be tested live on-the-air i over channel 34, WOSU-TV. Advance*publicity will be 228 shown on channel 34, and presented in the local papers.
The producer would like to draw as much attention to the program as possible* A sample of one hundred seventy- five persons will be interviewed by telephone about the pilot showing* The one hundred and forty-seven persons from Step I and thirty-eight persons selected from random will compose the sample for this step* The per sons will be asked if they watched the program, what their reaction was, and what they liked and didn't like about the program* The fourteen most representative respondents from Step IV will be asked to come to the station and watch the program live* After the program, these fourteen respondents will be asked to discuss the program in depth* In addition, a request will be made on the program for viewers to write their reaction to the program on a card and send it to the station* All the responses will be analyzed to learn the program's appeal and what aspects should be changed.
The pilot program The pilot program to be tested in our final step was video taped one week at the studio of WOSU-TV before the on-the-air premiere of the program. The pilot was titled "Arts the Thing" and featured a discussion of the state of the arts in Columbus, Ohio* The discussion was 229 based on the Sixth Annual Columbus Festival of the Arts,
The moderator for the pilot program was Dr. James Golden,
professor of Speech at The Ohio State University* The panel was composed of the assistant director of The
Columbus Gallery of Fine Arts, a painter and professor
of fine arts, the chairman of the psychology department
of Capitol University and a sociologist from The Ohio
State University* Filmed excerpts of the Columbus Summer Festival
of Fine Arts were shown before the discussion and after the opening credits* The discussion centered around three
major dimensions: (1) the purpose and goals of the
Summer Festival, (2) the effectiveness of the Summer
Festival and (3) the state of the arts in Columbus and
what needs to be accomplished to make ColumbUs a center
of fine arts* The program was a half-hour long and
featured primarily the discussion among the panel
i members. At the end of the program the moderator
summarized the major statements made by the panel mem
bers and the program closed with a request to the
audience to send their opinions of the program to WOSU-TV*
Of the fourteen most representative respondents
contacted from Step IV, eleven persons were able to come
to the WOSU-TV studios and watch the production of "Arts
the Thing." These eleven persons were seated in the 230 studio and watched the actual video taping of the pilot prograiru After the production was completed the eleven respondents watched the "tape playback" of the completed pilot program. The eleven persons then responded to the pilot program in a group discussion moderated by this writer,. This in-depth, unstructured group discussion was taped so that the reactions and comments could be analyzed by this writer and also presented to the pro ducer of the new program* The findings and recommendations from this group discussion by the most representative respondents will be included with the findings and recommendations based on the "on-the-air test" of the pilot program.
The pilot program was shown over WQSU-TV, Channel 34, Columbus, Ohio, on August 11, 1967 at
12:30 p.m., 3:30 p.m., and 8:30 p.m. The three showings were scheduled by the "creative team" in hopes of
reaching as many viewers as possible. The 8:30 evening
time period was recommended by the research findings of
Step II and the telephone interviews were conducted
following that showing of the pilot. Two hundred per
sons were telephoned by six trained interviewers in
order to determine the viewers’ reaction to the program,
what they liked most, what they liked least and what they might change in the program. Those respondents who did 231 not watch the program were asked why they did not watch the program* Both the studio group discussion and the tele phone survey are designed to provide the producer with insights intos (1) the acceptance of the pilot program,
(2) what elements of content and style in the pilot were most preferred and least preferred, (3) what changes might be made to the program before the series begins in the fall and (4) what the probable success of the program will be as a regular series* These two dimen sions of measurement of the pilot program provide insights into the contribution of our research approach to the development of a new television program*
The findings Two sets of findings are included in this step
J based on the two "tests” of the pilot program* The first set of findings are based on the group discussion by the most representative respondents after observing
the production of the pilot program in the studio* An
analysis of the discussion is based on an audio tape recording of the group discussion and has used the major constructs culled from the reactions of the respondents
to the pilot program* The analysis of these data is
similar to the analysis of Step III* The second set of 232 findings is based on the telephone survey of sample viewers after three on-the-air presentations over
Channel 340 Comparisons are made between the respondents reactions to the program idea in Step I and their reactions to the completed piloto The reactions to the pilot program will be analyzed along similar lines as the Step I analysiso Together, these two sets of find ings should provide insights into the program's appeal and the role of our research in helping to create a new program designed to "maximize the enjoyment of the viewer»" Group discussion findings*--These findings pro vide insights into the ability of the pilot program to incorporate the elements of content and style suggested by the research and based on the reactions of the highly representative respondents <> Eleven of the fourteen most representative respondents from the target audience(s) discussed the pilot program for an hout and a half after observing the production and video tape playback of the program- It appeared that the respondent^ were candid and open in their statements about the pilot program*
They appeared to enjoy the opportunity to be involved in the research and to watch the production*
From the statements made by the respondents it appeared that they enjoyed the pilot program* Many of 233 the elements of content and style they previously preferred were operating in the program and were com municated to thenu The respondents liked the opening of the program and felt that the film excerpt of the arts festival was an effective start for the program, created interest, and provided the viewer with a "frame of reference," Their reactions suggested that the inter action of the panel members and the controversy raised by their discussion was the most appealing dimension of the pilot programo Many of the respondents felt that some of the areas of controversy "made them think after the program was over," Previous research indicated that this was an important dimension to the viewers and the respondent's reaction to the pilot program validated those recommendationso
Many of the respondents liked the "free, spon taneous" nature of the program,. They felt the unstructured approach of the program was the kind of approach they would enjoy in this kind of a program*
The way the panel members reacted to each other and seemed to raise challenging points for each other to think about were two elements the respondents liked* One respondent stated, "This panel was less bland than most panels and it was good," Most of the respondents liked the moderator of the program and felt he was the 234 kind of moderator they would prefer* His manner, his approach to the topic, and his ability to "sum-up the statements of others" were the aspects the respondents liked most about the moderator.. They felt that he was
"polished, but not too polished" and "spoke very clearly*"
There were, however, elements of content and style in the program which the respondents did not like and elements they felt should be in the program, but were not included* Every respondent felt "the program was too short and needs to be an hour long*" They felt that the "discussion was just getting good and had to be cut off." By changing the program to an hour long, the respondents felt it would "permit more approaches to art*" This preference had been articulated by the respondents in all our research steps which suggests that, if at all possible, the program should be an hour long*
A dimension behind the preference for an hour long pro gram is that it would "allow persons to qualify their statements*" Throughout the discussion the respondents stated that they would like to see filmed statements inserted at crucial points in the program which would bring in other viewpoints and allow for variety in the program**
•The producer wanted to include filmed statements on the program, but could not get community leaders and others to comment* 235
They felt the program was almost too "pat" and needed variety and movement® One person felt there was "still some drama to movement" and "movement provides impact®"
Another felt that with too much panel and no variety,
"everyone sits there with their hands crossed." To add another dimension of movement to the program, a number of the respondents suggested that the artists on the program "do something" or "show their work." One sug gestion was that the moderator "come onto the set" rather than "suddenly, he’s there.." The viewers felt the potential is there to provide movement and "not make this program just another panel show." It was also suggested that film clips would permit the ideas and opinions of "experts®" The discussion suggested that the panel contain at least two artists * perhaps with conflicting views®
They were not opposed to having two "specialists" from outside the arts, but felt that more artists should be involved in the panel and bring In the specialists through the film clips® It might also be possible to show the artist at work by way of film and then allow for him to express himself on the program®
Most of the respondents felt the general topic was limited in its scope and was not the kind of topics they expected on the program® One respondent did like 236 the topic because "it had an appeal to all different people in Columbus," The questions on the program were
"too general," according to the respondents, and future programs should have more thought-provoking questions which "attack specifics," There was one question which the respondents felt was good because it had some direction and provoked controversy among the panel. The question was, "What is the future of art in Columbus and what needs to be done to make Columbus a cultural center?" On this question, the respondents felt the program "picked up momentum" and they could "see the wheels turning" in one of the panelistso The kinds of questions which cause the viewer to think during and after the program and causes the panel members to think - "not just give their opinions," The respondents wanted to get more out of this program than "opinions," One respondent stated,
"We really didn't get beyond their opinions most of the program and we are just where we were when the program began,"
The respondents were not favorable to the setting along two dimensions. They felt that the lettering on the background pictures was too "busy" and "distracting,"
The arrangement of the seats was the second dimension they disliked and suggested that the panelists be arranged in more of a "semi-circle so they could face 236 the topic because "it had an appeal to all different people in ColumbusThe questions on the program were
"too general," according to the respondents, and future programs should have more thought-provoking questions which "attack specifics." There was one question which the respondents felt was good because it had some direction and provoked controversy among the panel. The question was, "What is the future of art in Columbus and what needs to be done to make Columbus a cultural center?"
On this question, the respondents felt the program "picked up momentum" and they could "see the wheels turning" in one of the panelists. The kinds of questions which cause the viewer to think during and after the program and causes the panel members to think - "not just give their opinions." The respondents wanted to get more out of this program than "opinions." One respondent stated,
"We really didn't get beyond their opinions most of the program and we are just where we were when the program began."
The respondents were not favorable to the setting along two dimensionsi They felt that the lettering on the background pictures was too "busy" and "distracting."
The arrangement of the seats was the second dimension they disliked and suggested that the panelists be arranged in more of a "semi-circle so they could face 237 one another," All the respondents stated that the choice of Brubeck’s ’’Take Five’’ as theme music was "too recognizable and used on too many programsThey sug gested theme music with a similar beat and sound, but one with which the audience would be unfamiliar, Other suggestions centered around the kinds of people on the panel and the kinds of moderators, Most of the respondents would like the panel and the moderator
to vary from art form to art form. Some suggested that the panel be composed of all artists with different viewpoints, but the majority would prefer "one or two experts and two artists," One respondent suggested that
the panel contain non-university people on occasion,
"Businessmen, ministers, social workers, etc," were mentioned along with "artists," It appears as though
there is a construct operating that university people are
always trying to "teach" something to someone and the
viewers want to learn but not through "teaching," Two major dimensions appear important to the
success of the new program as perceived by the most
representative respondents and they want the program
to provide them with information and enjoyment along these two major dimensions. They want to (1) learn
about art and the artists, and (2) come to grips with
important issues in art and society. Both dimensions 238 appeared to be operating in most of the group discussion*.
Some respondents want to "see the artist painting, composing, or working." One person stated that by showing the artist at work and hearing him talk about his work, it would "permit the unknowing person to empathize with the art object." Another person suggested that the artist "give a demonstration" and hearing him talk will
"get me involved and want to go out and paint." On the second major dimension, the respondents made statements like, "use more pointed questions,"
"ask questions that relate to me," "a wide range of topics that could go in any direction," "show the humanizing effect on society," etc. One of the ideas presented by one of the panelists had a strong influence on one of the respondents and appeared to be the kind of involvement this kind of viewer wants in the new program. This idea referred to tine ability of art to communicate between the suburbs and innercity. It is this type of issue that the respondents appear to prefer in the new program. The program should focus on ideas which have relevance to society and at the same time are important and controversial in the specific art form.
Telephone survey.— The purposes of the telephone survey were to (1) learn how many persons watched the pilot program, (2) learn how many of the persons who 239 initially liked the basic idea in Step I also liked the pilot program, (3) learn what the viewers reactions to the pilot were, and (4) learn the reasons why persons might not have watched the program. One hundred and
seVenty-five persons were telephoned by six trained
interviewers immediately following the presentation of the pilot program on WOSU-fV. Sixty-seven respondents
could not be reached after at least three telephone
attempts. This reduced the sample contacted to one hundred and eight persons in the Columbus area. Of these one hundred and eight persons only eight people
watched the pilot program ’’Arts the Thing" on WOSU-TV.
Twenty-three persons were watching television at the
time of the telephone interview and forty-one persons stated that they had watched television some time that
evening. This means that of the people who watched
television on the evening of the pilot's presentation 19 per cent of them watched the pilot program. The
eight persons who watched the program were favorably
impressed and said they enjoyed the program "very much."
On the basis of these findings it does not
appear encouraging for the new program, but when analyzed within the context of other variables the
situation is not as negative as it might first appear.
When asked why they did not watch the pilot program, 240 forty—four respondents stated that they might have watched the program, but were unaware that the program was on that evening*, Eleven respondents stated that they heard the program announced, but had no idea what the program was about. Assuming that the respondents were sincere in stating that they would have watched the program if they had known it was being shown, the total of persons who watched the pilot program could have been raised to sixty-four. These data point out a serious problem in terms of communicating effectively to the audience before the presentation of a new program in order to motivate them to watch the program. There were a number of limitations imposed on the advance "publicity" for the pilot program which are demonstrated by the findings of the telephone survey. Although the problem of attracting an audience to the program was not a part of the six step approach, the findings here suggest that it is a problem that needs to be investi gated in future studies.
