Low Power Radio an Antidote for Coastal Visitors

8/3/2019 Low Power Radio an Antidote for Coastal Visitors

1/12

LOW POWER RADIO: AN ANTIDOTE FOR COASTAL VISITORS

LOOKING BUT NOT SEEING!

Erin WilliamsOregon Sea Grant Program

Oregon State University(U.S.A.)

Bruce DeYoungOregon Sea Grant ProgramOregon State University(U.S.A.)

Abstract: State parks in Oregon provide impor-tant sites for visitor recreation and natural re-source education. With the increasing number

of visitors to Oregon coastal parks, tide poolsand beach areas, there is growing need for site-specific marine education to enhance steward-ship, interpretation and safety knowledge. TheOregon Sea Grant Program and the OregonParks and Recreation Department collaboratedin a demonstration project of low power radio(LPR) technology in 1998. An evaluative re-search project of this technology was conductedat Boiler Bay State Park, Oregon during Julythrough August 1998. This project evaluatedthe effectiveness of a 100 milliwatt low powerradio broadcast in providing coastal resource

interpretation to visitors parked at a scenic over-look. LPR is a limited broadcast range AM radiostation that park visitors can tune-in on their carradio to hear pre-recorded messages.

Several research parameters were investigatedduring the evaluative portion of the project: (1)do signage numbers influence LPR listenership,and (2) does a relationship exist between specificdemographic characteristics of visitors and lis-tenership? Visitor surveys were conducted threedays a week from July 1, 1998 to August 2, 1998during 10:30 A.M. to 2:30 P.M. Occupants

from 822 vehicles (i.e., cars, trucks, RV's or mo-torcycles) were interviewed.

Research results indicate that significantly morevisitors tuned-in when more signs were dis-

played. Demographics do not appear to be a sig-nificant factor in listenership. Ninety-seven

percent of LPR listeners recommended that LPRstations be placed in additional parks. Results

from this study indicate that LPR broadcasts area promising communication technology for pro-viding park visitors with helpful information.

Keywords: low power radio, coastal tourism,Boiler Bay State Park

Introduction

Warm sea salt mists, crashing ocean wavesand driftwood laden sandy beaches soundalluring to many people. As visitation tocoastal parks, tide pools and beach areasincreases each year, park managers, busi-ness owners and communities face newchallenges in educating and informingcoastal tourists of the natural resource ex-periences available in coastal areas. Visitorsare often looking for, but not necessarilyseeing, the resources that coastal areas offer.Additionally, sustainable use and safetypractices must be communicated to gueststo protect themselves and these uniquecoastal ecosystems.

The coast is a powerful attractant that yieldsfun while generating large revenues. The

nations coasts are both rich in their promisefor tomorrow and bountiful in their deliveryof todays ecological, recreational, aesthetic,and commercial rewards. The vastness ofthe coasts and their resources is matchedonly by the dimensions of the challengessociety faces in preserving and nurturingthose resources (Coastal Challenges: AGuide to Coastal and Marine Issues, 1998).


2/12


3/12

Williams and DeYoung 143

cannot. New messages can be uploadedmanually, or from a remote location, andthe broadcast runs continuously.

Background

LPR is most widely known for its applica-tions in roadside travel information and air-port updates using 10 Watt broadcast sys-tems. It is, however, finding increasing useas a communication strategy for enhancingstewardship, interpretation and safetyknowledge in recreation areas. The Na-tional Park Service (NPS) has used LPRbroadcasts since the 1970's for interpretiveand educational information. The NPS hasinstalled over 100 LPR units in national

parks across the country (Weed, 1999).Within Oregon there are several agenciesutilizing this technology to enhance recrea-tion opportunities. Beverly Beach State Parkin Oregon used a Talking House LPR sys-tem from 1995 to 1998 to accelerate parkregistration and notify visitors of parkamenities. Additionally, the Extension For-estry Service at Oregon State Universityuses 10 Watt LPR stations along state high-ways traversing forests. This project, calledForest Talk directs its broadcast to the

traveling visitor.

