Further, the study, conducted over the Internet among 13,700 people who listen to Rock-formatted radio stations around the country, shows few listeners to Rock music on the radio, even those who listen to morning shows that the FCC is now investigating or fining, are ever offended by what they hear on the radio. According to audience estimates from Arbitron, just over 50 million people listen to Rock radio stations every week.
"Our new survey argues quite convincingly that while some of the material on the radio may be shocking, it's what the audience wants," says Fred Jacobs, President of Southfield, Mich.-based Jacobs Media. "These Rock radio listeners are telling us in overwhelming numbers that they want to decide for themselves whether to listen to a radio program or not, and they believe that the marketplace, not the FCC or 'watchdog groups' should make the decision on what's available on the radio. The study implies the people being offended by edgy morning radio shows are not the people listening."
Overreaction
An overwhelming majority of the Rock radio listeners in the respondent pool (70%) believe that "the investigation of some radio shows is an overreaction to the Janet Jackson incident."
"What is fascinating about these people is their ability to separate the Super Bowl episode from their feelings about morning radio programs," says Larry Rosin, President of Edison Media Research of Somerville, N.J. "A majority of these people think that the Jackson affair was wrong, and yet even these same people think that radio personalities should be allowed to say whatever they please. Clearly, what Rock listeners are saying is that the reaction to material depends on the context."
Consistently throughout this survey clear majorities of Rock radio listeners argue that individuals, not the government, should decide what is available on the nation's radio airwaves. Among the other key findings:
Few Offended
Few Rock radio listeners are ever offended by what they hear on the morning show they listen to the most -- even those who listen to the shows most often considered "raunchy". In total, 55% of Rock radio listeners say they are never offended by what they hear on the radio morning show they listen to the most, and only 11% are offended more than "rarely."
Fully 74% of Rock radio listeners who participated in this Internet poll say, "Those who want to listen to Howard Stern should be allowed to do so." Clear majorities of all subgroups within the poll felt this same way, including women, parents, and, significantly, people who don't listen to raunchy morning shows themselves.
Respondents were asked whether they agree or disagree with the following statement: "The only way to keep offensive material away from children is to eliminate it from the radio airwaves." Only 11% of respondents agreed with this statement, while 78% disagreed (11% were "neutral").
(more....."Tyranny of the Minority")
