South Carolina Public Service Quantitative Research Findings
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South Carolina Public Service Quantitative Research Findings Introduction Broadcasters have a mandate to serve the public interest ofthe communities in which they operate. Given the diversity ofcommunities in the United States, there is a multitude ofneeds which could be and are addressed over the public airwaves by broadcasters. Indeed, broadcasters are recognizably in a very unique position every station in the country is a local station and very much a part ofthe community it is licensed to serve. Public affairs activities are an integral part ofbroadcast stations' community involvement. Through public affairs activities, stations help increase awareness ofissues that affect their audiences. Radio and television broadcasters invest both programming and non-programming time and efforts to educate and involve their communities. Programming activities include, but are not limited to, public service announcements wherein stations donate valuable commercial time for messages alerting the public about health threats and other issues. Stations also produce public affairs programs featuring in-depth discussions ofproblems and remedies. In addition to these programming efforts, broadcasters initiate or are involved in many activities and community groups aimed at educating and involving their communities. While the ways in which broadcasters are involved in their communities may seem similar, every local broadcaster's efforts are different. Public service campaigns undertaken by stations nationwide integrate on-air and off-air efforts. Additionally, since each station cannot address every need ofits given community as its top priority, stations each focus on different needs, thus addressing overall the diversity ofissues within a community. In any given community, the local broadcasters' unique responses and approaches to the diversity ofissues is also supplemented by major national efforts. The South Carolina Broadcasters Association, in partnership with the National Association of Broadcasters, conducted a survey oftelevision and radio stations in South Carolina to determine the extent ofstation participation in public affairs activities. A variety ofmethodologies were employed to reach stations with mail, fax, and Internet surveys sent out between January and April 2004. The response rate of South Carolina broadcasters was 52%, as 14 ofthe 19 commercial television stations licensed to the state (74%) are represented in the data, as are 100 ofthe 200 radio stations (50%). The census revealed that South Carolina radio and television stations contributed approximately 133 million dollars worth ofservice to their communities during 2003. The data were collected, tabulated and analyzed by Public Opinion Strategies, an Alexandria, Virginia-based opinion research finn. Donating Time, Raising Money, and Responding to Community Needs • Using mean figures to derive a per-station total, responding South Carolina TV stations report running approximately 136 PSAs per week, with radio stations running 134. These figures combine all PSA spot times from ten seconds or less up to 60 second PSAs. Using the reported rate charged for each ofthese spot lengths, these PSAs translate into a mean cumulative amount of $1 ,059,656 a year per TV station responding, and $388,596 per radio station responding. The cumulative statewide totals based on these data show the total PSA value for South Carolina TV stations as $20,133,464 and $77,719,200 for radio stations. • All responding TV stations (100%) and almost all radio stations (97%) say they help charities, charitable causes or needy individuals by fund-raising or offering some other support. The mean amount raised by these TV stations was $940,000, with responding radio stations reporting a mean of$76,305. The projected cumulative amounts for this charitable giving is $17,860,000 for TV stations and $14,803,170 for radio stations who conducted some fundraising during the time period examined. The charitable amount raised by responding TV stations ranged from $9,000 up to $3,975,000, with a range among radio stations of$1,857 to $1,000,000. • Almost halfofall responding South Carolina broadcast stations (46%) were involved in either on-air campaigns either through local news broadcasts, PSAs, or public affairs programming or off-air activities to aid the victims ofdisasters. As one ofthe results ofthese efforts, broadcast stations in the state are projected to have raised approximately $2,646,000 in direct contributions or pledges related to disaster reliefduring 2003. • PSAs also focus largely on local issues. Among responding TV stations, respondents say that an average of52% ofPSA time is devoted to local issues; the percentage ofPSAs devoted to local issues among responding radio stations was 65%. Broadcasters Addressing Important Topics • The following table examines some specific issues and the response by responding stations. As in previous years, broadcasters continue to devote time and resources to addressing important and relevant