Other reasons given for not watching the pilot program and the number of respondents giving those respective reasons were: Watching Another TV Program - 18
•See Step VI Appendix for television program listing for Columbus, Ohio, 241
Out of the House - 13 Visiting with Friends - 9
Working - 8
Don’t Receive UHF - 7 Busy with Children - 5
Reading - 4 Other - 17
The reason for not watching which we are most interested in is ’’watching another television program." According to the responses only twenty-six persons were watching television during the half-hour the pilot pro gram was shown (8:30-9:00). When analyzed in terms of audience share for the pilot program of the people in our sample watching television in the 8:30-9:00 time period, the pilot program’s Share of the sample audience was 30 per cent. Only 24 per cent of our final sample watched television during the half-hour when the pilot program was presented. These findings suggest a number of things: (1) this time period is not an appropriate time period for the pilot program, (2) few of our sample viewers watch television in the summer months, (3) more
"publicity" is needed to attract viewers to the new program, and (4) our on-the-air test of the pilot was not a sufficient measure of the program’s appeal to viewers. 242
TABLE 6 RESULTS OP THE TELEPHONE SURVEY OF THE PILOT PROGRAM (N=175)
Available for Interview No Answer (108) (67)
Watching TV at Time of Not Watching TV at Time Phone Call of Phone Call (23) (85)
Watched TV at All That Did Not Watch TV That Evening Evening (41) (67)
Watched the Pilot Program Did Not Watch the Pilot Program (8) (100)
Watched TV During Pilot Other Activities During Presentation Pilot Presentation (26) (82)
Of the eight persons who watched the pilot pro gram, all eight enjoyed the program,, Most of the respondents liked the opening film excerpt of the art festival and felt that it was "excellent.'' One respondent stated, "It gave an intimate association with the festival and really gave you the feeling of moving around the festival,," Another respondent felt the film gave him "a background to the festival and a frame of reference for the discussion,," All the respondents suggested that 243 more films of this nature be included in future programs*
The respondents also appeared to enjoy the controversy among the panel members and the "variety of viewpoints" presented on the program* One person felt the people on the panel "knew how to express them selves" and "were not afraid to get involved with the issues presented*" Another respondent said that the discussion gave him "a few ideas to think about*"
Most of the respondents felt that the music was not appropriate for the program* One person felt it was
"repetitive" and another said that it was too "recognizable*"
There appeared to be mixed feelings about the setting for the program* Most of the respondents did feel, however, that it added little to the program, but had no sug gestions for changing it* The two most often mentioned "dislikes" about the program were (1) the program needed more variety, and (2) that artists should be a bigger part of the pro gram* Some of the respondents wanted to see the artists
"demonstrate" and "talk about their work*" A few thought that there should be more "specifics" attacked on the program and by a number of persons outside the panel. One suggestion was that the program should "bring the views of community leaders and others such as religious persons, people in education, etc* from outside the 244 university#" One respondent felt the program should have something "simple for the average person" and something
"involved for those knowledgable in the arts#" A number of the respondents would like to see more "artists" on the program and one person suggested that the "heavy- set fella from German Village be on the program#" It appears that the program in its present form is enjoyable to some viewers, but a few changes in the program might make the program even more enjoyable# One change would be to include more artists on the program and have them "demonstrate" and "talk about" their work#
Another change might be to include statements on film or on audio tape from "knowledgable" persons outside the panel# These statements should be presented at crucial points throughout the program to provide new views and maintain interest# A third change might be to extend the opening film a little longer since it appeared to be the most enjoyable dimension of the program# A final change might be to focus on one major art work or art issue and then go in-depth on this one crucial issue, examining it from many dimensions#
The recommendations provided to the producer from the previous five steps in our systematic research appear to be predictive in terms of viewer preference for elements of content and style in the new program 245 when compared with the findings of Step VI» The elements of content and style which were operating strongly among the target viewers in previous stages of our research were also operating strongly in their reaction to the pilot program* It was suggested in Step I and Step II that the program include elements of conflict* One of the dimensions the viewers enjoyed in the pilot program was the cohflict and controversy among the panel members*
In all previous five steps of our research it was recommended that the new program include excerpts from the art form under discussion and this dimension was operating strongly in the viewers* enjoyment of the pilot program* It had been recommended in all previous five steps of our research that the program be one hour
in length and in their reactions to the pilot program, the viewers again voiced a preference for the hour
program instead of the half-hour pilot length*
The findings from Step II and Step IV suggested that the program provide two kinds of information to the viewer - a balance between factual information and
intuitive feeling* The viewers felt the pilot program
lacked factual information and they suggested that it be
included in future programs* It was suggested in Steps
II, III and IV that the impact on and relevance of the 246 art form to society should be included in the program.,
This dimension was touched upon in the pilot program and was enjoyed by the viewers. In Step IV it was recommended that the program include statements by the artist which was not done in the pilot program and the viewers suggested that they would prefer more infor mation from the artist in future programsc It was also
suggested in Step IV and Step V that the new program include filmed statements by persons outside the panel and inserted at crucial points throughout the program.
This dimension was not included in the pilot program
and the viewers felt that this dimension was needed in this kind of program. The kind of moderator suggested by the research was similar to the kind of moderator
selected for the pilot program and he appeared to be
enjoyed by the viewers. It was predicted that the viewers would enjoy a
free, spontaneous kind of approach to the art form and after seeing the pilot program they seemed to feel that
this approach was maintained. Recommendations were made,
however, that the program should attempt to stay away from specifics, but the viewers, after watching the
pilot program, felt that more specific questions need
to be raised on the program. The statements ranked
highest in Step IV were the dimensions of the pilot 247 program the viewers most enjoyed or felt should be included in future programs. "Learn about lives of artists" was ranked very high in Step IV, was not included in the pilot, and was strongly recommended by the viewers to be included in future programs..
"Concrete examples and excerpts from the art forms" was also ranked highly in Step IV and this dimension of the pilot proved to be the most enjoyable to the viewers.
"Give a history and behind the scenes look" was highly ranked by the respondents in Step IV, but did not appear to be operating in terms of their perceptions of the pilot program even though this dimension was not operating strongly in the pilot program* "Topics that are original and fresh" was the final dimension operating strongly in Step IV and the viewers felt the topic for the pilot program was not up to their expectations*
On the basis of the findings in Step V it was recommended that the program include two dimensions which were not included in the pilot program; (1) a discussion between the moderator and artist(s) about the specific art form or issue under discussion, and
(2) film inserts of knowledgable persons outside the panel located at strategic points throughout the pro gram* Both these dimensions were again strongly endorsed by the respondents as important to their 248 enjoyment of the program. It was also suggested in
Step V that the setting be as comfortable and undis- tracting as possible. Several respondents stated after observing the pilot that the lettering on the background was distracting and others felt that the panel members should be in more of a semi-circle as opposed to the straight seating arrangement. The comparisons made have provided some indica tions as to the predictiveness our systematic research approach. Although these comparisons are not made in terms of correlation coefficients, they indicate that research undertaken before a television program is completed can provide insights to the producer which will be operating in the viewers' decision-making system when the new program is completed*
In summary, it could be said that in terms of
"maximizing the enjoyment of the viewer" this pilot program was enjoyable along certain dimensions to those who watched the program. Too few persons, however, saw the program to allow one to predict the program's suc cess as a regular series. If the program had been given more advance "publicity" and listed in the newspapers, there may have been more basis for predicting the pro gram's success. If certain changes are made in the program and it initially attracts viewers, the new 249 program series could accomplish what the program developers hope it will accomplish®
Recommendations of Step VI Based on the findings of this step, the new program might make some changes in order to appeal to the target audience(s)® Some questions could be raised about the success of the new program as a regular series based on the findings of the telephone survey® It appears that the basic idea and most of the elements now in the program are enjoyable to the viewers® The follow ing changes or additions to the new program should be made in order to "maximize the enjoyment of the viewers":
(1) The program needs to approach two major dimensions in order to meet the needs of the viewers®
The program should (a) provide an opportunity to learn about the art work and the artist, and (b) approach critical issues and ideas In the art form under discussion®
The first dimension could be accomplished through the opening film excerpt and a brief discussion with the artist® The second dimension could be accomplished through discussion with the panel and through statements by persons outside the panel®
(2) The panel should change from program to program and at least two persons involved in the art 250 form under discussion should be on the panel. The outside "experts” should be different on each program and on some programs it might be interesting to have the panel composed completely of persons in the arts.
(3) When it is possible, there should be some demonstration on the program by the artist or an artist in the field under analysis. (4) The questions asked in the panel discussion need to be direct, penetrating, and centered around one major issue. The questions should approach as many dimensions of this issue as possible. For example, in the pilot program, there was an attempt to deal with two major issues (The Summer Festival of the Arts and the state of the arts in Columbus). In the time available to them, the panel was unable to adequately cover both major issues.
(5) The program needs to bring in more than the "opinions" of the participants. There should be some attempt to provide information and also to stimulate new ideas among the panel and the viewer at home.
(6) The program needs to be more dynamic. There needs to be more film inserts and more than just the panel discussion. Some of the above recommendations (1 and 3) would prevent a "straight panel discussion."
It might also be effective to utilize different areas 251 of the set and have the moderator move on the set. One possibility might be to have the moderator and artist interact in front of the set and then move to the seats on the set for the following discussion.
(7) The theme music for the program needs to be changed since the present one does not appear to be appropriate to the program and is too recognizable.
Music with a similar "sound" and composition which is not recognizable appears to be preferred by the viewers. (8) The opening credits are good, but the wording needs to be enlarged so that the viewer at home can easily "see" them. The specific art form under discussion should be announced in the opening of the program before the people on the program are introduced. i (9) The unstructured and free approach to the
art form as taken in the pilot program appears to be preferred by the viewers and should be retained. A format approach similar to the one recommended in Step V
should be followed in the program.
The program appears to have the potential to be
an "interesting" program to the audience if it pursues
its present plans with some of the changes recommended
above. It is expected, based on our systematic research
approach findings and the ability of the creative team to continue to develop the new program, that viewers will
enjoy the new series. CHAPTER X
CONCLUSIONS AND FURTHER RECOMMENDATIONS
The genuinely significant creation, whether an idea, or a work of art, or a scientific discovery, is most likely to be seen at first as erroneous, bad or foolish., Later it may be seen as obvious, something self-evident to all. Only still later does it receive its final evaluation as a creative contribution. Carl Rogers, On Becoming a Person, 1961
The rising costs of television pilots and pro grams and the increasing number of unbought pilots and program failures has focused attention on a serious problem in television program development. The tele vision industry has become a very risky business and last year producers lost approximately $24,000,000 before the new season even began. The television decision-makers have attempted different solutions to prevent these staggering losses, but it appears that no one is attempting to aid the program developers in predicting the success of a new television program. The basic problem this study investigated was "How does one predict the success or failure of a television pilot or program before thousands of dollars are spent and it goes on the air?" 253
We investigated this problem under a six step systematic research approach with each step generating further problems or questions® We believe that this systematic research approach can help solve some of the serious problems facing television program developers and producerso The conceptualization of the general problem within our six step research approach is to determine the elements of content and style which would be most appropriate for a new program in order to "max imize the enjoyment of the target audience(s) ®" The six steps of our approach are designed to reflect as closely as possible the crucial stages of a television program's development: (1) the basic idea or concept, (2) the for mat, (3) generating "treatment" of the elements,
(4) determining the "treatment" for the programi (5) the script and visual elements, and (6) the production of the pilot or program® In order to provide fruitful insights to the producer, we developed a design to aid the pro ducer at each crucial step® The approach and design of this research approach departs from any previous tele vision research undertakings®
The overall design of our study includes the following elements: (1) a breakdown of the approach into six steps, (2) a narrowing down from a large sample to representative respondents as the approach and production 254 process examine details of the new program, (3) a
"sub-design1* for each step within the overall design,
(4) a flexibility to solve the important problems of the producer at each step, and (5) an attempt to reflect as closely as possible the actual production process as it generally operates at a production company or station.,
As the research approach attempts to answer different problems at each step, the samples for each step are different in size and composition to appropri ately reflect these different problems„ Under the analytical procedures employed in this approach, it is assumed that at a certain point the highly representative respondents provide similar data as would many of the persons they represent. Our approach begins with a large sample from which generalizations to a larger population can be made in terms of acceptance of the program idea and potential audience for the program., As the approach proceeds from the first step, the samples become progressively smaller through the fifth step* The
sample for Step VI is equal in size to the original sample
of Step Io
The first reduction of the original sample of Step I occurs at Step II when the large sample is
divided, based on responses, into (a) favorable towards
the program idea, (b) unfavorable towards the idea, and 255
(c) neutral or no reaction to the program idea. Those who are favorable towards the program idea make up the '•general target audience(s)" for whom the program is built and are the sample for Step II® Using cluster analytic procedures, the sample for Step II is broken down into audience preference "setso" The persons who are most representative of our audience sets, which are selected as the target audience(s), compose the sample for Step
IV® The sample for Step III is made up of these persons from Step II and a structured sample of persons® Step IV sample includes those persons who are most representative from Step II® The sample for Step V is the smallest sample used in the study and the persons who load highest on each factor from Step IV comprise the Step V sample® For the last step (Step VI) of the approach, the per sons most representative from Step II plus a large sample from the general population make up the total sample of this final step® A brief overview of the design of our systematic research approach appears appropriate here so that the findings and recommendations can be interpreted within this design. Step I is designed to test the basic concept or idea for the proposed program and generally define the target audience for the program. Using a large sample, 256
a telephone interview is conducted to gather (1) demo graphic data, (2) viewing behavior data, (3) reactions
to the program idea, and (4) data on general element
preference® The analysis of these data provides
insights to the producer of the proposed program in
terms of: (1) the viewing behavior of the viewers,
(2) a percentage of the sample favorable to the program
idea, (3) a demographic description of the target audience, (4) viewer preference for elementary elements
of content and style, and (6) recommendations as to the
possible direction the program’s format should take® Step II is designed to test the proposed format(s)
for the new program and uses the persons who responded
favorably to the idea in the previous step® Two Q-instru-
ments, called "New Program Concept Instruments" are administered to the respondents in their homts® Also
included in the interview schedule for this step are an
"Ideal Self Instrument" and a 'Time Usage Instrument®"
The data from the two "Program Concept" instruments are
analyzed using cluster analytic procedures to develop audience preference "sets®” From these preference "sets,”
the target audience(s) are selected and defined® This
step provides insights to the producer concerning
(1) acceptance of and preference for the proposed program
format(s), (2) percentage of the sample preferring the 257 new program format(s), (3) audience preference for elements of content and style, (4) descriptions of the
audience "sets," (5) the best possible direction(s) the new program should take to appeal to the target audience(s),
(6) alternative formats if the proposed format(s) are strongly rejected, and (7) an appropriate time period for the new program„ Step III is an exploratory step designed to elicit meanings from persons in terms of the "treat ments" which could be given the selected format. Using a factorally generated, structured sample, an in-depth focused interview is conducted with a structured sample of respondents in their homeB Our purpose here is to "brainstorm" the audience and to encorporate viewer meanings with the producer’s meanings to produce a new
"treatment" instrument for Step IVo This step also pro vides to the producer (1) analysis of the many variables
inherent in the treatment of the program, (2) insights
into other patterns of elements which could be included
in the treatment of the program, (3) further definition
of the meanings viewers have for the proposed program,
and (4) data for future television instruments»
Step IV is designed to test the "treatment" of
the new program* The sample for this step includes the
most representative persons from the viewer "sets" 258 developed in Step II. "Treatment Instruments" are developed along Q—lines from the Step III data and administered in the respondent’s home» The data from this step are subjected to factor analysis to systematically
select the major treatment variables * This step provides recommendations to the producer in terms of (1) reactions of the respondents to more specific elements proposed for the program, (2) major preference factors of treatment elements, and (3) specific recommendations as to the kinds of treatment elements to be included in the program
to appeal to the target audience(s).
Step V is designed to test the script, visual and other pre-production variables which might be
encorporated into the final program., The smallest sample used in our approach made up of the most representative
respondents from Step IV is the sample for this step.
This step is both projective and evaluative in nature to
provide the producer with insights into (1) effectiveness
of and preference for the script or other written materials,
(2) effectiveness of and preference for proposed visual
elements in the new program, (3) viewer meanings for the
written and visual elements, and (4) final changes and
recommendations before final production of the pilot or program. 259
Step VI is designed to test the effectiveness of the produced pilot or program.. This testing can be done in a theatre or on-the-air with a large sample of viewers, including members of the target audience(s). After viewing the program, the respondents are asked to evaluate and discuss the program as they perceived it*
The methodology and analysis would depend upon the resources available, but if the program is shown on-the- air, a telephone interview would be sufficient* If the program is shown in a theatre, more in-depth interviewing techniques can be usedo This step will provide the producer with (1) information and insights as to acceptance, enjoyment and involvement of the viewers,
(2) comparison of acceptance by target audience members and others, (3) elements which were appealing or not appealing as perceived in the framework of the actual program, (4) the meanings the viewers have for the elements and the total program, (5) suggestions for changes of or strengthening of certain elements of content and style, and (6) a basis for prediction of the program when actually scheduled on the network or station*
In order to illustrate our systematic approach and to develop new preference theories, a specific pro gram which was being conceptualized by a television station was selected for our "case study" problem within 260 our six step design* The original intent was to research a program being produced by a major production studio, but conflicting time tables made this undertaking unfeasible* The educational station in Columbus, Ohio,
WOSU-TV, agreed to cooperate in the research venture since they had some program problems for the coming season* The receptivity to the research project, the opportunity to work closely with the program’s develop ment, the interest in the proposed program idea by this writer, and the challenges presented by ETV influenced the "case study" decision to work with the educational station* A number of conferences were held between this writer, the producer, the director* and the program director to discuss the hesfearch project and determine
the specific "case study'* progrartu The program idea or concept finally decided upon was "a discussion pro gram dealing with contemporary art forms." The producer
conceived the half hour program as a discussion and
evaluation by a panel of some contemporary art form such
as Literature, Theatre, Motion Pictures, Art, Music,
Dance, and Television. The panel would be composed of
people who knew something about the art form under
discussion and two "average" persons - one for the form
and one against the form. The viewer at home could also 261 evaluate the art form using a questionnaire similar to the outline followed by the panel on the program,. At the end of each program, the panel would rate the art form along with the viewer at home, Although this was the original concept of the program by the producer, the research would suggest possible changes or additions to this original concepts We shall examine the program concept after audience research following a summation of the findings of each step.
