| Show Radio U Fills I Economic I ra I 1 Social Needs of Farm r w- w i. I Ii 1 Programs Keep Listeners Up on Latest ff Doings and Aid Work Marketing 4 Music Plays Welcome Diversion k I By BAUKHAGE News NelV Analyst and Commentator Service 1616 Eye Street NW Washington toD D. D C. C When farm folk want to cut a rug via the radio they'll do It to the strain of Turkey in the Straw not Chickery Chick Farmers turn a cold shoulder on hot Jive However both the musical gobbler and the syncopated hen pIa play second fiddle as farm radio fa favorites favorites fa- fa a- a to the good old fashioned hymns like Rock of ot Ages and Onward Christian Soldiers But down on the farm the time all top favorite on the radio hit parade is NEWS The farmer and his wife wite prefer the news broadcast to any other type of radio program These Interesting preferences were brought to light recently by a n survey published by the department of agriculture n a survey undertaken en at nt the request of the Federal Communications commission to find out if it radio was important to rural people and why and what programs programs programs pro pro- grams rural people tune tunel in in hope and tuned out In despair Rural people are arc convinced radio Is here hero to stay When asked if it he would miss his bis radio set should something happen to it nearly every every every ev ev- ev- ev ery rural radio owner said something something some some- thing like this It u lt would make an awful dif dU- dif dif- ference It would be Just like Uke going back to old fashioned lights li We need the radio very much much we we have a mile of bad badroad road between the house and the mailbox and sometimes get et the mall only once a wee week That would be terrible It'd Ild be just like having a corpse in inthe inthe inthe the house Of course there were dis dissenters There There always are And Arid the dissenters dissent dissent- ers weren't backward about expressing expressing ex ex- ex pressing their unflattering opinions of radio For example If u It weren't for my family Id I'd throw the radio out It II wouldn bother me a bit bit Makes no difference whatsoever er ere All AU you hear is junk and cum com commercials and murder mystery 3 to J 1 For Radio Radial But the radio enthusiasts among farmers vastly outnumber outnumber the grip grip- ers Its It's radio three to one as they say in a certain radio commercial Three out of every four rural radio radic owners attach a great deal of importance importance im Un- to their radios and I only one in eight wouldn't care ii If it Junior took the thing apart and L never got It together again It appears from this survey that thai radio performs a special service for fox rural people who may live some distance from town and amusements amuse amuse- ments meats or even from the nearest neighbor and who may often otten be without access to daily newspapers or telephones Rural people have four very definite definite def def- mite reasons to explain why radio Is 15 Important to them 1 1 Its It's a source of news 2 a source of In Information Information Information In- In formation other than news 3 It provides entertainment and 4 its it's become a habit to listen to the darn thing Their comments are illustrative We would feel leel terribly Isolated ed without the news know how the occupation occupation oc oc- oc- oc in Germany Is coming I have a son over there and 1 I want to know what's happen happen- ing You Yon get the news quicker on the radio I 1 dont don't have much time to read the papers or magazines Commentators It appears are the the apple of the farmers farmer's eye Farm Fann I audiences are arc proved by ny this mis survey to be faithful to and enthusiastic tlc about news broadcasts and news broadcasters As we mentioned earlier the radio announcement We now bring you the news makes farmers sit up and take notice no no- tice Rural radio listeners rate news tops as their favorite program and also say Its It's the type of program program program pro pro- gram they'd miss most Next comes religious music Rural Ru ral listeners especially in the South could use more of it and mo more radio sermons too The reaBOn reason rea rea- son Ion may be that religious broadcasts broadcasts broadcasts broad broad- casts provide a substitute for attending attending at- at at at- tending church for tor some inconveniently inconveniently Inconveniently located farmers time Old-time musical programs arc are the farmers farmer's favorite kIndor kind of or radio entertainment Ho lie eschews long hair music opera and classical saying frankly In many cases that he doesn't understand It And Anti he turns thumbs down on swing- swing sway and-sway dance music and the current juke jue box favorites In Inthe Inthe Inthe the South where this dislike of or dance music is most pronounced pronounced pronounced pro pro- it doesn't matter whether the person questioned is a portly Kentucky colonel or ora ora ora a teen age ago southern belle belie They'll take the time old-time tunes an any day of the week The weather once again proves its durability as a conversational topic even even on the radio Naturally weather reports are must listening listen listen- tag ing on the farm Its It's the same way with farm talks and market reports Commodity Commodity Com Corn reports are arc about as fascinating fascinating fasci fasel- to city folk as a lecture on relativity but the farmer says he finds them a definite and practical help in selling his products In this respect respect respect-by by giving him weather reports reports re re- re- re ports farm talks and market data radio becomes a sort of junior partner partner part part- ner advisory capacity in the farmers farmer's farm farm- ers er's ki business no Theres There's Room For Improvement Having read this far in the survey survey sur sur- survey sur- sur vey radio executives might be Inclined inclined in In- dined to pat themselves on the back and figure they've done a good days day's work They've sold the farmer farm farm- er haven't they He likes what they've got to offer doesn't he Seems to them the farmer has given given given en radio an plus A-plus or in radio parlance parlance par par- lance a Fibber McGee Hooper ratIng rat rat- lug Ing II We eli not exactly There are some radio programs some farmers farmers farm farm- ers dont don't like and serial stories are one of 01 them It is surprising what a hearty hearty dislike 25 per cent of the farmers AND their wives express for tor some of the so-called so so soap p op op- eras which city folk seem to adore There is no other type of program toward which there is such divided feeling among rural radio owners as the serial program or soap op op- op- op I era While one fourth of the rural listeners say they dislike serials calling them foolish or silly i many of these same people particularly particularly par par- parI I the women listeners say they'd miss the hero and his matrimonial matrimonial matri matri- mishaps or the heroine and her troubles It seems that although I in many instances the listeners dont don't enjoy or arent aren't entertained by these I programs they've become used to listening to one or another and ond they I feel teel they Just have to find out what's I going to happen next j Its It's Interesting to note too that the people who dislike serials value radio more for the specific information information tion lion they get from it and depend l less ss on it for tor company or to keep from getting lonely Also the critical ones who turn up their noses at the serial story tend to be somewhat older and to have had more education than those who like soap coap opera Most farmers shy away from Crom the up coming radio mystery mys mys- mystery tery meller They dislike dislike dis dis- like finding corpses in their own O living rooms so to speak and being bein forced to sit through harrowing harrowing har liar rowing screams creaking doors hooting owls and the spooky collection of sound effects which is apt to accompany micro micro- phonic mayhem Some farmers explaining why they dislike such programs say Its It's because of moral not morale reasons As Is usually the case the survey revealed more likes and dislikes dislikes' than suggestions Not even the ones who dont don't care much for Cor radio atall at atall S Sall all had any ideas on how to improve im Un- prove the programs More than hall half the rural pe people who have radios cannot think of any type of program program program pro pro- S gram they'd like to hear more of ol than the ones they listen to to and when suggestions are offered they are scattered over such a wide field Its It's hard to put a af finger on any one type of program program which Is being be be- ing neglected In other words there I dont don't seem to be any Important specific discrepancies between what L the rural listener wants and needs I and what hes he's getting |
