Local radio information signs, first used in an experiment in Kent and Berkshire during the summer of 1983, were the subject of a further experiment in south Yorkshire. The signs differed from those in Kent and Berkshire by including wavelength information (metres) as well as station frequencies (kHz and MHz). this was to assist drivers whose vehicle receivers lacked the facilities of kHz markings and VHF reception. The experiment took place during the winter in the belief that poor weather would create more traffic problems and thus encourage maximum use of the signs. Assessment was by questionnaire surveys conducted before and after the signs were installed. It was found that the majority (92 per cent) of motorists noticed the signs but only 10 per cent actively responded by tuning their car radios to the appropriate station. This was significantly below the response (20 per cent) recorded in the first experiment. However, motorists in south Yorkshire were slightly more successful with their tuning efforts, as 60 per cent of the drivers who responded to the signs succeeded in locating the right station compared with less than half in Kent and Berkshire. The overall effect of the signs was to raise the south Yorkshire local radio motoring audience by 5 per cent, which was the same as the increase achieved in Kent and Berkshire. (Author/publisher)
Abstract