Step I In Step I we wanted to learn audience reaction to the basic idea of the new program, gather demographic data on the respondents, determine general viewing preference, preference for elementary elements of content and style, and some general perceptions of the viewers in terms of the program idea* A random sample of N=200 was selected from the mailing list at the station and the
Columbus telephone directory,. Seventy-five per cent of our sample were known WOSU-TV viewers and twenty-five per cent of our sample were unknown quantities„ Each respondent was contacted by telephone by one of ten trained interviewers and each respondent was asked to respond to our Step I Interview Schedule (presented in the appendix)o Each interview lasted approximately fifteen minutes in length. The basic idea we were 262 testing in this step was "a series of live, half-hour programs presenting a critical analysis of contemporary art forms, such as Film, Theatre, Music, Television,
Literature, Art, and Dance." Of the two hundred persons selected for the sample in this step, the totai number of persons who could be contacted and who were willing to respond was one hundred sixty-one. Eighty-three per cent of the final sample were favorable towards the program idea, five per cent were unfavorable towards the idea and ten per cent had no reaction at all. The average age of those favorable to the idea was 47.3 and the average age of those who were unfavorable was 40.8. The average person who was favorable towards the idea was married with one child and had completed two years of college. The average person who rejected the program ided was married with no children and had completed an eleventh grade education. The Chi Square Test of Significance was performed on the data and found no significant difference in terms of demographic variables between those favorable to the idea and those unfavorable.
The three programs mentioned most as "favorites" by those favorable toward the idea were CBS Evening News, The French Chef, and The Dean Martin Show. The three most mentioned as "favorites" by the persons unfavorable 263 to the idea were Red Skelton, Family Affair, and "Sports,"
The elementary elements of content and style most pre ferred by those favorable to the idea were "realism,"
"conflict," "easy to follow," action and a balance of
"comedy" and "seriousness," Those unfavorable towards the idea preferred elements of "realism," "no conflict,"
"comedy," "easy to follow," and "action,," The recom mendations to the producer based on the findings of
Step I are: 1, Be continued in its development along similar lines as it is proposed with the consideration that further recommendations will be made. This recommendation is based on the large acceptance of the idea by the audience sample. Eighty-three per cent of the sample was favorable to the idea, 2, Will have broad appeal to a wide range of viewers in terms of age, sex, and education. The pro gram is most likely to have its strongest appeal to the more educated and older (35-60) viewer,
3, Should include the following elements of content and style to be most appealing:
a) elements of realism b) elements of conflict
c) both serious and light elements
d) be easy to follow, yet make the viewer think about the program 264
e) elements of action 4 0 Should continue the variety of contemporary art forms from program to program without emphasis on any particular art form. This might mean that for some art forms viewers will be lost, but the total audience will remain quite stable.
5. Pill an apparent need for culture in an enjoyable and accessable form. Many viewers indicated a "cultural gap" today and feel that this program would help fill the "gap." 6. Should remain a live program because a majority of the viewers are attracted to the live, spontaneous aspects of the program.
7. Should also take into consideration the following factors which appear important at this early stage in research. a) The program should include excerpts and objects from the art form under discussion.
b) The program length might be best at an hour rather than the proposed half hour length.
c) The program should involve experts in the field under discussion, artists or the creators from the field under discussion, and well-known person alities from "outside" the field. Now that the basic idea had been favorably
endorsed by a large percentage of our sample, the idea was encorporated into a descriptive format by the pro
ducer to test audience reaction.. This descriptive
format was encorporated into the first of our "New
Program Concept" instruments to determine audience preference for the format with 35 other programs. The "New Program Concept Instrument" was developed along
Q-lines and included 35 hypothetical program descriptions
factorally generated and coded, and the proposed program
format developed by the producer. Based on the findings of Step I, a second descriptive format for the proposed
program was developed and encorporated into our second
"New Program Concept Instrument." In this second step we wanted to learn the
preference patterns of our target audience(s) and which
of the two descriptive formats would be most appropriate
for the new program. We also wanted to learn the "ideal self" orientations of our target audience(s) and their evening time usage patterns. An "Ideal Self Instrument"
was developed along with a "Time Usage Instrument" and included with the two "New Program Concept" instruments
into our Step II Interview Schedule. The two "New
Program Concept" instruments yielded Q-data which were 266 subjected to factor analysis and cluster analysis. The remaining data collected in this step were also analyzed to provide "personality" insights into our respondents and insights into the most appropriate time placement for the new program. Seventy-five respondents from our base sample of Step X were selected as the sample for this second step.
Thirty-eight of these were successfully contacted and interviewed in their home by one of the ten interviewers.
Each interview lasted about one hour and a half. The data from these thirty-eight respondents were submitted to the Ohio State University 7090 IBM system which pro duced two 38 x 38 person to person intercorrelation matrices and a principle axis rotation factor analysis* The cluster analysis produced six audience "sets" and the factor analysis produced three "types" of viewers.
The audience "sets" provide the basis for defining our target audience(s) for whom the new program will be built. The factors or "types" of viewers provide a concept or theory of three "types" of viewers and their preference patterns.
Viewer A, the hypothetical viewer in factor A, has an "exploring, problem-solving orientation" to tele vision viewing. He enjoys programs which examine problems or dimensions of current phenomenon and contain elements 267 of exploring ideas and new fields. The present relevance of things as well as the future implications of things are interesting to this viewer,, Viewer A has a preference for realism and conflict, especially on a thinking level, in the kinds of programs he would enjoy,, Viewer A would most enjoy programs which focus on things which have a meaning for or a message to people. This preference is supported by his enjoyment of "thought-provoking" con cepts and elements presented in television programs.
Viewer A tends to enjoy programs which move quickly and contain stimulating thoughts. Viewer B has viewing preferences which imply an
"artist interest in meaningful and historical human experiences." This viewer has an active interest in art forms and would be most anxious to learn all he could about art forms. Viewer £ tends to enjoy discdssion about things as well as "seeing" things. There is a preference for realism and "structure" within programs.
The "feeling" level or reactions of people to things are more important to this viewer than "facts" or straight information - he likes to know how people "feel" about things. This viewer feels that programs should have a
"light" element to prevent the program from "boring" him.
Excerpts of the art forms are very appealing to this viewer and the feelings of the creator of the art forms 268
are also operating within this viewer's preference patterns. Viewer C is best characterized in his preference
for "human relationships shown through portrayal." An
interest in inter-relationships of people and a preference
for "excellent acting" is indicative of the elements he would most prefer in programs. This viewer likes
realistic programs and realistic situations which
demonstrate true emotional conflict. Viewer C likes to
enjoy programs, but does not seek "pure entertainment"
in programs. Deeply involved situations between people
provide delight for this viewer and he enjoys the
analysis of such situations. In order to appeal to one, two or all three
of these "types" of viewers it was recommended to the
producer that the new program should include the following: 1. The program should include a combination of
elements of content and style similar to the proposed
formats. The program should contain factual-informational
elements and be realism-oriented. The moral elements where differing views are presented in some form of conflict should also be included in the new program.
A balance between high-complexity and low-complexity
elements should be maintained. Finally, the basic 269 approach of the program should be serious, but on occasion there should be a touch of '’lightness” in the program. 2. The information-deriving dimension of the new program appears to be one of the major determinants of viewer interest in the new program. There is, however, a preference for two distinctly different types of information about art forms. One preference pattern indicates a predominance of facts to support the analysis and another preference pattern indicates an emphasis on opinions and feelings. Thus, a balance between fact and intuitive feeling would be most appropriate for the analysis in the new program.
3. The program should include excerpts from the art forms under discussion and/or concrete examples of the art form. This preferehce appears to be operating among all three kinds of viewers. 4. Some historical perspective of the art form should be included where relevant. This need not be long and involved in order to satisfy the historical preference of some viewers, but should be included.
5. There should be some element of the art forms impact on society and the implications of the art forms in terms of future effects. The art forms should be in some way related to the viewer at home and this 270 dimension of impact and implication might provide this involvement of the viewer at home since he perceives himself as an active member of society., Six audience "sets" emerged from the cluster analysis of the data and these six "sets" were analyzed to determine their probability as a target audience for the new program* Two of the audience sets, E and F, do not appear to be potential target audiences for the new program based on their preference patterns although they may watch* It was determined that the new program should be developed on a number of "levels" in order to appeal to the remaining four audience "sets" which comprise the target audience(s)* Of the four Sets (D,G,X,Y, and 2) which comprise the target audience(s), sets D and X are the two largest which suggests there is a sizeable audience for the new program, in obder to appeal to the target audience(s) it was recommended that the new program include the following to appeal to Set D:
1. Elements of realism, such as realistic settings, realistic issues, realistic art forms, etc* should constitute much of the new program.
2* The program should deal with current issues, art forms, ideas, and experts in the field. There should be a sense of present day importance about the program so the viewer can relate the program to the world around him. \ 271
3, There should be spontaneous and involved interaction among the people on the program which includes everyone - not one or two persons as the dominent figures. Also, the feelings of the creators or artists should be articulated, 4, The viewer should feel that he is learning something about the art form under discussion. The pro gram should provide information about the art form and bring in interesting sidelights. The sidelights should help the viewer feel he is learning things about art forms that a non-viewer of the program might not know. In order to appeal to audience set X, the pro gram should: 1, Have a sense of exploring art forms past, present, and future. The viewer should feel he is seeing new frontiers and gaining new insights, 2, Include discussion or analysis of the art forms to other dimensions such as religion, politics, human behavior, and education,
3, Intellectualize or speculate from time to time among experts about the art forms. This means that ideas should be stressed rather than facts, but the ideas should come from experts and not just "interested" persons. 272
4. The art forms under discussion should have depth and a message.. Pure entertaining art forms should not be selected, but those which attempt to say something to its audience. In order to appeal to audience set Y, the pro gram should: 1. Be concerned with objectivity and not prejudiced subjectivity. The analysis of the art forms should be fair and objective. Objectivity means many views and these views supported. 2. Provide insights into our society and culture.
Show how the art form reflects society and whether it represents a culturej a subculture or a foreign culture. 3. Have lively and meaningful discussion among the participants. There should be some structure, biit the participants should be free to state their opinions and add to the program whenever possible.
In order to appeal to audience set Z the program should in some way: 1. Show "human interest" aspects of the art form. This interest could be along the dimensions of the creation of the art form, its development, rise to importance, or responses to the art form.
2. Include conflict about the art form in the discussion or show how the art form has created conflict. 273
3. Deal with serious problems and not just interesting or common dimensions. The problems approached in the discussion should have consequence to people and the art form itself. Even if these are serious "behind- the-scenes" problems, they should be confronted on the program. 4* Focus on reality and deal with things which have relevance to the "real" world. Do not deal with
"way-out" or unbelievable things on the programs.
Based on other findings of this step, the data suggest that the following elements or aspects should be included in the program. 1. The respondents are not interested in responses from the audience at home to be a part of the program. The viewers want to learn from the program and feel this element adds nothirig to their knowledge.
2. Experts appear to be preferred over "inter ested persons" or laymen from the audience. Also the respondents are interested in the feelings and ideas of the creative person as well as the experts.
3. The viewers do not appear to mind "critical" analysis as was suggested in Step I, but they do not like sweeping "good-bad" criticisms of the art form.
Again, the viewer wants to learn about art forms and not 274 necessarily whether someone thinks they are "gooch* or
"bad” - this the viewer will decide for himself<> \ 4. It appears that the viewers feel the half- hour is too short for this type of program and the new program should be an hour long. 5. The two best times for the new program appear to be 8:30 or 9:30 Friday evening. Perhaps other times would draw an audience since the respondents feel the new program to be worthwhile and might make an effort to watch at any time.
Step III Seep III was designed to elicit meanings and
"treatment" variables pertaining to the new program.
These meanings would suggest directions for the new program and provide statements for the "Treatment
Instruments" which were administered in Step IV. The
focused interview technique was used in this step on a
factorally generated sample of eighteen persons. The transcripts of each interview were analyzed for major
constructs and statements related to the new program.
All the statements culled from the interviews were pooled
together to form a population of Q-statements from which
recommendations were provided to the producer at the end
of Step III based on "commonalities" of statements. 275
The proposed program was perceived by the
respondents as "interesting” and the dimensions of the
new program which appear most "interesting" are: 1. The kinds of persons on the program — The kind of person which should be on this program is one
who has knowledge about the topic and is seen as an "expert" in his field. The other kind of person which
should be on this program is the "artist" or "creator"
who has the feeling of the art form and can articulate
the rationale behind the creation of the art form. Both
kinds of persons should be able to speak to the point
and enjoy confrontation of ideas.. 2o The topics or questions on the program — All
the topics on this pirogram should have a sense of immediate
or future relevance. The topics should relate in some
way to the viewer at home .... How does this art effect
him?, What does the art form say to him?, etc. The topics should relate to our society and the influence of
the art form on our society. There should be some
indication of future impact or changes in the art forms.
