The C. E. Hooper, Inc., collection consists mainly of reports on radio listening produced for subscribers, 1936-1947. There is also a small amount of miscellaneous material, 1944-1951, which accompanied radio and television reports not represented in the collection.
The REPORTS section has an incomplete set of monthly and semimonthly reports, 1936-1947; semiannual summaries, 1936-1938; and three special reports, 1944-1947. The first vary in title, methodology employed, and information given as Hooper refined and expanded his services. For the most part the reports detail radio listening habits, indicating sets in use, actual program listeners in a potential audience, audience ability
to match network programs with sponsors, and the amount of rating change from previous reports. They are semimonthly for December, 1936 to September, 1938, and for 1942-1947. The monthly reports occur between October, 1938, and September, 1941. Hooper began by reporting only nighttime listening; he started daytime ratings in February, 1938. Represented here are day and night reports for February, 1938, to December, 1941, and 1943 to 1947. There are only night reports for 1942. Beginning dates for some of the additional data in the reports include: separate reports for large and small cities, 1938; the ratings of networks by time periods, July, 1939; lists of the top programs, February, 1942; and a breakdown of listeners by men, women and children, January, 1944. In many cases, much of the promotional material which accompanied these reports has been retained.
The semiannual reports, 1936-1938, summarize by graphs and tables the findings of semimonthly reports for January to June and July to December. Also based on semimonthly reports, three sets of publications -- Sectional Reports, a Chartbook, and Comprehensive Reports, 1944-1947 -- provide special data analysis. The Sectional Reports, May, 1944-April, 1946, each cover four months and arrange program data by geographic area for daily half hour periods of network broadcasting. They list aggregate four month figures for daily listening. The Chartbook, April-June, 1946, employs graphs and tables to detail audience trends and includes retrospective comparisons with other years as well as with previous months in 1946. Included here is information on listening by day, night, season, and program category. The Comprehensive Reports, 1946-1947, are quarterly and contain Sectional and Chartbook reports and a third section entitled “Uniform Network Competition.” This new Hooper service lists network programs alphabetically and, by bar graphs, shows how they performed against other network programs broadcast in selected cities.
The MISCELLANY section consists of a number of items, 1944-1951, which were sent to Hooper subscribers. Most of this material accompanied reports which are not found in this collection. Included are convenient radio and television rating summaries, “Pocket Pieces,” and copies of the Hooper newsletter, HiLights, and related material. There are also two pamphlets explaining the purpose and methodology of Hooperatings, 1945 and 1947.
