4 DOCUMENT RESUME ED 063 754 EM 009 919 TITLE Report of the Look-Listen Opinion Poll, 1971-1972. INSTITUTION American Councll for Vettor Broadcasts, Madison, Wisc. PUB DATE 72 NOTE 40p. AVAILABLE FROMAmerican Council for Better Broadcasts, 15 West Main Street, :LAison, Wisconsin 53703 ($0.40) EDRS PRICE MF-$0.65 HC-$3.29 DESCRIPTORS *Commercial Television; *Programing (Broadcast); Publicize; *Public Opinion; *Television; Television Commercials; *Television Surveys ABSTRACT The Look-Listen Poll, reported in this paper, is based on television program gradings from over 2,000 adulte and nearly 2,000 high school students in 32 states. The ',report ,..:ardu used by the respondents to rate TV programs and the method usedin the study are described first, and then information is providedabout the respondents, their top and bottom choices forbest programs, and the kinds of programs they would like best to sec. Then, foreach category of program--drama, variety, news, infoT Ition,children's, and music--the responses are summarited. A det ld opinion sampler, presented next, quotes the respondents' own woraE- to throw light on why they liked or r1is1ikd specific programs. °"- addition, sections on movies shown on TV and or advertisi-g areprovfled. A further discussion and desctiption of the respondents and 1 summary of responses to a Questionnaire conclude the report. ..H) spv4, % nok\ te", 4. OPINION POLL tin olotaM_ LOOK LISTEN rt. Nom of 6 ! woo* rieN .c ;ftsimoso Mal 6:11* C:11 ars r 61111.141a LAJ to pa the b tie 211 tin -AM ".he AV" Week 44;44.46-7 !MI t,. xism. 7:5 cA44 pAAJf1.44 ". ToekAcri 04.4 Likles PA,144. IV 67r, 114t4 rt"4'`toot,. "26.. 4*.brit It4T . to 1971 -72 nt.6, k ;Noel 4 fr4 41' '4ei)01141,4 ftbpat 116101 solomft4 4pp rr4 Qot %torto;;;:::04 pg . or 90 ISO9941V400004V $1006V1 OVA° 94 So490 its 0.'4* REPORTED FROM: [41%OW4° tocestic ii t4:404ireVAIP e- 4 est* MICHIGAN OHIO 4.ila 64;0 ARIZONA 0 I. OKLAHOMA CALIFORNIA MINNESOTA OREGON CONNECTICUT MISSISSIPPI PENNSYLVANIA FLORIDA MISSOURI v<44 0/. SOUTH DAKOTA GC1RGIA MONTANA TENNESSEE ILLINOIS NEBRASKA TEXAS IOWA NEW HAMPSHIRE VIRGINIA #04.114, KANSAS NEW JERSEY WEST VIRGINIA LOUISIANA NEW YORK 'Nee 1.N e4 WISCONSIN 44, ctib# MARYLAND NORTH CAROLINA 0 MASSACHU! fTS NORTH DAKOTA geo °kb SPONSOREDBY THE AMERICAN COUNCIL FOR BETTER BROADCASTS 15 WEST MAIN, MADISON, WISCONSIN, 53703 Ar-4000 ..44°K4 " 10' 4A-400..d.060.404ANZ 4 U.S. 0111PARYMINtOP NUM EDUCATION ê WILPAAli OPPICE OP EDUCATION tt-st '10CvMENTHAS BEEN REPRO OLICEO EXACTLY AilRECEIVED PROM THE PERSON ORORGANIZATION ORM INAtia0 It POINTS OFVIEW OR OPIN- IONS STAtED 01NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT OFPIOALOFFICE OP EDU- CATION POPttION ORPOLICY 0 POL 971-1972 TABLE OF CONTENTS Look-listen Opinion Poll -- Highlights p. 1 Opinion Sampler (report of taste) p. 5 News Pe 5 information P 9 Music p. 12 Drama P. 13 Variety p. 27 Children's Programs p. 31 Network Movies p. 33 Advertising p. 34 The Monitors p. 37 Summary of Chairmen's Responses P 38 This report was compWd with the assistance of: Mrs. Harold W. Asperheim Mrs. C. F. Farmiloe Mrs. Nicholas Gunderson Mrs. Lillian Karch Miss Martha Kellogg Miss Margaret I. Knowles Mrs. E. R. Scheibe] EXTRA COPIES OF THIS REPORT may be obtaine0 from AMERICAN COUNCIL FOR BETTER BROADCASTS 15 West Main Madison, Wisconsin 53703 Price, )40 #(4 4 (-10.21Z.1111. This Is the nineteentn annual report of the Look Listen Poll, conducted by the American Council for Better Broadcasts a national non-profit, educational organization. From mid-September to mid-November of 1971, over4,242 people living in 32 states became monitors In the Look-ListenPoll, returning 25,872 gradings of television and radio programs. The adults numbered 2,2530 Many of them were recruited by local groupsthroughout the country. Most of the young people were in high school classes which were interestedin the poll. 1989 young people participated in it. Each monitor was asked to give thoughtful attention toeight programs aired Saturdays and Sundays or late afternoons and eveningsof other days. To avoid wide peattering among,programs, monitors wereasked to confine the monitoring to Children's Programs, Drama, Variety,Music, News, Informatoon. 6 mtwe'k and 2 local programs were sugpsted. PURPOSE OF THE POLL: The object of the pollIs to find reasons for preferences ofpeople across the country. So - anyone may take part in this poll andeffort ts made to let people know of it. Their preferences do not constitute a recommended list. They are grassroots judgments based on people's tastes anddesires. REPORT CARD USEd: The form is kept simple. Station Time of day Day of week, Date Name of series or program I about Do you consider it EXCELLENT? GOOD? FAIR? POOR? WHY? (Give reasons): Further comment on ro ram? On advertisin ? Please use other side, I ve heard this ro ram once A few times Often Listener's name Street Also called for -Listener's occupation, city, State UNA isau reflect the amount offavorable or adverse opinionbecause the grade of EXCELLENT counts2; GOOD 1; FAIR -1; POOR -2. :u1 slum live in 32 states: ARIZONA, CALIFORNIA,CONNECTICUT, FLORIDA, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, GEORGIA, ILLINOIS, IOWA,KANSAS, LOUISIANA, MARYLAND, HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, MINNESOTA, MISSISSIPPI, MISSOURI,MONTANA, NEBRASKA, NEW OREGON, PENNSYLVANIA, NEW YORK, NORTH CAROLINA,NORTH DAKOTA, OHIO, OKLAHOMA, SOUTH DAKOTA, TENMESSEE,TEXAS, VIRGINIA, WESTVIRGINIA, WISCONSIN. OCCUPATMEAMT0111 are notedbecause because theirdiffering interests artist, audit make the poll morerepresentative: accountant, advertising man, cabinet maker, clerk, banker, bank clerk,barber,beautician, bookkeeper, college carpenter, cashier,chemical engineer, Christianscience practitioner, data process instructor, commercial artist,contractor, cook, custodian, elementary manager, dentalhygienist, dental assistant,dietitian, electrician, farmer's wife, factory principal, engineer, exportsalesman, executive, farmer, agent, lawyer, employee, foreman, generalservices supplier, insurance meat cutter, librarian, live stock dealer,lumberman, machinist, market manager, minister, music teacher, nurse, medical technician, mill owner, mill worker, pilot, plumber, postal nutritional aid, office cleric,organist, pediatrician, ranch wife, real clerk, postmistress, press operator,printer, proofreader, sales representative, estate agent, receptionist,research analyst, salesman, seminarian, service sanitary engineer, sceneographicengineer, secretary, teacher, teller, manager, social worker,steel worker, student, supervisor, tool designer, waiter. HIGH SCORES: Adult Youth Total All in the Family 265 -34§- -1374"" Marcus Welby, M.D. 462 336 798 Flip Wilson 217 346 563 Night Gallery 102 399 501 Medical Center 173 268 441 Hawaii-5-0 113 327 440 Mod Squad 127 265 392 Alias Smith and Jones 80 280 360 Longstreet 72 214 286 Disney 208 116 324 NBC Nightly News 166 116 282 Lawrence Welk 512 -231 281 CBS Evening Naas 193 P7 280 Adam 12 54 210 264 Mannix 75 179 254 Their total score,777.) (tioatseamearsetnreoett (fotober dwit2hthe above. 48 277 Hee-Haw -374; Green Acres LOW SCORES: Dean Martin -482; Laugh-In -472; columns of adults and youth. -160. These programs are in the minus monitors is seen Difference of tastebetween adult and teenage also in most conspicuouslyin the gradingsof the Lawrence Welk program, "Hawall-5-0," and such series as "AliasSmith and JohesrLongstreet," in the scores for "Night Gallery." Similarity of taste is apparent and Flip Wilson. "Disney's WonderfulWorld,""Marcus Welby, M.D." material WHAT THE MONITORS SHOWED THEYWANT: Programs of quality, suitable for the family, andscheduled with the agesofthe audience well as adults. in mind -- ages of the youngermembers of the family as - 2 - 4 EOM IELIRt writers In other years actors and acting received much critical attentrohTn the took-Listen Poll. This year the monitors were concerned about the writing and the writers, though quite awareof the quality of the acting. They judged a number of the scripts too poor for the actors for Mary Tyler Moore, Doris Day, Shirley Maclaine, Jimmy Stewart,and a number of others. Compliments went to the writers for "Allin the Family," "Marcus Weloy, M.0..""Night Gallery," "Ironside," and others. The Plot mu t be realIsJ. As used by these monitors, real IstIA means trt...11.4,..ifl, honest, bel ievab nd there must be a plot. Doris Day has"no plot" relies, instead,"on beautiful clothing." "All in the Family" is "essentially truthful." "Adam12" is unrealisticen "It is totally unrealistic tO solve four robberies Inhalf an hour." "attsol_ne21L2121" is a frequent comment. meaning the same routine -* deed, capture, escape, chase, etc. It Is found to be "boring." improbability also bores. Of "Mission impossible," one monitor says,"Impossiba is the word for this exaggerated plot andunreal story." SubLect matter - Wedge Monitors abhorred the amount ofviolence seen in the plays. Of "Gunsmoke" one reported, "Whoever said violence was off television? this show, one of the most violent, is on in prime time for children." Of the same play a man living near Chicago says,"An ordinary western that got rttiht down tO business -- three dead and aclobbering - a posse - and the level-headedmarshall - in a rather trite, corny, and tired story." A high school student says of it, "I dislike it becauseof the gun fights. They always draw blood, and the saloons look like onlythe slobs go there." Oe Substame there should be, accni-flinq to .t.hese monitors, evenin a comedy. "The appealing thing about%111.irethe Family°is the amount of truth there is in it;'says a schoolboy. Of another play, " Boring. No substance in the script," from an adult. Time of dax for different kinds of plays - The time of eveningfor different plays had much to do with the monitors' opinion of them. This one quotation makes the point - very politely: "All in the Family° should be switched to a weeknight. (A lot of families have weekendplans) And the time should be changed to 9:30 since younger children areusually in bed by this time.