Any art form discussed should have some message or mean
ing as opposed to "pure entertainment" art forms. The bulk of the topics should along some dimension be
controversial. 276
3. The kind of discussion on the program — The discussion on the program should have some direction, some goal, and some guiding principles. The viewers do not want to see people sitting around talking about anything that pops into their heads. Within some semi structured framework, there should be freedom and an opportunity for the unexpected. Spontaneity is important to the success of the program, but at the same time the viewer wants to know about certain things. There needs to be some conflict in the discussion, but not to the point that it becomes a debate. There must be interplay
r - among the people and no one person should monopolize the discussion. Each individual must be able to handle himself well in a discussion context and keep the
discussion moving. 4. The kind of analysis made on the art forms --
The viewers want the kinds of analysis which go in-depth
into the motivation behind the creative work. They want
to know: Why it is better; why it was done this way;
what could have been done differently; what effect the
artist was trying to create; etc. They are less concerned
with a critical analysis of whether the art work is good
or bad. Most of the viewers want to form their own
opinions about this aspect of analysis. Thus, the program
should not contain analyses which make sweeping good or 277 bad evaluations* If criticisms are made of the art form, they should be supported and/or qualified*
Step IV Step IV was designed for our "case study" pro gram to test the "treatment" of the new program along three major dimensions* Findings from Step III indicated as did the previous steps that the new program was "interesting" to viewers* The two major dimensions of
"interestingness" were the kinds of discussion and analysis on the program and the moderator and people on the program* Two "treatment" instruments developed along
Q-lines from the Q-population of statements elicited in
Step III were constructed. A third "Treatment Instru ment" was constructed to measure other "treatment" variables and to answer questions proposed by the pro ducer. This third instrument was a paper and pencil instrument which the respondents rated statements on a
1 to 5 scale from "Do Not Prefer At All" to "Prefer Very Much." The fourteen most representative persons from
Step II made up the sample for this step* Each respondent was interviewed in his home by one of five trained interviewers. The interviews lasted about one hour and at the conclusion the respondents were asked to suggest 278 titles for the new program,, The data from the three
"Treatment Instruments" were subjected to factor analysis» The factors were analyzed to determine the "commonalities" among the statements in order to recommend treatments to the producer. The following recommendations were made to the producer upon completion of Step IV: 1„ The program should have a sense of immediacy about it in that it relates in some way to our modern worldo The ideas expressed should be stimulating to the viewer and current so that he feels he is being "kept- up-to-date" on the latest in art forms„ The issues should be relevant to the present and also indicate future problems and development» The world the viewer is familiar with is the world the program should relate to and not a select world of, say, "New York opera-goers,,"
It might be interesting to the viewers to occasionally examine worlds the viewer has not directly experienced, but the bulk of the program should relate to a world that our target audience(s) has experienced,,
2o The program should be different from the majority of the discussion programs available to the viewers. The viewers perceive this program as a "breath of fresh air" because it has potential to be "more" than pure discussion. The program should not take a straight
"question-answer" approach to art forms, but should 279 include excerpts of the art forms, statements by
specialists, feelings of the artist, and a free exchange of new, stimulating ideas. The program should have a lively pace and stay away from meaningless "talk." The
discussion and the material in the program should be
constantly relevant and provide information to the viewer. There should not be "gimmicks," however, in the
program just to make it different. The program should be
different by the nature of the issues discussed, the
persons on the program, the art forms discussed, and other elements such as the excerpts of the art forms. 3. There should be a strong relationship between
the program and the viewer at home. The viewer wants to
be intellectually involved with the program and "identify”
with the people on the program. The viewer does not want audience participation, however, in the form of
telephone responses or questionnaires, filled out at home0
The program should stimulate and challenge the viewer so
that he will read the book, go to the movie, etc. Another
relationship with the viewer could be established if
current art forms in Columbus were discussed and analyzed
on the program. The art forms should have national interest, however, and not be "local products."
4. Some background of the artists should be
presented on the program. The viewers have an interest in the artist's life and information about them would be appealing to the viewers., This background information should be limited in its "facts" since the viewers have a more "human" interest in the artists. Amusing "side lights" and "behind-the-scenes" information would be more appropriate on this program than a barrage of dates, places, and statistics. Some historical perspective, interestingly presented, would add an important dimension for a segment of the audience.
The following recommendations are discussed in terms of the "composite" preferences of the respondents for a "kind" of moderator for the new program: 1. The moderator should be pleasant, friendly, and able to communicate to different levels of understand' ing. The moderator should be a pleasant appearance and a sense of humor. He should hot try to be funny on the program, but be able to "enjoy" the others on the show.
He shduld be the true "host" of the program and not be pushy or domineering. 2. The moderator should have a wide range of interests and know something about each interest. He should have knowledge about art forms in order to ask pertinent, penetrating, and thought-provoking questions when the need arises. He should be able to draw things together well and summarize the program. 281
3a The moderator should be a good listener and able to respond to others without a script# He should
"know" the people on the program so that he can ask the right question of the right person. He should also be able to remain silent if the discussion and program are progressing well# The moderator should not be "played- up" as a big part of the program since the viewers are watching the program for other reasons#
4» The program should be enjoyable to the moderator and he should appear relaxed and comfortable on television,, He should be sensitive to the artists on the program and from this reason should have had some artistic experience# He should be objective, yet allow freedom among the guests and encourage spontaneity# 5# The moderator should be the stabilizing factor on the program# He should keep the program moving, provide summary and comments where needed, and keep the program "on-target." He does not need to stick to a rigid format, but should, in the best way possible, prevent irrelevant and meaningless discussion#
Other recommendations for the program’s "treat ment" based on the findings of this step are:
1# The program should feature experts from the field of art under discussion and specialists from other disciplines such as psychology, sociology, anthropology, law, political science, etc# 282
2» There should be a wide variety of art forms featured throughout the series and the scope of the program should reach beyond Columbus, There should not be too much "local color" on the program even though it will be produced locally* The experts should have a wide reputation, the art forms should have national
interest, and the issues should be of national importance,
3, Every program in the series should have excerpts from the art form or the work of art on the program. This element has shown up strongly in the viewers1 preference patterns in the first four steps of our research, 4, The kind of setting which appears to be most
appropriate for the program is a semi-formal setting. The
set should appear relaxing and not distract from the
program. The setting should be comfortable without a
lot of angles and straight chairs.
5, Although the program should have some
direction and a basic format, the questions should not
be pre-determined. The viewers want spontaneity in the
program and want the dialogue lively. Some basic
important issues could be pre-determined, but should not
be the same for every program. The viewers want a fresh
approach to each art form to allow for maximum effective
ness of the people on the program. 283
60 A number of viewpoints should be represented on the program and both sides of important issues presented., This does not imply a guest on the program for every possible viewpoint, but rather some important viewpoints presented by way of film, tape recording over slides, or read by the moderator. This would also add uniqueness to the program which the viewers want to see.
7. There does not appear to be anypreference for the artist to make a statement to begin the program.
The artist should have an opportunity somewhere near the beginning of the program to express himself. The artist should also interact with everyone on the panel and not just the moderator. 8. The program should move along at a fast-to- moderate pace to reflect the modern life style. The viewers want discussion to be crisp, spontaneous, pertinent, and revealing. They do not want "small talk" on the program. Anything that will help the program pro gress and maintain lively discussion is important to the success of the program.
Step V
Step V is designed to test the pre-production elements considered most crucial by the producer. Since the program under study is a non-scripted program, the 284 script and storyboards could not be tested# It was determined by the producer that the three crucial elements to be tested at this step were the (a) setting,
(b) title, and (c) the format outline for the new pro gram# Four alternative sets were drawn by the art director and labeled so the respondents could rank them from "most preferred" to "least preferred#" The titles suggested by the respondents in Step IV were combined with the ideas of the producer to produce a list of proposed titles# The respondents were asked to select the three
"best" titles from this list# The producer developed a format outline for the new program which was used for the respondents to react in terms of their preferences for the new program#
The most representative respondents from Step
IV were selected to form the sample for this step; Each of these eight respondents loaded highest on two or more of the factors developed in Step IV# Each respondent was interviewed in their home and the interview lasted about a half hour# The responses were tabulated and analyzed and the following recommendations were made to the producer at the end of Step V:
1# The program should use set C as it was ranked
"most preferred" by the respondents# Set D was second
"most preferred" and Set A was "least preferred" of the four sets# Set B was ranked in third position# 285
2. The respondents preferred two of the title
suggestions more than the others and an appropriate title
should be selected from these two. They are Man and His
Art and Expressions of Man. The other two titles selected by the respondents were Cultural Crossfire and Art for
Peopleo 3. The respondents generally liked the format outline and a similar approach should be taken in the pilot program* Based on the responses of the respondents, the following format outline appears to be most appropriate
in order to appeal to the target audience(s):
(1) Open Credits
An introduction and excerpt of the
work read over film* (2) The artist discusses the work with the
moderator, primarily discussing his feelings about the
work and its development* There should also be some
discussion about what the artist feels he is trying to say to the world through this work* (3) The specialists are introduced and
discuss the work with the artist* Statements by other
specialists on film are inserted at crucial points in
the discussion* 286
(4) The artist and specialists may make final statements, but the moderator should summarize the discussion. This summation need not be long and should not include the moderator's own opinions,
(5) Something of the art form should be related to the viewer at home by the moderator and a glimpse of next week's program should be presented,
(6) Close Credits 4, The respondents again reinforced the hour long program preference as opposed to the half hour length® 5® The program should not depend completely on
"pre-set” questions, but the panel should attempt to respond to the statements made by people on the program and interact spontaneously depending on the issue. The respondents felt the questions asked of the artist in the "test outline" were redundant and that it would be more effective to ask a few "take-off" questions to let the artist expand®
6® The respondents want the artist to interact with the specialists on the panel after discussing his work® The viewers felt the choice of specialists was good for the specific program and a similar panel composition should be maintained® They also liked the 287 choice of "outside specialists," but want to see their comments at crucial points throughout the program. 7. Visual images are important to the viewers which implies that the program should present excerpts of or concrete examples of the art form. 8. The moderator should summarize the feelings of the panel and close the program. In his summation, the moderator should not state his own opinions, but attempt to give a concise summary of what important dimensions have been presented. 9. It appears that the proposed program will be appealing and maximize the enjoyment of our target audience(s), if the proposed changes are made and the program is executed well.
Step VI Step VI is designed to evaluate the pilot program and determine the strong and weak points of the program.
Another purpose of this final step is to predict the
success of the program series and evaluate the research findings. We want to learn the viewers’ reactions to
the pilot and learn if the research findings were bene ficial to the success of the program. The pilot is to be shown on the air and tested by two methods. The most representative respondents from Step IV will view the program live in the studio and discuss in-depth their reactions immediately following the program. A sample of two hundred respondents will be contacted by telephone
after an on-the-air presentation to learn how many per
sons watched the program and what their reactions to the
pilot program were. As an added test of the program's
acceptance, a request will be made on the program for viewers to write-in and comment on the pilot program.
This added dimension should provide further insights into
the program's acceptance.
The program concept of the "case study" program
has changed from its initial concept as a result of the audience research conducted within our six step approach*
The program concept no longer includes audience partici
pation and the place of the "average" person on the panel has been discontinued. The panel is made up now of a
moderator, the artist, and specialists from different
fields. Excerpts of the art forms and/or concrete
examples of the art forms are now included in the pro
gram concept. Statements on film or tape by other specialists have been added to the program concept to
present more viewpoints and basis for discussion. The
notion of "pre-set" questions has been discarded since the viewers indicate a strong preference for interaction
and spontaneity on the program. 289
The program concept after audience research is very relevant to present phenomenon and the world of the viewer. The discussion on the program will attempt to relate to present problems and indicate future develop ment. Some historical perspective and background infor mation will be included in the new program. The artist will relate his feelings about his art work and discuss its development. The artist will also interact with the specialists on the program. The program will attempt to provide the viewer with information about the art forms
and be as "visual" as possible. The pilot program "Art's the Thing" which featured
the Columbus Summer Arts Festival was produced and video
taped one week before the on-the-air presentation. The
program began with a film excerpt of the festival and
the festival and the state of the arts in Columbus Was discussed by the panel. The panel was composed of the
Assistant Director of the Columbus Gallery of Fine Arts,
a professor of Fine Arts from Ohio State University, the
chairman of the psychology department from Capitol Uni
versity and a sociologist from the Ohio State University.
The moderator for the program was a professor of Speech
from Ohio State University. The discussion centered
around three major dimensions: (1) the purpose and goals
of the Summer Festival, (2) the effectiveness of the 290
Summer Festival, and (3) the state of the arts in Columbus and what needs to be accomplished to make
Columbus a center of fine arts® At the end of the half~ hour program the moderator summarized the major con clusions of the panel and then closed the program.
Eleven of the fourteen most representative respondents from Step IV observed the production of the pilot program in the studio, watched the video tape replay of the program, and then discussed their reactions to the program. The group discussion was tape recorded and construct analysis was performed on the responses of the group of highly representative viewers. It appeared from the comments of these eleven respondents that they enjoyed the program, but felt changes should be made and new aspects brought into the program. The respondents appeared to enjoy the "free, spontaneous discussion" of the panel members and the "controversy” generated by their remarks. All the respondents enjoyed the film excerpt and felt that it should be extended. Most of the respondents liked the moderator and felt his was the kind of moderator they would like to see on this kind of a program.
All eleven respondents felt the program should be longer in order to "permit more approaches to art.”
The respondents also indicated that they would like to 291 see filmed statements by "qualified" persons outside the panel inserted throughout the program* Some felt the program needed more movement and variety to maintain interest,, Most of the respondents stated that the topic was not the kind of topic they expected and would like the program to deal with specific art forms. Two major dimensions appear to be crucial to the program and should be included in the regular series* The respondents want to (1) learn about art and the artists, and (2) come to grips with important issues in art and society*
One hundred and seventy-five persons were tele phoned following the on-the-air presentation of the pilot program over WOSU-TV* The program was shown three times or! Friday, August 11, 1967* It was shown at 3:30 p.m., 8:30 p«m* and 12:30 pjrru One hundred and eight respondents were contacted by the six interviewers*
Of the final sample of one hundred and eight persons, only eight persons watched the pilot program* Twenty- three persons were watching television at the time of the telephone interview and forty-four persons stated that they had watched television at some time that evening* Only twenty-six persons, however, stated that they watched television during the half-hour of the pilot presentation (8:30-9:00)* This means that the pilot program received a 30 per cent share of the sample 292 audience watching television at the time of the pilot presentation., It should also be noted that fifty-five respondents stated that they either were not aware that the program was on television or were not aware of what the program was about. These respondents stated that if they would have known about the program, "they probably would have watched it." These data suggest a serious problem that needs to be investigated in future studies:
"What kinds of messages through what kinds of channels should be used to attract viewers to a new television program?" All eight respondents who watched the program were favorable in their reactions to it. They enjoyed the film excerpt of the arts festival and the "controversy developed in the discussion." Some of the respondents felt there was a "variety of viewpoints" and that the panel members "expressed themselves well." Many of the respondents suggested that the program needed more variety and that "artists" should play a larger role in the program. A few of the respondents suggested that the "artists demonstrate and talk about their work" and others suggested that "community leaders, businessmen, religious leaders and others should present their views on the program." One respondent suggested that the pro gram have something "simple for the average person and something for "thode knowledgable in the arts." 293
Recommendations were suggested to the producer of the new program based on the findings of Step VI«
Based on the findings of our audience research of the pilot program some changes might be made in order to appeal to the target audience(s) Some questions could be raised about the success of the new program as a regular series based on the findings of the telephone survey. It appears that the basic idea and most of the elements now in the program are enjoyable to the viewers.
The following changes or additions to the new program should be made in order to "maximize the enjoyment of the viewers":
1. The program needs to approach two major dimensions in order to meet the needs of the viewers.
The program should (a) provide an opportunity to learn about the art work and the artist, and (b) approach critical issues and ideas in the art form under discussion.
The first dimension could be accomplished through the opening film excerpt and a brief discussion with the artist. The second dimension could be accomplished through discussion with the panel and through statements by persons outside the panel.
