byu radio research

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Contents

Executive Summary ........................................................................................................................ 1

Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 4

Background ..................................................................................................................................... 6

Qualitative Section ........................................................................................................................ 17

Quantitative - Survey Research and Analysis ............................................................................... 24

Strategic Recommendations.......................................................................................................... 39

Conclusion and Recommendations ............................................................................................... 43

Appendix A ................................................................................................................................... 45

Appendix B ................................................................................................................................. 114

Appendix C ................................................................................................................................. 145

Appendix D ................................................................................................................................. 164

Appendix E ................................................................................................................................. 172

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Executive Summary

Research Purpose

BYU Radio hired the Bradley Lab to conduct research to gain understanding of who

listens to BYU Radio, why they listen and how they listen. BYU Radio also wanted to know if

its content and relationship with listeners is effectively maximizing its potential as a missionary

tool for the LDS church. Currently, BYU Radio does not have any demographic information

concerning who its listener base is or why they listen. Programming decisions are based on

assumptions of what executives think their presumed audience will enjoy.

The core problem in our research lies in the discovery of three questions. Who is the

average BYU Radio listener, are listeners satisfied with current content, and is BYU Radio

successfully being implemented as a missionary tool?

Research Questions Answered

The Demographics ofBYU Radios Average Listener

Our qualitative research suggests that BYU Radio listeners are typically more than 50

years old with families, and have a household income of over $100,000 a year. In our

quantitative research though, we discovered the possibility of a younger audience base with over

80 percent of respondents with an annual household income of less than $100,000. This lower

age and income may be a result of the channel through which the quantitative research was

conducted. In both sets of data though, listeners were predominantly LDS, Caucasian and from

Utah.

Listener Satisfaction

When asked the question if listeners are satisfied with BYU Radios programming, only

51 percent responded that they were satisfied or very satisfied. Music, the programming genre

with the highest listenership also has the highest percentage of dissatisfaction. We also found

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that the most popular programs were ones that BYU Radio rebroadcasted. Original programming

in comparison ranked in the bottom half in listener satisfaction levels.

BYU Radios Effectiveness as a Missionary Tool for theLDS Church

When asked the question if BYU Radio is an effective missionary tool, 48 percentof

listeners responded that they either agreed or strongly agreed. When asked the question if BYU

Radios current programming is likely to attract non-LDS listeners, only 31.8 percent of listeners

either agreed or strongly agreed. These numbers summarize the thoughts ofall five of the

individuals we interviewed in our qualitative data as well. Our net promoter score, which

measures the likelihood of customers referring friends to a service, is 24, on a scale of 100.

Research Methods Employed

Our research methods consisted of both qualitative and quantitative research allowing for

greater depth and understanding of BYU Radio listeners.

Qualitative ResearchPhone Interviews

Our qualitative research took the form of in-depth phone interviews with listeners whose

names were generated from a list provided by BYU Radio. We contacted these individuals and

gauged their interest in being interviewed with the incentive of a $25 Visa gift card. We then

conducted the interviews, with each one lasting between 10-30 minutes. The interviews were

recorded and coded according to a variety of themes.

Quantitative ResearchOnline Qualtrics Survey

Our class developed an online survey through Qualtrics software consisting of 29

questions designed to identify demographic information, what listeners preferred to listen to,

how listeners listen, and if listeners feel that BYU Radio is maximizing its potential as a

missionary tool. The survey was promoted primarily online. Because of this, we feel that survey

results could be skewed toward a younger audience. Only 83 listeners completed the survey,

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meaning that results cannot be generalized for a population. The information obtained from the

survey results though is extremely valuable.

Important Discoveries of Research Results

In summary, three conclusions can be extracted from our research based on what we now

know. First, the average BYU Radio listener is LDS, Caucasian, from Utah and has children.

Second, only 51 percent of BYU Radio listeners were satisfied with current programming. Third,

BYU Radio is not likely to attract non-LDS listeners with its current programming.

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Introduction

BYU Radios Issue

BYU Radio is one of 140 other stations broadcast on Sirius XM satellite radio. BYU

Radio is a station focused on talking about the good in the world. Programs vary from original

content including talk shows such as Matt Townsend and Thinking Aloud to rebroadcast

programs such as Music and the Spoken Word and other religious devotionals and forums.

Research Questions

Due to the confidentiality of Sirius XMs contract with BYU Radio, little is known about

BYU Radios demographic and its breadth. Therefore, the three main concerns Don Shelline,

manager of BYU Radio, hired the Bradley Lab to identify through background research are the

1) demographic of the listeners of BYU Radio, 2) the satisfaction with the current content among

its listenership and 3) whether or not BYU is being implemented as an effective missionary tool.

Methodology

To generate a better understanding of BYU Radios audience we began our research by

conducting in-depth interviews over the phone to a list of BYU Radios listeners. We compiled

the results and conducted a thematic content analysis on the five phone calls we recorded,

ranking the most frequently mentioned topics regarding BYU Radio. The top four themes

mentioned by the listeners include access, music, time of day and talk.

Using the results from the qualitative research we compiled a quantitative survey asking

in-depth questions about the satisfaction with BYU Radios programming, the association with

non-LDS affiliates, recommendations and listenership demographics. The questions for the

survey were specifically formulated from the inferences and knowledge gained from the

qualitative in-depth interviews.

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Through IBMs SPSS, a data-analysis software, we found many patterns and correlations

associated with listenership and satisfaction. Due to the low number of responses, it was difficult

to deem some responses as statistically significant; however, through these patterns and positive

correlations, we were able to identify a few findings that we believe can be a positive asset for

the future of BYU Radio.

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Background

History

BYU Radio was formerly as Bonneville International LDS Radio, but was given to BYU

in 2002 (BYU Radio). Initially BYU Radio had three internet streams (in English, Portuguese

and Spanish), but the two international channels were discontinued this past year. BYU Radio

used to be a strictly Internet-streamed radio, but is now more commonly viewed as satellite radio

as it airs on both satellite radio and on satellite television services. The newly-acquired state-of-

the art equipment and facility has enabled BYU Radio to address and discuss numerous topics.

BYU Radios mission is to enrich lives by touching the minds, hearts, and souls of