The goal of the Forest Talk project is to edu-cate the motoring public about Oregonsforests as motorists are driving past pointsof interest (Lamb, OSU Graduate Student,1994). In 1993, Lamb evaluated the listener-ship and sign effectiveness of the SantiamPass Forest Talk LPR site. Lamb recordedlicense plate numbers from vehicles drivingover the Santiam Pass during July to August1993. She then contacted the registeredowners of those vehicles for a telephone

survey. The telephone survey sought toascertain whether the vehicles had seen asign advertising the broadcast and whetherthey tuned into Forest Talk. The telephone

survey also obtained demographic informa-tion to see if any relationships between age,gender or residence and tune in rates ex-isted. With an additional focus group sur-vey of selected populations, additional in-formation regarding message recall, broad-

cast enjoyment and value was collected andanalyzed. Through the telephone surveyLamb found a total tune-in rate to thebroadcast of 8% (out of 278 surveys). Thirtypercent of the sample saw the broadcastsigns, with 28% of those people subse-quently tuning into the broadcast. Lambfound no significant relationships betweenage, gender or urban versus rural residenceand vehicles tuning into the broadcast.However, the focus group survey found thaturban respondents considered the program

useful more consistently than rural dwell-ers (Lamb, 1994).

The Forest Talk program has expandedbroadcast sites since Lamb's 1994 evalua-tion. An additional roadside evaluation atthree western Oregon broadcast sitesshowed that 1.3% of passing vehicles tunedinto the Forest Talk station (Reed and Bondi,1995). Respondents indicated their listener-ship by flashing their headlights when theysaw survey personnel after hearing a specialradio message asking them to do so. Resultsfrom this survey also showed that 46% ofthose asked did not see highway depart-ment signs alerting them to the radio broad-cast (Reed and Bondi, 1995).

Project Rationale and Objectives

While the 10 Watt system has a largerbroadcast range, its use has several disad-vantages. This size system costs about$10,000, requires government sponsorship

and a FCC license to operate. Additionally,the 10 Watt LPR


4/12

Williams and DeYoung144

Table 1. A comparison table of LPR 100 milliwatt and 10 watts station attributes

system is often used in mobile vehicle set-tings, where a driver or passenger must seeinstructional signs and locate the broadcastfrequency while traveling at high speeds.Conversely, a 100 milliwatt LPR systemcosts about $3,500, has few restrictions andcan broadcast messages in localized areas tomore stationary visitors (see Table 1). Dueto the affordability of this parking lot sizesystem, it seems especially well suited andpromising for outreach projects, especiallyin Oregons state parks.

To determine the efficacy of utilizing thistechnology to meet the need of affordable,accessible visitor information despite lim-ited staff numbers, Oregon Parks and Rec-

reation Department and Oregon Sea Grant(OSG) collaborated in a demonstration andapplied research project at Boiler Bay StatePark near Depoe Bay, Oregon. This projectevaluated the effectiveness of a 100 milli-watt low power radio broadcast in provid-ing coastal resource interpretation to visitorsparked at a scenic overlook. Though LPRhas been used in many public outreach ap-

plications on high-speed roadways, this project is the first known evaluation of staticlistenership.

Demonstration and Evaluative

Research Project Methodology

This project was split into two sections: anequipment test and initial demonstration ofthe radio technology in late March 1998 andthe survey segment of the project, whichoccurred from July 1 to August 2, 1998. A100 milliwatt radio unit with ten minutes ofmemory, remote telephone access and a Na-tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Admini-stration (NOAA) National Weather Serviceradio was used for this project.

Demonstration and Equipment

Test

The LPR technology equipment test oc-curred during OPRD's Whale Watching

LPR Attributes 100 milliwatt LPR 10 watt LPR

Purchase and installation about $3,500 about $10,000

Approximate broadcast range 0.5 square mile radius 10 square miles

Government sponsorship Not required Required

FCC licensing Not required Required

Music and sound effects Can include Cannot include

Ground plane antennae Optional Needed

Commercial ads/messages Allowed by FCC Not allowed by FCC

Signage Typically in parking areas Along public roadways withODOT permission

NOAA weather rebroadcast Optional Optional

Printed promotion materials Can be helpful Can be helpful

Equipment maintenance Typically minimal Typically minimal

Message updating Occasional Occasional

Message memory unit Same equipment Same equipment


5/12


Week, March 21-28, 1998. Six radio mes-sages were created by OSG and OPRD anduploaded for whale watching week.Throughout this week, Boiler Bay State Parkvisitors were asked for suggestions andfeedback regarding message content and

length. Many visitor suggestions were in-corporated into the message scripts, whichwere subsequently modified or created forthe summer survey period. Additionally, wewere interested in visitor receptiveness tothe technology and interpretive opportunityit provided. Four signs were displayed dur-ing this time period: two at the park turn-insand one on each of the external bathroomwalls. The signs used for this period were18 by 24 inches with blue vinyl lettering onwhite corex board. The signs read Whale

Talk, Tune to 1610 AM. Most visitors in-formally questioned during this period didnot see any of the entrance or bathroomsigns advertising the station. The WhaleWatching Spoken Here volunteers had aradio playing the broadcast for visitors.When informally questioning visitors, mosthad positive reactions to the use of a radiobroadcast to provide interpretive informa-tion.