2. The panel should change from program to program and at least two persons involved in the art form under discussion should be on the panel. The outside 294
"experts" should be different on each program and on some programs it might be interesting to have the panel composed completely of persons in the arts. 3. When it is possible, there should be some demonstration on the program by the artist or an artist in the field under analysis. 4. The questions asked in the panel discussion need to be direct, penetrating, and centered around one major issue. The questions should approach as many dimensions of this issue as possible. For example, in the pilot program, there was an attempt to deal with two major issues (The Summer Festival of the Arts and the state of the arts in Columbus). In the time available to them, the panel was unable to adequately cover both major issues. 5. The program needs to bring in more than the
"opinions" of the participants. There should be some attempt to provide information and also to stimulate new ideas among the panel and the viewer at home.
6. The program needs to be more dynamic. There needs to be more film inserts and more than just the panel discussion. Some of the above recommendations (1 and 3) would prevent a "straight panel discussion." It might also be effective to utilize different areas of the set and have the moderator move on the set. One possibility 295 might be to have the moderator and artist interact in front of the set and then move to the seats on the set for the following discussiono 7. The theme music for the program needs to be changed since the present one does not appear to be appropriate to the program and is too recognizable. Music with a similar "sound" and composition which is not recognizable appears to be preferred by the viewers.
8. The opening credits are good, but the word ing needs to be enlarged so that the viewer at home can easily "see"them. The specific art form under discussion should be announced in the opening of the program before the people on the program are introduced. 9. The unstructured and free approach to the art form as taken in the pilot program appears to be preferred by the viewers and should be retained. A format approach similar to the one recommended in Step
V should be followed in the program.
Conclusions
Thus, we have developed the "case study" program with the aid of our six step research approach in order to demonstrate the role which audience research can play in television program development. As initially con ceptualized and designed the six step audience research 296 I is intended to aid in the development of a new television program# It is not assumed that our systematic approach or any subsequent systematic approach can, in itself, create and develop a new television program# Even in the most scientific matters human creativity, insight, and sensitivity must play an important role in the under taking o At the same time, a systematic approach such as the one under study here provides a more solid theoretic framework from which we can extend ourselves in an undertaking# This is primarily true in television pro gram development which has had few empirically based theories to rely upon in the past# It might be noted here that our "case study program" was one developed for educational television rather than commercial television# There are differences between commercial and educational television in terms of financial support, responsibility to the government regulatory body, and reasons for attracting an audience# The problems faced in television production in both commercial and educational television have important implications in terms of the communication process#
Both are attempting to communicate to an audience and both have aspirations that the audience will in some way enjoy, become involved, be challenged, etc# by their programs# Although the results of research 297
conducted on a commercial network program.might have wider interest to broadcasting decision-makers, the
findings and implications from our systematic research
approach developed and conducted on the "case study
program"should be no less meaningful to research develop ment and new television program development than a
commercial network program® The findings from our "case study program"
indicate that the six step research approach proposed
in this study appears to be one answer to help solve the
problems of television program development® The six
steps of the research approach lends itself to the
actual phases of television program development. The
flexibility and the methodological approach of our
audience research lends itself to the creative dimensions of television program development and provides some
insights to the producer which might ndt be available
without audience research® Perhaps the crucial con tribution of the systematic approach to program develop
ment is that the findings and recommendations validate
the thinking of the "creative team" in terms of audience
preference. Using the target audience model within our
approach, the research aids the producer's concept of
the audience he hopes to attract with the new program. There is predictiveness from step to step in the research 298 approach which aids in early program decision-making.
It appears that the research approach could help in predicting the performance of a new program as a regular series.
Further Recommendations This is an exploratory study which has attempted to provide a systematic research approach to aid in solving a problem which faces program developers. Because of the study's exploratory nature, certain dimensions of the basic problem were not considered within our six step approach One of the major dimensions which should be considered in future studies investigating similar problems is what kind of advance "publicity" is needed to attract attention to the new program and which channels would most effectively reach the target audience.
These kind of data could be gathered in Steps II br IV of the research approach and would be helpful ih develop ing an effective way to initially attract viewers to the program.
Another dimension of the basic problem which bears investigation is the decision-making system of the persons developing the new program and of those per sons who make programming decisions. It is important that meaningful communication be operating between these 299 decision-makers and the researcher(s)» It is suggested that this kind of investigation be undertaken before the six step research approach is initiatedo The final dimension of the basic problem which should be considered within the framework of the problem is the visual elements in the program,, There is a need to determine the visual preferences of the audience„
Instruments designed to measure preference for visual elements of content and style are being developed at
Ohio State,,"*- These visual instruments should be used in
Step V of the research approach in order to provide insights to the producer along this dimension before final production,, It is hoped that more research will be conducted, refined, and expanded along similar lines as this
exploratory work. The problem approached here is a serious one, not only for television programs, but for
a broad range of mass communication media,, The impli cations of this approach to a problem facing television
program developers should be apparent in terms of the
problems facing other media,. It is suggested that
similar "creative research" be conducted with other media such as motion pictures, advertising, magazines,
■^David L, Rarick, "Predicting Viewer Preferences for Visual Appeals in Television Programs," unpublished Master's thesis, The Ohio State University, 1967„ 300 plays, etc® which attempt to communicate to an audience®
Further research should also investigate commercial television programs® This would require considerable financial support, professional interviewers, and a larger base sample to more closely reflect the A® C.
Neilson and American Research Bureau samples which are used to determine commercial program’s ratings®
In future research more variables need to be systematically isolated and analyzed® This means more powerful analytic methods would need to be employed in order to provide isolation and rankings of the variables® More studies need to be conducted in order to develop more theories of audience preference, refine methodologies, and provide meaningful insights into the role of audience research in television program develop ment® The value of this systematic six step research approach should not be determined on the basis of this single study, but, hopefully, on a number of similar studies which investigate a crucial communication problem — that of developing meaningful, enjoyable, and successful television programs which ’’maximize the enjoyment of the viewer®"
This study provides one systematic research approach which could help in new television program develop ment® Each step of the approach offers new problems and each new television program should provide new and different challenges which this writer found to be exciting and personally rewarding. APPENDIX - STEP I
302 303
Telephone Introduction for Step I
(Begin) Hello,(Mr. or Mrs.)______(,this is ______of the Ohio State University and we are involved in a study of new television programs. We are very interested in your ideas and opinions about television programs. Could you take a few minutes please to answer a few questions which we have? (If yes,move to questionnaire., t r,
•....If no,ask if there is anyone else at home you could speak to.)
( Conclusion) Thank you so very much for helping in our study* We appreciate your taking time to answer our questions. If we have further questions may we call on you again? (Note on questionnaire whether they will co-operate again) Thank you very much and good-bye. 30U Step 1 Interview Schedule Name Address Phone MarrieS Yes No Number of children _____ Education Age 6-17 18-25 26-35 36-55 55** lo What are some of your favorite TV programs?
2» We have a new idea for a television show and would like your reaction to the idea* The idea is "a series of live,hour programs presenting a'critical analysis of contemporary art forms such as film,theatre,dance,literature,music,television,art,etc." What is your reaction to the idea?
3a What do you like most about the idea?
U* What don*t you like about the program idea?
5 * Would you like to see this program contain: a) realism or fantasy
b) conflict o__ or no conflict
c) comedy or seriousness __
d) easy to follow or hard to follow___
e) action or no action ___ (Go to next page) 305 Step 1 Interview Schedule Page 2
6* If you were making this program,what would you include for you to enjoy it to the fullest? ______
Thank you,good-bye# APPENDIX - STEP II 307
Telephone Introduction for Step II
( Begin) Hello, (Mr. or Mrs.)______,this is ______of the Ohio State University calling again in regards to our study of television programs. We found your answers very interesting and would like to talk to you some more about television prgrams. Could we arrange a time this week that I could come to your home for about an hour ? Very good. May I verify your address? (Get correct address from respondent) Thank you so very much and I will be at your home (Day) (Time)
Good-bye. 308
Step 2 Interview Schedule
Name ______Address ______Phone Socio-economic Area: I II III IV _____
We are interested in your likes and dislikes of television programs* Everyone has some notion of the programs they like or dislike and what they would like to see* On these cards are descriptions of programs which you might see in a television "guide"* Select the programs you would most enjoy watching and place them in a pile on your right* The programs you would not enjoy watching place in a pile on your left* Go through the cards as quickly as possible as we want your first Reaction* Flease feel free'to pick the programs YOU want to watch* (After person has done this3 continue) aNow,from the pile on the right would you pick the TWO programs you would most enjoy watching and place them in pile #9* Now from the pile on the left pick the WO programs that you would least enjoy watching and place them in pile number 1*( Continue in this manner until person has gone through all 9 piles) (Now hand the two prgrams most liked to the respondent and ask) # Why do you like this p r o g r a m ? ______
# Why do you like this program?
How would you change this program from the way it is presented here? (Hand respondent program under research)
Here I have another set of program descriptions similar to the set you have just completed* Would you please go through these as before and place the programs you would enjoy watching on the right and those you would not enjoy watching on the left* (After person has done this move on) ( Go to page 2) 309
c; ■
O'-
■o
■3- 310 Step 2 Interview bchedule page 2
Now from the pile on the right pick the lilo programs which you would most enjoy watching as place them in pile # 9* From the pile on the left pick the TWO programs you would least enjoy watching and place them in pile # 1* (Cotinue as in the 1st set of progi’amc) (Again hand the two raost like programs to person and ask*•») # Why do you li.! # ^ Way do you like this program? How would you. change this program from the way it is presented here? (hand person the program under research) (lake both program deoc> ipti a : under research and hand to person) Which of these two program,:-. i*, yo • like beau? v e ? . are some statements which one might use to describe people* At oho top of hue page are four statements* Read the statements and select bh.o one which best describes hew you would like to be liken After you have selected A,3j0,cr p_,tnen move to that column below* Rank 'those words from meat bike they describe how you would like to be to least iik<" yon would like oc be as a person* ZErt 7K>5*,A,."'W“i*.ri SORT tf\ C>J VO c*\ oo s O 311 312 Step 2 Interview Schedule Page 3 Please check(X)the statement which is most like what you would like to be like* Select AaB,C,,orD- A A coneernedjmature person who has freedom to come and go as he pleases* B A person who shoitfs honest consideration for his friends and others * A person who is easy-going and trys to enjoy life to its fullest-. D A person vho has a mature understanding of others and their differences* Please read the list below which corresponds to your selection and rank the statements from 1 to 10. Rank them from l(most like yo'u would like to be$ to 10( least like you would like to be). Place the ntugber beside the statemen^* A D___ Talkative Honest^Sincere Unders tanding Thinks a lot Help friends __ Considerate Frustrated _ Seeks Responsiblity Intelligent Appreciative Selfish _ Appreciative Socially Material- Religious _ Mature Active Minded. Defensive Friendly Easy-going Considerate Free to In love Mature Prejtvtgeded move Mature Complains Warm & sharing _ Defensive Warm & _ Self-Centered Enjoys life Maberial- Sharing Minded Selfish Faith in Self-Centered Complains People Kind Compassionate Socially Active Intelligent PLEASE GO TO IfEXT PAGE 313 On the chart presented below.would you please indicate how you generally spend your evening hours?. Using the appropriate symbol listed belouyplease mark every spare as to your general use of evening time. X — Watch television 0 = Other activities in the home A ~ Away from home Time Sunday Monday Tuesday Weds * Thursday: Friday! ay 1 6 -6 3 0 630-7 7-730 730-8 8 -0 3 0 830-9 9-930 930-10 1 0 -1 0 3 0 1 0 3 0 -1 1 1 1 -1 1 3 0 1 1 3 0 -1 ? Thank You 314 Definitions of the Facet Elements of Content and Style Reality; A, Factual-Informational» The presentation of events as -they actually' are, or were; persons being presented as themselves. Reflects expected cultural patterns, given the circumstances. A? Fictional-Representational. Actors play roles of characters oFher than themselves, but portray "possible" persons in "possible" circumstances. Ag Fictional Non-Representational. Presents improbable, fantastic, or cartoon characters in "believable" circumstances; or "believable" characters in unlikely situations; or a combination of both "unreal" conditions. Value; B, Morali Those programs where moral values are xntellectualized — where all is not white or black, but there are shades of grey. Differing views of morality are presented in conflict, sometimes violently. A resolution is not necessarily involved. Bp Moral-Sentimental. In these programs there are clearly "good" guys and "bad" guys, and a singular "right" that triumphs. The good guys are often friendly and polite; the bad guys are often crude and unsociable. It is kind of "cliche morality." Eg In these programs moral issues are not considered. Complexity; C1 Given a flow of circumstances, it is difficult to predict subsequent events or final outcomes. C2 L°W a The so-called formula programs. 315 Definitions - (Continued) Seriousness: Di Comedy» These are comedy, light entertainment, and even musical shows, usually self-designated by the program format* Dp Non-comedy, Serious programs, also indicated by the format or in the introduction of the show. 3 1 6 New Program Concept Instrument #1 1o Baez and Ballads - 2° The World of the features the singing and Contemporary Arts - a weekly sayings of Joan Baez. live half hour series Built around a semi presenting a critical interview, semi-documentary analysis of contemporary art format, the program is about forms such as Film, Theatre, the singer and her relation Television, Literature, Art, ship to folk singing as an Music and Dance. The art. She sings a few analysis is done by a panel humorous folk songs and is made up of a continuing backed up by some dancers. moderator, one permanent member from each art form, and three interested per sons. The pros and cons of each art form will be dis cussed and responses from the viewer at home included in the critical analysis. 