This monograph examines and interprets survey data pertaining to public participation in the arts via television, radio, and sound recordings. The data derive from 1982 and 1992 surveys of leisure activities and public participation in the arts conducted by the U. S. Bureau of the Census and funded by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). The seven core or benchmark arts, listed in their order on the survey instruments, are jazz, classical music, opera, musicals and operettas, plays, dance, and the visual arts.

Participation via media is especially important for at least two reasons: media may provide arts access to those who are otherwise unable to participate through live attendance - because of location, income, or other factors; and the media may be influential in cultivating a taste for the arts, which could lead to higher overall participation.

While the primary focus of this monograph is participation by media, appropriate comparisons dictate that the analyses be extended to participation in live performances and live attendance as well. Many of the hypothesis tests necessarily include such live alternatives.

The hypotheses tested in this monograph and the results obtained are as follows:

• Arts participation increases with age.
• An aging population will increase arts participation.
• Arts participation increases with education.
• Arts participation rises with income.
• Income plays a reduced role in participation via the broadcast media as compared with participation via live and recorded performances.
• Urban residents are more likely to participate in the arts than are rural residents.
• Urban residence is not so important a determinant of participation via the broadcast media and recordings as it is for participation via live attendance.
• Men are less likely to participate in the arts than are women.
• Whites are more likely to participate in the arts than are other racial groups.

Conclusions:

• Some television channels can be dedicated to arts programming.
• Arts organizations may explore greater use of videotapes - music videos for the cultured.
• Educators can further enhance exposure to the arts at all levels.

CONTENTS
List of tables.
List of figures.
Preface.
Executive summary.                 

Part 1. Overview, background and hypotheses:

Media arts as economic goods.
Supply factors.
Factors influencing arts participation: Hypotheses.

Part 2. Participation patterns and changes, 1982-1992:

Overview of public participation, 1982-1992.
Participation patterns.
Summary and conclusions.

Part 3. Multivariate statistical results:

Logistic models.
Overall logistic regression results.
Jazz.
Classical music.
Opera.
Musicals.
Theatre (plays).
Dance.
Art.
Summary.

Part 4. The cross effects of media and live participation:

Jazz.
Classical music.
Opera.
Musicals.
Theatre (plays).
Ballet/Dance.
Art.
Summary and conclusions.

Part 5. Summary and conclusions:

Major findings.
Policy implications.
Future research.

Appendix A. 1992 survey of public participation in the arts.
Appendix B. Technical discussion of logistic regression.
Notes.
Bibliography.
About the author.
Other reports on the 1992 SPPA.

This monograph examines and interprets survey data pertaining to public participation in the arts via television, radio, and sound recordings. The data derive from 1982 and 1992 surveys of leisure activities and public participation in the arts conducted by the U. S. Bureau of the Census and funded by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). The seven core or benchmark arts, listed in their order on the survey instruments, are jazz, classical music, opera, musicals and operettas, plays, dance, and the visual arts.

Participation via media is especially important for at least two reasons: media may provide arts access to those who are otherwise unable to participate through live attendance - because of location, income, or other factors; and the media may be influential in cultivating a taste for the arts, which could lead to higher overall participation.