Evaluative ResearchMethodology

This collaborative research project betweenOSG and OPRD assessed visitor reactions toLPR technology and 100 milliwatt broad-casts heard while parked in their vehicles.Additionally, this project sought to deter-mine if there is a relationship between thenumber of signs presented and the numberof park visitors tuning into the radio broad-cast. We also wanted to investigate whether

a relationship exists between specific demo-graphic characteristics (such as city or coun-try residence, age, or gender) of park visi-tors and their tuning into the radio broad-cast. The project's hypotheses were:

Hypothesis 1: There is no relationship be-tween the number of signs and park visitorstuning into the low power radio broadcast.

Hypothesis 2: There is no relationship be-tween specific demographic characteristics(i.e., city versus country residence, age, orgender) of park visitors and their tuninginto the low power radio broadcast.

Eight radio messages were broadcast duringthe summer survey period. These includedmodified versions of the demonstration pe-riod messages and new scripts created forthe evaluation period.

There was a message alerting visitors to thesurvey being conducted and to the possibil-ity of being asked to participate. Total mes-sage length was approximately seven min-utes. In addition, the station broadcast twoand one-half minutes of National Weather

Service (NWS) information after the comple-tion of each message cycle.

Visitor surveys were conducted from July 1to August 2, 1998 on Wednesdays, Satur-days and Sundays. The survey instrumentincluded questions about whether the visi-tor tuned into the broadcast, message reten-tion, sign observation, and demographicinformation. Surveys were collected from10:30 A.M. to 2:30 P.M., the high visitationperiod, with some variation due to weatherconditions or visitor numbers. The signsadvertising the broadcast were sky blue col-ored, reverse-printed with the phraseCoast Talk, Tune your radio to 1610 AM.Oregon State Parks and Oregon Sea Grantlogos were printed on the bottom of thesigns. The parking lot signs were temporar-ily staked in the ground and removed eachday. The entrance and bathroom signs werepermanently installed. Each of the five sur-vey weeks (a Wednesday, Saturday, andSunday) had a different number of signsdisplayed to test the effect of sign numbers

on visitor tune-ins (see Table 2).

Week 1 was considered "normal" signage.Normal is the number of signs that OPRDwould display permanently without thisevaluation and consisted of displaying onesign at each entrance and one sign on eachbathroom wall for a total of four signs. Dur-ing the second week, maximum sign num-


6/12


bers (48 total) were displayed to ensure thatall park visitors would see at least one sign.The following two weeks reduced thismaximum number by approximately one-half each week. Week 5 was considered the"optimal" signage week and utilized the

previous four weeks research experience forstrategically placing signs throughout thepark in the most highly noticed areas.

Signs displayed during Week 5 were in-stalled on signposts (instead of placed in theground like previous weeks) and the twolarge entrance turn-in signs were replacedwith smaller size signs just inside the en-trance. Visitors may be more likely to retainthe frequency number when placed just in-side the park entrance. Since motorists are

turning into Boiler Bay from a high-speedroadway, they may not have time to processthe sign text and memorize the frequencynumber if signs are located at the entrances.

Survey respondents were approached whenvisitors were observed preparing to departthe park (i.e., packing up picnic items ormoving towards their vehicle). Surveyors

were assigned to a survey zone, with fivezones created, and zones were rotated aftertwo hours. At the completion of the surveyperiod, visitors were thanked for their par-ticipation and given a brochure informingthem of a low power radio broadcast lo-

cated at Seal Rock State Park at that timeand general information about LPR technol-ogy.

