James F. Evans Collection, This study was designed to examine an automated call-in radio news service versus an operator answered system. It examined how the tapes were being used and attempted to determine the effectiveness of promotional items for the service. It was clear the numbers of callers using the automated service increased significantly (nearly three times) over an operator-answered system. The study suggested that a toll-free telephone number was not a significant factor in whether the service was used and also found that the order in which the stories were available was not important. The results also suggest that for call-in kinds of news services to work, regular promotions to remind the users of the system must be done. (original)
