THE INFLUENCE OF SPONSORSHIP ON WILLINGNESS TO WATCH NETWORK TELEVISION PROGRAMS

In: Southwestern Social Science Quarterly, Band 45, Heft 2, S. 135-141

Abstract

A study directed at learning the effect of type of sponsorship on choice of programming by TV viewers, & more specifically: (1) to determine if knowledge that a TV program was being sponsored by a Protestant religious group affected willingness of TV viewers to tune in, & (2) to find out which groups responded most positively & which most negatively to such religious sponsorship. Prior res has indicated that the least religious viewers were least interested in watching a program sponsored by a religious group. A quota sample of 351 TV viewers were interviewed personally & asked to read several program descriptions including an indication of program sponsorship. The analysis was based upon a comparison of responses by viewers to the same descriptions, the critical variable being change in sponsorship of a program from a commercial sponsor to a Protestant religious org. Other questions were asked to provide an indication of religious interest. It was found that for the sample as a whole, the mention of sponsorship of a program by the 'Nat'l Protestant Churches' had very definite influence on willingness to watch. No longer were the 3 programs of approximately equal appeal, but the one so sponsored was ranked 3rd. Re the religious background of the viewers, the degree of interest in their own church was found to influence their willingness to watch the Protestant-sponsored program. A supplementary study was conducted by telephone to find out what religious sponsorship means to viewers. The findings suggest that followers of popular programs would at least try them again if ever sold to a religious group for sponsorship, but viewers would be predisposed to expect some kind of religious message or story angle. E. Weiman.