3. This Funny World - The Executive - the humorous human interest camera follows a high rank news stories from around ing executive on a typical the world are told through working day. The show a newscaster with stills depicts the business world and film. and the hard and sometimes controversial decisions which must be made. 5. Pardon My Foot - true 6° Night Cry - true stories stories about famous and of policemen during their not so famous personalities night shift in a large city. of our times. The program Tonight we go to New York features actual events and City and travel with Car the heart warming and moving 369 on its night beat. dilemmas which touch humanity. Photos and films as well as the actual individual involved, combine to recreate the stories that lead to hilarious and some times surprising conclus ions. Truth is indeed stranger than fiction. 3 1 7 7. Songs We Used to Sing - 8. Firefighters - true a musical variety show accounts of fire depart featuring old favorite songs ments throughout the world* which are frequently sung by The show depicts bravery the artist who made them above and beyond the call famous o of duty. 9. What Happened? - a game 10. The Future - a program show where viewers send in that first looks at research letters describing a on a project for the future. humorous incident that Then, through sketches, we really happened to them. see the projected finished Actors re-enact the product. Tonight, we see incident leaving out the the Mach 3 Jet Commercial endingo Guest celebrities Transport Plane (Its try to guess how the development, and its good incident really ended. and bad points). 11. The Wierd Teams - 12. Home on the Range - a sports teams that are cooking show with man and exceptionally different woman as hosts and chefs. than the normal are Viewers send in their featured each week. The favorite recipes and chefs week's show features a prepare the food. At the comedy baseball team, end of the program, a including a trick lavish dish is cooked and pitcher. the recipe is given to all viewers. 13. Red Tape - each week 14. The Negotiator - a this satirical program program about a man who presents sketches that goes all around the world constructively poke fun at by order of the President our complex institutions of the U.S. to negotiate such as education, foreign a treaty or peace terms. policy, etc. Typically they Tonight he goes to Egypt to focus on a basic conflict negotiate peace between in the institution which is Egypt and Isreal. most difficult to resolve. 15, When It Rains It Pours - 16° The Peace Corps - true a satirical take-off on the stories of peace corps soap opera, complete with members re-enacted by all of the characters in the actors. Tonight we go to lives of Clyde and Martha. Africa and a primitive All situations are handled village. with tongue-in-cheek sarcasm; the soap opera and its plots being the target for most of the action or fun. 3 1 8 17. The Plotters - a 18. The Mississippi - a program about a group of Mississippi riverboat people that do only good captain narrates the but in an illegal way. stories of his trips and Tonight, they scheme to times, and the troubles quiet a false press and involvements of his release by using a passengers while traveling "fight fire with fire" up and down the River technique. during the late 1800's. 19. Gold Rush - two never- 20. The Coroner - tonight, do-wells go north to the coroner is drawn into Alaska in search of a trying to break up a plot fortune. From Nome to to dispose of a body of a Fairbanks they get into man who was killed by his funny as well as serious wife's lover. trouble, but always manage to dig themselves out of the situation in a humorous manner. 21. Who Said That? - a 22. Great Scientists - each quiz show panel tries to week an actor portrays a unravel famous quotes different scientist of the spoken by actors who use past in a setting of the the scrambled quote in a past, explaining his "man on the street" talk scientific law or achieve with a perfect stranger. ment and how it came to be. The contestant who cor Tonight, the setting is rectly guesses the quote England in the 17& century and the person who said with Sir Isaac Newton. it wins. 23. Safety First - 24. Why It Happens - actors "Officer Bob" instructs present material for school children on the subject children prepared by experts of safety at home, at on natural phenomena such school and at play. His as the northern lights, points are supported etc. Films, slides, and through the use of visual aids are used to animated cartoons show simplify the explanation. ing dangerous habits and Everything is made very situations. easy to understand. 3 1 9 25. Hindsight - a self 26. Commitment Destiny - designated "in group" of a tales of the world beyond. cemetery community comes Tonight, Jim Barker's to life at midnight each robot is involved in a week. This "rat pack" of question of morality with the Six Feet Under Club another robot whose pro sarcastically gossip about grammed brain is not in real life events of the alignment. Which is more past week. They each have important, man or machine? a different point of view and can seldom agree on an ideal solution. 2^° Greek to Me - the 28. Humans Are Cruel - a ancient Greeks and Greek documentary narrated by a mythology is brought to cartoon rabbit, covering the viewer through the subjects of conser animation. The narrator vation and animal husbandry. of the semi-fictional The main point is how to programs about humorous Greek help preserve natural mythology is the butler of resources. Zeus. Tonight, he tells the inside story on Diana and some of the wars between the gods. 29. Ghost Writer - a 30. The Unknown - stories deceased editor comes back of the bizarre. Tonight, from the dead to continue the story of a renegade his small newspaper’s doctor who is involved in editorial crusade to clean an illegal experiment of a up City Hall. The episodes, human brain transplant. while fictitious, reflect many of the problems that actually plague small towns and big cities alike. Humorous situations arise as the corrupt officials try to find out how anyone could discover all of this infor mation. 31. Halo Cure - two angels 32. Proj ect U (Project decide that man has become Universe) - a space adven too evil. So they assume ture program. Tonight, our human form and fly down to animated cartoon characters earth in order to change land their space ship on an man. But man considers them uncharted planet and then strange people who should begins the strange tale of mind their own business. human sacrifice and morbid Tonight, the angels try to customs of war. cure two bank robbers of their evil ways. 3 2 0 33. The Image of Music - 34. Outside this World - specials in color. Pictures an educational program in or related images, films or animated cartoon form. stills, or animated cartoons Kal, an American space are skillfully arranged to explorer, travels through match the type of music out the solar system and played in tempo, color, tells us what we know or subject matter. In other theorize about it. Tonight, words, a visual interpre we go to Mars. tation of music. 35. Pass Into Time - an 36. How About That! - an elderly scientist takes the educational program that viewer into his time machine shows some aspect of the to go back and witness an natural sciences through important historical event. an animated cartoon story. The scientist humorously Tonight, flowers come to helps to make the historical life and we learn about event turn out as the his how they live and grow. tory books say it does. 3 2 1 New Program Concept Instrument #2 1. How The West Was Really- 2 . Farm People - true Won - the show is based on stories in documentary actual histories of the old form dealing with the west and is compared in a fast fading rural life. light vein with today's This show is the first in adult western image. The a series showing the program features action problems that exist on pictures from what was truly farms. Tonight we focus the old west and narration on weather destruction on by leading authorities of farms in different parts the old west. of the country. 3 o Man To Man Answer - the 4. A View of the Arts - a questions of various people weekly panel discusses and on the street are put man analyzes various contemporary to man to an authority in art forms such as Film, some field plus a comedian. Art, Theatre, Dance, Lit The questions range from erature, Television and very serious to rather Music. Excerpts from the humorous and the answers art form under discussion are often unpredictable. will be shown or acted out. The panel will consist of a moderator, an expert from the field and three guests. Tonight - a discussion of "A Man For All Seasons" and responses are taken from the audience. 5. Hanson's History - a 6. Contact - this program program dealing with all deals with actual spy cases, the famous villains of In tonight's story a man history. On this week's has to make contact with an show the pirate Bluebeard organization that knows the pillages the Florida coast whereabouts of a very until driven off by a dangerous foreign enemy. rival pirate gang and The story is told by the shows Bluebeard's violent spy involved in the case. death. 7. Cell 4321 - prison life 8. The Tumult and the and crime in general are Shouting - a documentary- shown not to pay as we look at type sports program based the many ways people try to on the writings of the late break the law and fail. Gratland Rice - film clips of and narration about the sports greats whom he knew and often made famous. 322 9° It1s New - the crazy 10. Today1s Weather - a things that people and the show which gives the viewer world of industry invest the latest weather infor in is shown. This week mation around the world. features an automatic dish This is presented in film washer washer, a television of various weather con without a picture tube, and ditions which are abnormal an airplane you can take plus a complete forecast with youo for every part of the country. 11. Hobo Jungle - docu 12° The Church on the Move - mentaries on the various the story this week concerns types of "bums” to deter the work of missionaries in mine why they lead such a South American country. unkept, crude and carefree Host David McCoy talks to lives. Why have they guests the Rev. Parket and turned away from society? Snider. Next week we see What amusing events have the church at work in the they encountered? inner-city. 13. You Talk About Junk - 14. Queen1s Men - each week adventures of a small town this show will tell of the garbage man who knows love and romance of different everyone and their troubles. beautiful women. Tonight a Everyone confides in him young female executive falls and as a result he often in love with a beatnik artist. finds himself involved in more than garbage. Tonight he gets involved in a counterfeitting ring. 15. Days of Old - in the 16. The Classics - a weekly days of King Arthur all is ninety minute adaptation of not the way it should be one of the great literary when Merlin the magician classics. Some of America's actually develops magic and England's top actors power. Tonight he turns and actresses star in the all the swords to rubber different shows. Tonight, in the middle of a castle Tale of Two Cities. battle. 323 17o The Iroquois - the 18. Warning - an air force indian tribe has its captain intercepts an problems tonight when untimely important message crooked white traders headed for the enemy. Does try to cheat them and time permit him to follow they fight back. Two proper channels to stop the white trappers try to sabotage? To make matters help them when they get worse the enemy knows he in trouble with British has intercepted the message. soldiers over their attack on the white -traders. 19. International Air 20. Dondi - patterned port - the drama of after the comic strip - a people who are international lovable war orphan comes travelers is told through to the United States and the events at inter continually finds himself national airport. Fred in events filled with Martin is the bumbling warmth and conflict. navigator who adds a touch of humor. Tonight he accidentally discovers a shipment of diamonds in one of the food storage depart ments. 21. Los Angeles - tonight 22. The Misunderstood - we follow a cab driver on tnis program deals with the the rounds of all the problem of mental health. night spots in this dream Each week actors portray world city. Next week our a true case history of a cab driver takes a tour of mentally ill person. the film studios which Tonight's story deals with surround the city. He adds a wife who has a mental humorous dialogue on every breakdown. This breakdown tour. comes from her inability to deal with the problems of working and a family. 3 2 4 230 The Ulcer Set - 24. Insight - an explor humorous take-off on life ation of the known in a television station., phenomenon of space. Man’s Action runs from the panic conguest of his universe of putting the wrong show and what he can expect of on the air and the replace outer space. ment they put on is a pro gram spoken in French. The mix-up has occurred in the mail between our station and the local University station. 25. House of Wax - set in a 26. High Road - this is wax museum, the characters the story of men in strange are wax figures from history expeditions around the who have a life after the world. Tonight’s story museum closes. Only the concerns two men who almost guide knows they are alive, die attempting to find a but says nothing because no sunken ship. However, the one would believe him. The ship never existed except wax figures enjoy nothing in a fictional novel. better than playing practical jokes on people in the city. 27. The Insiders - cartoon 28. Our Universe - an story of what happens American space explorer inside people, or could travels through the solar happen, as revealed in the system and comes in con program when Henry the tact with the beings on Heart becomes angry with various planets. Each time Larry the Lung. he tries to compare their life with ours on earth. 29. I Want My Mummy - British anthropologist uncovers a living mummy while digging in an old Egyptian tomb. 30. Prince Toby - young All sorts of funny adven Prince Toby runs a kingdom tures occur as he tries to in modern times which is get mummy back to England about as large as Rhode and his country estate. Island. He is a kind boy who must constantly pro tect his kingdom from modernization. 3 2 5 31. Peanuts - good old 32. Intrigue - an eerie Charlie Brown and his collection of the tales of friends come to weekly the supernatural. This television,. The big week we finish Edgar Allen problem that Charlie Poe's Hound of the Basker- has now is with his ville and next week we baseball team0 focus on The Tell Tale Heart. 33° Grimm1s Fairy Tales - 34. Old MacDonald's Farm - a children’s theatre the life of a farmer and the presentation - the tales many animals on his farm. which children and adults He is like Dr. Doolittle know and love come to and is able to talk to all life on the television his animals. The farmer screen through actors and often turns to his animals actresses. in times of trouble, and they often have the answers for him. 35. Who1s the Mayor Here - 36. Where Are You Going? - a man in prehistoric times a panel show where con gets involved in history’s testants pick a location first election campaign. somewhere in the world where It seems no one really they would like to go and wants the job as mayor, but if they stump the panel there is the wildest they are given a free trip campaign ever. The pro to that location. gram is taking a satirical job at present-day politics. 326 Factor Array Viewer A Like 60 Nicjht Cry - true stories 4° The Executive - the of policemen during their camera follows a high night shift in a large city. ranking executive on a Tonight we go to New York typical working day. The City and travel with Car show depicts the business 369 on its night beat. world and the hard and sometimes controversial decisions which must be made. 2» The World of the Con 10o The Future - a program temporary Arts - a weekly that first looks at research live half-hour series on a project for the future. presenting a critical Then, through sketches, we analysis of contemporary see the projected finished art forms such as Film, product. Tonight, we see Theatre, Television, the Mach 3 Jet Commercial Literature, Art, Music Transport Plane (its develop and Danceo ment, and its good and bad points)» Dislike 36° How About That I - an 31. Halo Cure - two angels educational program that decide that man has become shows some aspect of the too evil. So they assume natural sciences through human form and fly down to an animated cartoon story. earth in order to change Tonight, flowers come to man. But man considers life and we learn about how them strange people who they live and grow. should mind their own business. Tonight, the angels try to cure two bank robbers of their evil ways. 23. Safety First - "Officer Bob" instructs children on the subject of safety at home, at school and at play. His points are supported through the use of cartoons showing dangerous habits and situations. 