N.Z.B.C. Racing Audience Estimate Revised

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31097, 28 June 1966, Page 22

N.Z.B.C. Racing Audience Estimate Revised

"The Press" Special Service AUCKLAND, June 27. The New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation has evidently revised its views on the percentage of the radio audience interested in racing and trotting commentaries. The combined committee of the Racing and Trotting Conferences has expressed dissatisfaction with the transfer of commentaries to the commercial stations, which was understood to be a trial only, and has told the corporation that it would prefer a return to the YA or YC stations, which gave a wider audience coverage because of their greater power. The corporation’s answer was that the audience survey it took in 1963 revealed that only 35 per cent of listeners were interested in race commentaries. It considered the present coverage adequate on that percentage. Yet, in a circular recently sent by the corporation to the country’s advertising agencies, the number of interested listeners is estimated at 51 per cent of the total radio audience.

The circular invites applications for commercial time associated with racing and trotting commentaries for the period from June 1, 1966, to Mav 31, 1967. The corporation offers 30second spot announcements broadcast with commentary links over 12 commercial stations. The circular points out that all broadcasts are network, originating from 2ZB. and events covered include all T.A.B. doubles races as well as many classic races. Advertising spots are offered in a single unit or in package deals at a concession rate on a short or long-term basis. In support of its search for business, the corporation states: The number of homes with radio sets is 544.909. The percentage of audience interest in racing commentaries (N.Z.B.C. survey 1963) is 51 per cent. This survey was taken when commentaries were broadcast by non-com-mercial stations and the S figure represents the total always or partly interested in racing commentaries.

Average weekly T.A.B. turnover, £697,596. Number of T.A.B. bettors each week (T.A.B. assessment), 400,000. The governing racing bodies will no doubt be interested in the corporation’s revised estimate of audience interest in racing. The contract between the corporation and the racing bodies comes up for renewal on August 1, the beginning of the new season.