Go ahead make my day, please grade my AWA! thanks!
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28 Mar 2014, 20:21
Argument
Two years ago, radio station WCQP in Rockville decided to increase the number of call-in advice programs that it broadcast; since that time, its share of the radio audience in the Rockville listening area has increased significantly. Given WCQP's recent success with call-in advice programming, and citing a nationwide survey indicating that many radio listeners are quite interested in such programs, the station manager of KICK in Medway recommends that KICK include more call-in advice programs in an attempt to gain a larger audience share in its listening area.
Write a response in which you discuss what questions would need to be answered in order to decide whether the recommendation and the argument on which it is based are reasonable. Be sure to explain how the answers to these questions would help to evaluate the recommendation.
To assume that KICK station will receive more listeners by incorporating more call in advice programs isn’t a valid argument . The success could be for many varied reasons . Thus, we need to poke holes in the argument and find how we can strengthen it.
First of all, just because the audience has increased it may not be entirely due to call in programs. If the station plays certain song selections that listeners enjoy, such as oldies from the 50’s, then this could be a reason for the increase in listeners. Furthermore, what other programs does the Rockville station provide? Do they offer a soap operaesque section in their broadcast that could elicit more listeners to tune in? Additionally, audience members may have tuned in for the call-in advice programs the previous two years but over time they may have grown to like other program/segments the station offered. Therefore, the argument would be strengthened if we knew the other programs/segments the station offered in conjunction with the call-in advice portion.
Second, how accurate is the survey that showed radio listeners were interested in call-in advice programs? What were the questions that were asked on the survey? Did those surveyed have a option of between listeneing to call in advice programs or something boring like the weather ? We aren’t sure. If the questions were posed in such a way that surveyors inevitably choose call in programs it proves a lack of support for this claim. In order to strengthen the argument we need to know what the questions were in the survey.
Third, the success that may have worked for Rockville may not work for KICK station. For example, KICK audiences may prefer segments that address hot button topic such as politics and the economy over call in advice segments. Also, what is the KICK’s demographic? Are younger viewers tuned in or older viewers? If KICK has a plethora of younger views they may be interested in call in advice programs but older views may be interested in the music selection the program offers. Therefore, in order to strengthen the argument we need to know what KICK audience prefers as well as what their demographic is.
In conclusion, KICK station can’t assume that they will generate the same success Rockville did if they incorporate call in advice programs. We need to know several factors in order to strengthen this argument such as if the audience enjoys the station for other reasons then call in program, what questions did the survey pose , and lastly what demographic KICK markets toward.