3 2 7 Factor Array Viewer B Like h. of the Arts - a 16. The Classics - a weekly weekTy panel discusses and ninety minute adaptation of analyzes various contemporary one of the great literary art forms such as Film, Art, classics. Some of America’s Theatre, Dance, Literature, and England’s top actors and Television and Music. Excerpts actresses star in the dif from the art form under dis ferent shows. Tonight, Tale cussion will be shown or acted* of Two Cities o 12* The Church on the Move - 1. How the West Was Really the story this week concerns Won - the show is based on the work of missionaries in a actual histories of the old South American country. Host west and is compared in a David McCoy talks to guests light vein with today’s adult the Rev. Parker and Snider.. western image. The program Next week we see the church features action pictures from at work in the inner-city,, what was truly the old west and narration by leading authorities of the old west. 31. Peanuts - good old Charlie Brown and his friends come to weekly television. The big problem that Charlie has now is with his baseball team. Dislike 36. Where Are You Going? - a 13. You Talk About Junk - panel show where contestants adventures of a small town pick a location somewhere in garbage man who knows every the world where they would one and their troubles. like to go and if they stump Everyone confides in him and the panel they are given a free as a result he often finds trip to that location. himself involved in more than garbage. Tonight he gets 29. I Want My Mummy - British involved in a counter- anthropologist uncovers a feitting ring. living mummy while digging in an old Egyptian tomb. All sorts of funny adventures occur as he tries to get mummy back to England and his country estate. 328 Factor Array Viewer C Like 16. The Classics - a weekly 4. A View of the Arts - ninety minute adaptation of a weekly panel discusses one of the great literary and analyzes various con classics. Some of America's temporary art forms such and England's top actors and as Film, Art, Theatre, actresses star in the different Dance, Literature, Tele shows. Tonight, Tale of Two vision and Music. Excerpts Cities. from the art form under discussion will be shown or acted. 22o The Misunderstood - this program deals with the problem of mental health. Each week actors portray a true case history of a mentally ill per son. Tonight's story deals with a wife who has a mental breakdown. This breakdown comes from her inability to deal with the problems of working and a family. Dislike 6° Contact - this program 36. Where Are You Going? - deals with actual spy cases. a panel show where con In tonight's story a man has testants pick a location to make contact with an somewhere in the world where organization that knows the they would like to go and if whereabouts of a very dangerous they stump the panel they foreign enemy. The story is are given a free trip to told by the spy involved in that location. the case. i. 329 Factor Array Set D Like 2. The World of the Con 16. The Peace Corps - temporary Arts - a weekly true stories of peace live half hour series corps members re-enacted presenting a critical by actors. Tonight we analysis of contemporary art go to Africa and a forms such as Film, Theatre, primitive village. Television, Literature, Art, Music and Dance. The analysis is done by a panel made up of a continuing moderator, one permanent member from each art form and three interested persons. The pros and cons of each art form will be discussed and responses from the viewer at home included in the critical analysis. Dislike 32. Project U (Project Universe) ~ a - space adven ture program. Tonight, our animated cartoon characters land their space ship on an uncharted planet and then begins the strange tale of human sacrifice and morbid customs of war. i Factor Array Set E Like 4. The Executive - the camera 10® The Future - a program follows a high ranking exec that first looks at research utive on a typical working on a project for the future® day® The show depicts the Then, through sketches, we business world and the hard see the projected finished and sometimes controversial product® Tonight, we see decisions which must be made., the Mach 3 Jet Commercial Transport Plane (its development, and its good and bad points)® 2® The World of the Con 6® Nicjht Cry - true stories temporary Arts - a weekly of polxcemen during their live half hour series pres night shift in a large city® enting a critical analysis Tonight we go to New York of contemporary art forms City and travel with Car such as Film, Theatre, 369 on its night beat® Television, Literature, Art® Dislike 26® Commitment Destiny - 2^® Safety First - "Officer tales of the world beyond® Bob" instructs children on Tonight, Jim Barker's the subject of safety at robot is involved in a home, at school and at play® question of morality with His points are supported another robot whose pro through the use of animated grammed brain is not in cartoons showing dangerous alignment® Which is more habits and situations® important, man or machine? 32® Project U (Project 31® Halo Cure - two angels Universe) a space adventure decide that man has become program® Tonight, our too evil® So they assume animated cartoon characters human form and fly down to land their space ship on an earth in order to change uncharted planet and then man® But man considers begins the strange tale of them strange people who human sacrifice and morbid should mind their own customs of war® business® Tonight, the angels try to cure two bank robbers of their evil ways ® 331 Factor Array Set F Like 1 9 , ______Gold Rush - two never-do- 18* The Mississippi - a wells go north to Alaska in Mississippi nverboat search of a fortune.. From captain narrates the Nome to Fairbanks they get stories of his trips and into funny as well as serious times, and the troubles trouble, but always manage to and involvements of his dig themselves out of the passengers while travel situation in a humorous ing up and down the River manner. during the late 1800’s* 16 c, The Peace Corps - true stories of peace corps members re-enacted by actors* Tonight we go to Africa and a primitive village* Dislike when it Rains It Pours - 4* The Executive - the a satirical take-off on the camera follows a high soap opera, complete with all ranking executive on a of the characters in the lives typical working day* The of Clyde and Martha* All sit show depicts the business uations are handled with world and the hard and tongue-in-cheek sarcasm; the sometimes controversial soap opera and its plots being decisions which must be the target for most of the made* action or fun* 332 Factor Array Set X Like 4, A View of the Arts - a 16o The Classics - a weekly weekTy panel discusses and ninety minute adaptation of analyzes various contemporary one of the great literary art forms such as Film, Art, classics. Some of America’s Theatre, Dance, Literature, and England’s top actors and Television and Music. actresses star in the dif ferent shows. Tonight, Tale of Two Cities, 12, The Church on the Move - 31, Peanuts - good old the story thisweek concerns Charlie Brown and his the work of missionaries in friends come to weekly a South American country.. television. The big Host David McCoy talks to problem that Charlie has guests the Rev, Parker and now is with his baseball Snider, Next week we see the team. church at work in the inner- city. Dislike 36, Where Are You Going? - a 29, I Want My Mummy - panel show where contestants British anthropologist pick a location somewhere in uncovers a living mummy the world where they would like while digging in an old to go and if they stump the Egyptian tomb. All sorts panel they are given a free trip of funny adventures occur to that location. as he tries to get mummy back to England and his country estate. 13, You Talk About Junk - Cell 4321 - Prison adventures of small town life and crime in general garbage man who knows every are shown not to pay as one and their troubles. we look at the many ways Everyone confides in him and people try to break the as a result he often finds law and fail. himself involved in more than garbage. Tonight he gets involved in a counterfeitting ring. Factor Array Set Y Like 1* How the West Was Really 4* A View of the Arts - a Won - the show is based on weekly panel discusses and actual histories of the old analyzes various contemporary west and is compared in a art forms such as Film, Art, light vein with today's Theatre, Dance, Literature, adult western image* The Television, and Music* program features action pictures from what was truly the old west and narration by leading authorities of the old west o 31. Peanuts - good old 24* insight - an exploration Charlie Brown and his of the known phenomenon of friends come to weekly space* Man's conquest of television,, The big his universe and what he can problem that Charlie has expect of outer space* now is with his baseball team* Dislike 13* You Talk About Junk - 15. Days of Old - in the adventures of small town days of King Arthur all is garbage man who knows every not the way it should be one and their troubles* when Merlin the magician Everyone confides in him and actually develops magic as a result he often finds power. Tonight he turns himself involved in more than all the swords to rubber garbage* Tonight he gets in the middle of a castle involved in a counter battle. feiting ring* 334 Factor Array Set Z Like 4# a View of the Arts - a 16. The Classics - a weekly weekTy panel discusses and ninety minute adaptation of analyzes various contemporary one of the great literary art forms such as Film, Art, classics. Some of America’s Theatre, Dance, Literature, England's top actors and Television and Music. actresses star in the dif ferent shows. Tonight, Tale of Two Cities. 22. The Misunderstood - this 2. Farm People - true program deals with the problem stories in documentary form of mental health. Each week dealing with the fast actors portray a true case fading rural life. This history of a mentally ill show is the first in a person. Tonight’s story series showing the problems deals with a wife who has a that exist on farms. mental breakdown. This Tonight we focus on weather breakdown comes from her destruction on farms in inability to deal with the different parts of the problems of working and a country. family. Dislike 6 . Contact - this program 36. Where Are You Going? - deals with actual spy cases. a panel show where con In tonight's story a man testants pick a location has to make contact with an somewhere in the world organization that knows the where they would like to whereabouts of a very go and if they stump the dangerous foreign enemy. panel they are given a The story is told by the free trip to that location. spy involved in the case. APPENDIX - STEP IV 335 336 Telephone Introduction -Step br Hello,(Mr*,Mrs • ,Miss) _____ ,this Id _____ of the Ohio State University calling in regal'd? '.'•o the study on television programs* Your responses were most representative of a large group of viewers and your further assistance is crucia: to the study* We would appreciate it very much and it would re an important contribution to the study if I could talk to yoii again- It would tako about l+O minutes of your time. I can talk to you at your convience* When would it be convient to come to your home? Thank you so much for helping us* I will be at your home ( Day & Time )______• Thank you- Good-bye* 3 3 7 Stop I4 Interview Schedule Name ______Address______Phone The last interview we asked you to select your preferences among tv programs< This time we would like you to select among the various elements of tv programs-. We all have our favorite characters.:, plotsjsettings?issuesssettings,etc. We also have some notion about what we would like to see in new programs. These cards contain statements which represent different elements in television programs•> Consider yourself a free agent to selct any element you. would like to see in a new show. Go through the cards and react as quickly as possible as we want your first reaction- The elements you would like to see in a new program place in a pile on your right. The elements which you would not like to see in a new program place in a pile on your left.-, New from the pile on your right select the THREE elements you would most like to see within a new television pro gram <1 Place thses three in pile number 9® How from the pile on your left select the TilPEH elements which you would least like to see in a new television programc- Place theses three in pile number 1 , ( Have person go through all 9 piles) On these cards are statements about the kinds of people •••••c. might sec on television» He all have some nr tier, about the kinds of people we enjoy on television. Tniak about the kinds of people .you enjoy very much. Go through the statements and select 'he statements which best describe the kinds of people you would like to see in a discussion program dealing with contempoary art forms * Think about the kind of person who would be a good moderator for this kind of a program, The statements which you feel best describe these pen..-.’e place in a pile cn your right. The statements which do not aascrioe the ■inds of people you like cn television place :n a pile on you:,.- left. ^hand person cards and when he has gone through all of them move on) 3 3 8 V/-J 339 Step U Interview Schedule Page 2 How select the statements which best describe the person or persons you would~raost enjoy on the program dealing with art forms* Place them in pile number *I-Jow from the pile on your left select the ___ statements which best describe the kinds of people you would not enjoy on the program and place them in pile number______• (have person go through all the piles) We are developing the new program dealing with contemporary art foims and we want your reaction to some of the elements that are planned for the program* On the next few pages you will find a number of statements which we want you to react to* Please react to each statement as you would like or not like to see it as a part of the new program* If you fed you would like to see this element very much;,then circle the number 5 oppsitte the statement* If you would not like to see this element in the new program,circle the number one oppsitte the statement. If you are unsure of your feelings about the element or only like the elements little,circle one of the remaining numbers which corresponds to your feeling* Go through the statements as quickly as possible and please react to each onea ( Hand person attitude questionaire) 340 ip\ sj* CM H 341 Circle the number (1-5) opposite each statement which best shows your preference for that element in the new television program. Please react quickly and to every statement. 1 - Do Not Prefer At All 2 - Do Not Prefer 3 - Unsure 4 - Prefer 5 - Prefer Very Much Do Not Do Prefer Prefer Not Very At All Prefer Unsure Prefer Much 1. Point out factors to look for and then see them. 2. A limited live audience of knowledgable people, 3. Get to know the people on the pro gram. 5 4. Some direction in the analysis. 5 5. Discussion that is concise. 5 6. Present both sides of an issue, 7. Informal meet ing of noted people. 3 8. Letters to the program are read. 1 3 9. Feature the experts. 1 3 10. Informal setting like on a couch in the living room. 342 Do Not Do Prefer Prefer Not Very At All Pref er Unsure Prefer Much 11o Telephone responses to the station. 1 2 3 4 5 12. Things that are characteristic of the Mid-West. 1 2 3 4 5 13. Selections from old art forms as well as modern. 1 2 3 4 5 14. Show part of the art form, then have people explain and give ideas. 1 2 3 4 5 15. An hour long. 1 2 3 4 5 16. Show how things are different in different parts of the country. 1 2 3 4 5 17. Evaluate mainly American art forms. 1 2 3 4 5 18. Give interpre tations of the art forms. 1 2 3 4 5 19. Social analysis from a commercial standpoint. 1 2 3 4 5 20. Hear a particular person’s background. 1 2 3 4 5 21. Present sub jects in a way that allows people to form their own opinions. 1 2 3 4 5 22. Pop artists and "hippies". 1 2 3 4 5 343 Do Not Do Prefer Prefer Not Very At All Pref er Unsure Prefer Much 23o Bring in specialists - psychologists, sociologists , educators, etc. 1 2 3 4 5 24. Leave the audience unsure rather than a planned conclusion. 1 2 3 4 5 25. A moderator who helps viewers see what the critics and artists are thinking. 1 2 3 4 5 26. A moderator well- qualified in the subject matter. 1 2 3 4 5 27. A female moderator. 1 2 3 4 5 28. Call the program to ask questions. 1 2 3 4 5 29. Evaluate the art form at home on a questionnaire. 1 2 3 4 5 30. A formal setting - with only chairs and a background. 1 2 3 4 5 31. A "man on the street" insert in the program. 1 2 3 4 5 32. Have the artist state his position on the art form at the beginning of the program. 1 2 3 4 5 344 Do Not Do Prefer Prefer Not Very At All Prefer Unsure Prefer Much 33. Have a set series of questions for every program. 34. A person who plays the "devils advocate"• 35. Artist ques tioned by the moderator only. 5 36. A young moderator. 5 3 7. Some back ground on each person on the program. 1 2 3 4 5 38, An actor, 1 2 3 4 5 39. A university professor. 4 40. Excerpts of the film, play, or dance and passages from a book. 41. Art forms that are presently in Columbus. 42. Does the art form protest society? 43. Interested in people more than art forms. 2 44. Lively discussion. 2 345 Do Not Do Prefer Prefer Not Very At All Prefer Unsure Prefer Much 45o Moderator should make people back up their statements. 46o Persons rate the art form at the end of prograrrio 2 47. A moderator who listens well. 2 48. Similar issues each week. 2 49. The program should move along at a good fast rate. 50. A variety of art forms. The best title for this program would be Thank You Very Much. 346 Treatment Instrument 1st Dimension I. The relationships 2. Problems that might between personal life affect us in future years. and art forms. 