topics. Each respondent was asked to respond whether their station aired PSAs, locally produced public affairs programs/segments (not including news broadcasts), or news segments on each ofthe following topic areas. The numbers here are the percentages ofall state TV and radio stations who say they have addressed a particular topic through one ofthose methods: TV Radio PA News PA News Issue PSA Program Segment PSA Program Segment AIDS 43% 21% 43% 72% 59% 69% Alcohol abuse 64% 29% 50% 80% 63% 70% Adult educ./literacy 50% 29% 36% 83% 54% 70% Anti-crime 71% 43% 64% 89% 69% 73% Anti-smoking 50% 21% 43% 63% 65% 57% Anti-violence 57% 43% 50% 84% 74% 73% Breast cancer/other women's health 71% 43% 43% 88% 67% 65% Children's issues 86% 36% 64% 95% 85% 78% Drinking during pregnancy 36% 21% 29% 41% 40% 46% Drunk driving 79% 21% 50% 85% 63% 67% Drug use/abuse 86% 29% 50% 86% 65% 75% Homeland security issues 71% 29% 57% 61% 66% 54% Hunger/poverty/ homelessness 71% 21 (Yo 50% 90% 70% 71% Fund raising drives 9YYO 4YYO 36% 92% 84% 58% Promoting Participation • Fully 81 % ofresponding radio stations and 40% ofresponding TV stations report airing public affairs programs ofat least 30 minutes in length. • The leading topics ofpublic service campaigns by South Carolina broadcasters in 2003 included blood donations and area hospitals, health and disease issues (such as cancer), children's charities, and poverty/hunger/homelessness issues. Some primary recipients included the American Cancer Society, American Red Cross, Children's Miracle Network, Harvest Hope Food Bank, and The United Way. Methodology Notes Continuing our participation on this project with the National Association ofBroadcasters, a number ofcontinued refinements were made from 2001, including the addition ofissues such as anti-smoking and homeland security matters as possible topics for news segments, public affairs programming, and PSAs. Market size and revenue data for stations were linked to survey data, allowing for more precise weighting and sample procedures. • • Qualitative Research Findings • • South Carolina Public Service Qualitative Research Findings The statistics on broadcasters' community service are impressive, but they don't tell the whole story. To get an idea ofthe true flavor oflocal broadcaster public service performed every day in South Carolina, we conducted in-depth interviews with television and radio station executives across the state. The result: lots of great stories about how different stations in different communities are devoting substantial resources-including money, airtime, staff time and more-to the unique needs oftheir communities and others. The following is just a sampling of some of the stories we have collected about South Carolina broadcasters' public service activities in 2003. Helping Neighbors in Need WRHI-AM, WRHM-FM and WVSZ-FM in Rock Hill embraced the charitable work of a former minister as one of the stations' signature community causes. Five winters ago, the Rev. Ronald King appeared on a talk show on the stations appealing for contributions of wood and kerosene for local families who were freezing at night. In the intervening years, King resigned his church position and devoted his life to helping underprivileged individuals and families meet their most basic needs for food, shelter, and medical care. Meanwhile, WRHI/WRHM/WVSZ gave King whatever support he needed to do his charitable work. In addition to providing King with regular airtime to ask for contributions from the community, the stations built a building behind their studio where residents and businesses can drop offclothing, furniture, toys and other items that King then distributes to people in need. The stations also appointed a board of directors from the community to manage the money that was raised for King's work and to issue the checks. "It's amazing how many people respond to what he does," said the stations' managing partner, Allan Miller. "We are more than happy to be a part ofit." The holiday season Stuff the Bus campaign orchestrated by WLTX-TV in Columbia and other community partners collected 30 tons of food and hundreds of toys for children and families in need. During the one-day effort, WLTX regularly cut into its programming with live broadcasts from a local shopping center where the station and its partners were collecting food items and toys. All ofthe items were collected in buses provided by the local transit authority. For 13 years, WIS-TV in Columbia has sponsored Families Helping Families, an effort to give local residents a chance to sponsor a needy family or individual during the holidays. WIS launched the 2003 Families Helping Families program around Thanksgiving, setting up a phone bank and running numerous promotions and appeals on the air. Throughout the campaign, WIS aired live reports from the phone bank during the station's daily newscasts; produced and aired stories about some of the beneficiaries of the effort; and aired a full week of reports on its evening newscasts when families arrived to pick up their gifts. In 2003, more than 1,300 families in South Carolina benefited from the program.