3<> Statistics which show 4. Have information fed to new trends and phenomenon. me. 5. Entertaining and 6. Something to arouse exercising of the mind interest and engage the mind. without burden. 7, Be able to match my 8. Break things down into opinions against others. their components. 9. Learn about the lives 10. Conflict which leaves of artists and enter you something to think about. tainers . II. Keep the subjects 12. Be able to share what interesting, free moving happened on the program with and various. others. ■ 13. The idea of exploring 14. Something that young new fields is fascinating. people could understand. 15. Prepared reports give 16. Realism with intel more information. lectual teasing. 17. Evaluation of many 18. A difference of opinion opinions and viewpoints. should be resolved. 19. Explain the different 20. Why did they do it this elements as the program way? goes along. 21. Give a history and 22. A combination of fact - a behind-the-scenes look. giving and opinion - giving. 23. Why is it better? 24. How would it differ if done another way? 25. Include questions 26. Topics that are original that are crucial right now. and fresh. 2 7. Find out about the 28. What effect does this artist. have on people in our society? 347 29o Topics which are 30. Art forms with depth controversial. and meaning. 31. Qualification of any 32. Persons inneracting on rating system. one common ground. 33. Talk on a level the 34. Be able to keep up with audience can understand. the program without effort. 35. Sampling of opinions 36. A combination of from the "man-on-the- information and entertainment. street." 37. Expose students in the 38. Have persons explain field on the program. their work and then others discuss it. 39. Some order in the 40. Use of visual aids. presentation from program to program. 41. Informal settings and 42. Concrete examples and atmosphere. excerpts from the art forms. 43. Persons drawing from 44. A stress on the unusual. their own. experiences. 348 Treatment Instrument 2nd Dimension lo Knows the background 2. Can draw out things of the other persons. from others. 3 o Has a wide range of 4. Can tie things together interests and knowledge. well. 5. Can summarize quickly 6. Is objective. what others say. 7. Speaks well with a 8. Is straight to the point. good command of the language. 9. Can ask the right 10. Is able to put the questions and go in depth. critic in his place. 11. Says what is on his 12. Challenges you and makes mind. you think. 13. Their opinions are 14. Knows the expected highly respected in the standards and criteria. field. 15. Is well-known. 16. Has the feel of what it is like to be an artist. 17. Does things you 18. Is mature. don’t expect on the show. 19. Is up on modern 20. Has a good sense of ideas and information. humor. 21. Is genuine, rather than abstract. 349 Factor Array Viewer C Most Like 2. Problems that might affect us in future years 9. Learn about the lives of artists and entertainers Least Like 23. Why is it better? Factor Array Viewer B Most Like 9. Learn about the lives of artists and entertainers Least Like 3. Statistics which show new trends and phenomenon 5. Entertaining and exercising of the mind without burden 18. A difference of opinion should be resolved Factor Array Viewer A Most Like I. The relationships between personal life and art forms 25o Include questions that are crucial right now 26o Topics that are original and fresh 30. Art forms with depth and meaning 42. Concrete examples and excerpts from the art forms Least Like 12. Be able to share what happened on the program with others 14. Something that young people could understand 23. Why is it better? 24. How would it differ if done another way 31. Qualification of any rating system 350 Factor Array Moderator B Most Like 3. Has a wide range of interests and knowledge 20. Has a good sense of humor 21. Is genuine, rather than abstract Least Like 10. Is able to put the critic in his place 17. Does things you don't expect on the show Factor Array Moderator A Most Like 3. Has a wide range of interests and knowledge 7. Speaks well with a good command of the language 9 o Can ask the right questions and go in depth 12. Challenges you and makes you think Least Like 10. Is able to put the critic in his place 15. Is well-known 17. Does things you don't expect on the show Factor Array Viewer D Most Like 11. Keep the subjects interesting, free moving and various 21. Give a history and a behind-the-scenes look 26. Topics that are original and fresh Least Like 4. Have information fed to me 18. A difference of opinion should be resolved 35. Sampling of opinions from the "man-on-the-street" 351 Factor Array Viewer E Most Like 22. Pop artists and "hippies" 23. Bring in specialists ~ psychologists, sociologists, educators, etc. 26. A moderator well-qualified in the subject matter 40. Excerpts of the film, play or dance and passages from a book Least Like 11. Telephone responses to station 12. Things that are characteristic of Mid-West Factor Array Moderator D Most Like 6. Is objective 16. Has the feel of what it is like to be an artist 20. Has a good sense of humor Least Like 15. Is well-known 18. Is mature Factor Array Moderator C Most Like 9. Can ask the right questions and go in depth 13. Their opinions are highly respected in the field 19. Is up on modern ideas and information Least Like 2. Can draw out things from others 12. Challenges you and makes you think 352 Factor Array Viewer H Most Like 6. Present both sides of an issue 11. Telephone responses to station 26. A moderator well-qualified in the subject matter 50. A variety of art forms Least Like 22. Pop artists and "hippies" 33. Have a set series of questions for every program 35. Artist questioned by moderator only 45. Moderator should make people back up their statements 48. Similar issues each week Factor Array Viewer G Most Like 13. Selections from old art forms as well as modern 26. A moderator well-qualified in the subject matter Least Like 12. Things that are characteristic of Mid-West 30. A formal setting with only chairs and a background Factor Array Viewer F Most Like 9. Feature the experts 23. Bring in the specialists - psychologists, sociologists, educators, etc. 50. A variety of art forms Least Like 8. Letters to the program are read 19. Social analysis from a commercial standpoint 22. Pop artists and "hippies" APPENDIX - STEP V 353 354 Step 5 Interview Schedule Name phone 1* Please rank the four settings from the one you like best for the new program to the one you like least.Place your rank(lsmost to 3+ least) opposite the letter which corresponds to the settingCA^E^CpD;» A B C D 2* Please check the iahree(3) titles you like best for the new program from the list of titles below. 11 A view of the Arts ___ 18. Arts the Thing _ 2. Focus on the Arts __ 19o A Prospectus of the Arir 3» Here and Now 20. Whats New -Whats Old __ h » The Lively Arts __ 21. Art for Everyday Art Around Town __ 22. Art for People 6. Panorama of the Arts__ 23. A Tempo___ 7* Artiscope __ _ 2)4 . Culture Today____ 8. The Arts in Perspective _ 25» Han and his Art 9* A Commentai'y on the Arts __ 26. Layman’s Art___ 10* Periscope on the Arsts __ 27 * Viewing the Arts___ 11. Center on the Arts 28» Expressions of Man _ 12 » Artorama 29 o Contemporary World 13* Roundtable of the Arts 30 <* Cultural Crossfire___ li|.* Outlook on the Arts 31 •> The World of tho Contemporary Arts 1S>* A Bird’s Eye View of the Arsts 32. The Art Scene __ l6» Zero In on the Arts__ 33• The Happenings in Art 17» Compendium of the Arts___ 3o Please look at this proposed outline format of the new program as though it was to be presented this week* Give me your reactions. 355 Set A ft*** y 1 V L ) . I ’ ®^|--;-^'iSv,.; ' ' _ ...,-.i*nfew •• *!. ■ ;?K, V-*T ‘ \ ^ >«'[■ ' 356 Set B R.H f; W- -' ■t.Ji ■:, p;- \- ''V,:'i l i; * W * y a 4«**' 358 Set D GRAND OPERA i« TO H CA UBUM UfTTIlFli ,/ ^ ' s W % k.$ M8S5WV:. ',.<•• ;•- • ; . ....v. ■ , Ssiigy I* i * j * £ '^■•'.'■*.v^'.v-.-•^:=',.v^vf • ■'-;>i>r-.f;;-- ;wLr: f r ^ i V s r f < -#**,**•„ . .. I'r’-.; .r>. * i”/ •f ^ :.TP$7^'■•! Vi-ni.%A m v * Vi * . r W:r . 359 FORMAT OF ART PROGRAM OPEN — Credits o „..o . Announcer introduces guest, voice over and this is followed by a short excerpt from the work® (MARK LANE, "RUSH TO JUDGMENT .....) Moderator is introduced and he then introduces the guests, This week we have a psychologist, a sociologist and a field representative of the FBI. The questions which might be posed are: Why did you feel the need to write this book? Do you feel that it is factual? Why do you so disagree with the Warren Commission Report? Do you feel that the FBI fumbled the investigation? To specialists: What do you feel the public feels in this matter? Will we ever outlive this tragedy? What is your (FBI) opinion of the matter? What are the implications (political) of the assassination? Other excerpts would be used . -.<> o . Lane would close the program with a statement of what he feels will be the outcome of the matter. Excerpt or Statements from: A political expert, a professor of international affairs to give the implications of Russia in the event, another writer, or a book critic, like the one for Dispatch, etc. CLOSE — Credits, etc. APPENDIX - STEP VI 361 Step VI Interview Schcdulo No._____ Name: Phone: (Begin) Hello, (mr.,Mrs. hiss) ,tliis is (your name)______of tho Ohio Stato Vniversity and we arc taking a ourvoy of television programs. Would you bo kind enough to answer a few questions for me ? ( If no,closo the intervicw-movc on to next one) Fino* I 1. Are you watching television now? yes no (circle one) 2. Did you watch television at all tonight(last night) ? yes no 3. Did you watch " Art's ....Tho Thing" on WOSU-TV,Channel 3U ? yos no (If no, move to last question) Uo Do you like the title? yes no £. Did you like the set ? yes no 6. What were your reactions to the program?(liko it,not like it,no reaction or explanation) ______ 7* What did you like most about tho program ? 8. What didn't you like about the program ? 9. How would you change the program ? 362 Step 6 Interview Schedule Page 2 10. Why didn’t you watch the program on Channel 3h?(Ask only of those persons who did not watch the program)______ Thank you very much for your co-operation C-ood-bye. 363 MALIBIJ U.—K:.'10 P.M. (5) 1 c o l o r i — The Turlies, Lou1 his office the other day. ; tawls and Marvin Gaye join Rick Nelson and Robie Porter. “IT’S ALL SO good the' CONVERSATIONS—8:30 P.M. 34) I rerun j — lames Hay question is how lo gel il down! f San Francisco discusses Bins Crosby, the superstar, with to an hour: what do we cut.?"! line Crosby, tho man. > Reasoner is commentator, on the series which has the T.H.E. CAT—9:30 P.M. (4) I cotoa 1. | " r e r u ~ n ~ | —Robert laudable intention of trying aiggia is marked for death by a fortune teller when he lo stay within reach of hard ights to have his friend, Pope, who has been sentenced to news. eath b.V a kangaroo court. JOEY BISHOP SHOW — 11:30 P.M. © P foioin — THE PREMIERE program. \ppearing will be Tim Comvay. llermione Baddeley, Don "The Hippie Temptation” on! ,nd The Good Times, and singer Clara Ward. Aug. 22 includes a scene far j removed from the love andi TONIGHT SHOW— 1 H30 P .M . @ f 'cbToin — Guests will flowers preached by LSD j ie Florence Henderson and The Temptations. propagandists — an 18-year-j old girl shrieking and fight-j TV TOMORROW ing in the grasp of hospital, orderlies. Splash Party— 12:30 p.m. hunker bugaboos. (A) — The Fifth Order ap CHANNEL© American Golf Classic— pears during the. salute to 4 p.m. © IT'o'ioa 1 — Last the Twin Towers Swim four holes of the third Club. WOSO-TV round of the $100,000 clas Sam Snead Golf — 3:30 sic from the Firestone Friday Evening p.m. ( § ) i c o l o r 1 — Sam Country Club In Akron, 5:00— Portrait In (Rl shows how to cope with Ohio. 5:30—Cineposium (R) 0:00—Casals Class ' 8:30—College. Guide 7:00— What's New TV SCHEDULES 7:30—N.E.T. Playhouse (E) : f 8:30-—Conversations iTh TJ . FRIDAY^ ALGUST^n, EVENING ______- 9:00—Aaron Copland (k) 9:30—Folk Guitar (R) ~ W 8 ¥s”TV—T orCBS I WLW-C— 4, NBC I WTVN-TV— 6, ABC 10:00—Int. Magazine (R) 5:00jMovie (C) Very Special I N.W. Pass. (C) 11:00—Creative Person (R) 5:15|Movie (C) Very Special | N.W. Pass. (C) 1.1:30—N.E.T. Journal (R) 5:30[Movie (C) Beaver j Stingray, News (C) 12:30—Aaron Copland (R) (kOO’lMarshal Dillon (News (C) Merv Griffin 1:00—Folk Guitar (R) 6:15[Dill'n, VVthr. (C)j Sports, W’thr. (C) j Merv Griffin 5:30!CBS News |C) jNBC News (C) j Merv Griffin H M D Y M U M 6:45|CBS News (C) |NBC News (C) |Merv Griffin RED OR GREEK SHRUOS ..... 79c 7:00|News (C) j Capture (C) Merv Griffin CHARTREUSE COLOR SHRUBS . '.. 2.49 LILACS BL0QM JULY/AUGUST . s . ,3.25 7:15iEycwitness (C) j Capture (C) Merv Griffin EVERGREEN5 FROM 1.00 MOST FRAGRANT LILAC ...... 3.49 7:30|Wild West (RC)iTarzan (R-C) Time Tun. (R-C) SILVER LACE IN BLOOM ‘ 3 .4 9 8:00 j Wild West (RC)|Tar/.an (R-C) Time Tyn. (R-C) 8:30;Hogan’s (RC) | U.N.C.L.E. (R-C) 'Malibu U. (C) EBWBHBS. : 2997 WESTERVILLE 9:00jMovie (C)- U.N.C.L.E. (R-C) | Rango (RC) 9:30jMovie (C) T.H.E. Cat (R-C) Dillcr Show (R-C) BIBLIOGRAPHY Berelson, Bernard and Steiner, Gary* Human Behavior: An Inventory of Scientific Findings. New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, Inc., 1964. Bloch, Jack. The Q-Sort Method in Personality Assessment and PsychTa-Bric Research. Springfield, Illinois: “ Privately printed^ 1961. Brower, Martin. "Mass Communications and The Social Sciences," Sociology Today. Robert Merton, et al. (ed.). New York: Basic Books, 1959, 547-559. Brown, Stanley. "Hollywood Rides Again," Fortune (November, 1966), 272-276. Festinger, Leon and Katz, Daniel (eds.). Research Methods in the Behavioral Sciences. New York: Dryden Press, 1953. Fruchter, Benjamin. Introduction to Factor Analysis. Princeton, New Jersey: Van Nostrand Company, Inc., 1954. Gans, Herbert J. "An Analysis of Movie-Making" Mass Culture. Rosenberg and White (eds.). Glencoe, Illinois: Free Press, 1957, 315-324. Guttman, Louis. "A Structural Theory for Intergroup Beliefs and Action," American Sociological Review, XXIV (1959), 318-328. Kelly, George A. The Psychology of Personal Constructs, Vols. 1 & 2. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1955. Kerlinger, Fred. Foundations of Behavior Research. New York: Holt, Reinhart and Winston, 1964. Lang, Kurt. "Mass Appeal and Minority Tastes," Mass Culture. Rosenberg and White (eds.). Glencoe, Illinois: Free Press, 1957, 379-385. MacLean, Malcolm S. and Westley, Bruce. "A Conceptual Model for Communications Research," A-V Communications Review, 1955. 364 365 MacLean, Malcolm So and Crane, Edgar. "Rating Scales, Program Types and Audience Segments," Published Research Report, Michigan State University (April, I960). Maslow, A. H o Toward a Psychology of Being. New York: Van Nostrand Company, l962. McNemar, Owinn. Psychological Statistics. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1962. McPhee, william. Formal Theories of Mass Behavior. Glencoe, Illinois': Free Press, 196$. McQuitty, Louis. "Elementary Linkage Analysis for Isolating Orthogonal and Oblique Types and Typal Relevancies," Educational and Psychological Measure ment, XVII (Summer, 1957). ______o "Elementary Factor Analysis," Psychological Reports, IX (1961). Merton, Robert K. et al. The Focused Interview. Glencoe, Illinois: Free Press, 1956. Meyershon, Rolf B. "Social Research in Television," Mass Culture. Rosenberg and White (eds.). Glencoe, Illinois: Free -Press, 1957, 345-357. Monaghan, Robert R. "Television Preference and Viewing Behavior." Unpublished PhD dissertation, Michigan State University, 1964. ______and Plummer, Joseph. "The Broadcaster's Dilemma," unpublished research study, The Ohio State University, 1966. , Plummer, Joseph, Rarick, David and Williams, Dwight. Recommended Target Audience and Appeal Elements for "The Girl From U.N.C.L.E." commissioned res"earch study for MGM-TV ["September, 1966). Nafr^iger, Ralph and White, David. Introduction to Mass Communications Research. Baton’"Rouge, La.: LSU Press, 1956'!'““ Plummer, Joseph T. "Q-Methodolcoy is. Radio, Audi once Research and The Analysis of Formula Radio,” unpublished Master’s thesis, The Ohio State Uni versity, 1965. 366 Plummer, Joseph T, "Man the Scientist: A Theoretic Approach to Ideal Self," mimeographed research study, The Ohio State University (Summer, 1966)» .® "A Theory of Actual-Ideal Self Perceptions in'preference," mimeographed research study, The Ohio State University (Fall, 1966)<> "Preview House," TV Guide (August 20, 1966)® Rarick, David L® "Predicting Viewer Preferences for Visual Appeals in Television Programs®" Unpublished Master’s thesis, The Ohio State University, 1967® Riley, John and Riley, Matildao "Mass Communications and the Social System," Sociology Today® Robert Merton, et al» (eds®)® New York: Basic Books, Inc®, 1959," £37—547® "Science Plus Judgment for Rating Predictions," Broadcasting (January 30, 1967), 4® Stephenson, William® The Study of Behavior. Chicago: University of Chicago' Press, 1953. ______® The Play Theory of Mass Communications® Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1967» "Television," Time (November 18, 1966)® Time (July 22, 1946)® Tyler, Ralph,. "The New Season: Costs Take Off on a Wild Ride," Television, XXIII (June, 1966)0 ______o "A Way to Candle Shows in the Egg?" Television, XXIV (September, 1966)® Williams, Dwight A® "The Concept of Target Programming in Recent Television History®" A report presented to Speech 860, The Ohio State University, Fall Quarter, 1966®