Results and Discussion

During the five-week survey period, 822valid surveys were obtained from cars,trucks, recreational vehicles (RV's) and mo-torcycles. Analysis of the data shows thatthere was a relationship between the num-

ber of signs and the number of visitors tun-ing into the LPR broadcast. One sign lo-cated at each park entrance alerting visitorsto the broadcast was not as effective as addi-tional signs placed throughout the park.There was a significant difference in tune-ins between week 1 with four signs dis-played (p


7/12

Table 3. Tune-in numbers for each survey week as well as the percentage of survey respondents that saw srooms, or by parking space. (raw numbers are in parentheses).

Week 1

n=190

Week 2

n=173

Week 3

n=163

Week 4

n=149

W

n

Tune-in numbers 10% (19) 36% (63) 23% (38) 16% (24) 16%

% that saw signtotal

42% (79) 97% (168) 93% (152) 78% (116) 78%

% that saw en-trance sign

33% (63) 59% (102) 53% (87) 53% (79) 59%

% that saw bath-

room sign

11% (20) 20% (34) 17% (27) 15% (23) 14%

% that saw sign byparking space

N/A 91% (157) 83% (136) 62% (92) 42%


8/12


displayed). Week 2 tune-ins were also sig-nificantly greater than weeks 3, 4, and 5(p


9/12


Ninety-seven percent of vehicles had a func-tioning AM radio and 74% of people sur-veyed listened to their radio "most of thetime" or "some of the time" when traveling.More than 40% of interviewed park visitorsnot initially tuning into the Coast Talk

broadcast said they intended to listen to themessages before leaving the park. Most ofthese people indicated that they noticedCoast Talk signs while walking around thepark, but were interviewed prior to reenter-ing their vehicles and turning on the radiobroadcast.

Place of residence did not predict listener-ship. There was no significant difference inOregon residents tuning into the broadcastcompared to out-of-state or international

visitors. Forty-eight percent of respondentshad an Oregon zip code, 45% lived out ofstate and six percent lived in foreign coun-tries (one percent refused to give their zipcode). Almost 70% of park visitors inter-viewed on-site during this study indicatedhaving an urban or metropolitan domicile.The Portland area was the most commonresidence of respondents from urban areas.

Many park visitors interviewed during thisstudy found the broadcasts were a great toolfor enhancing their state park visit. Mostlistening visitors could recall the majortheme(s) of the message(s) they heard andfound the message length appropriate. Ad-ditionally, many visitors who had not tunedinto the broadcast prior to the survey ex-pressed positive opinions about the uniqueopportunities offered by this technologyand indicated they would tune into thebroadcast at the completion of the survey.

Increased listenership may have been ob-tained by putting a sign on the highway

(i.e., which the Oregon Department ofTransportation would not have allowed forthis project). While the short range of the100 milliwatt station would not extend outalong the highway, a highway sign couldinform motorists of the broadcast opportu-nity available in the park and motoristscould choose to visit the park to listen to thebroadcast. Many visitors suggested place-

ment of signs along the highway. In addi-tion, several respondents indicated theythought the signs and "Coast Talk" referredto a commercial broadcast or talk radioshow and did not tune in for this reason.Increasing the size of the OPRD and OSG

logos on the signs or an alternate name forthe broadcast may have decreased the con-fusion. Many respondents suggested usingthe phrase Park Info, Tune to 1610 AM tonotify visitors of the legitimacy of the broad-cast.

Several visitors tried to tune into the broad-cast but did have trouble receiving the sig-nal. While many of these problems wereattributed to faulty radio or antenna equip-ment, some reception difficulties remained.

Often one visitor would have trouble hear-ing the broadcast while an adjacent visitorwas listening to the broadcast. This prob-lem may be attributed to differences in ra-dios or antenna strengths.

Conclusions and Implications for

the Future

Fazio and Gilbert (1982) discuss somedrawbacks of utilizing conventional com-

mercial radio technology to communicateinterpretive or educational information.Radio is an immediate medium where themessage effectiveness depends on a one-shot effort at visitor contact andunderstanding and it is a more passive formof communication. Contact through theradio message does not necessarily meancommunication. However there are severaladvantages from utilizing radio tocommunicate to visitors. Radio is a timelymedium; it can be easily updated and it isrelatively accessible. And it is relatively lowin cost considering the large number ofpeople who can be reached. LPR differsfrom conventional commercial stations inthat messages are rebroadcast automaticallyevery 10-15 minutes, 24 hours a day, sevendays a week. Messages can be listened asmany times as desired by visitors leading toincreased retention of information.


10/12


Most survey respondents, regardless ofwhether they heard the broadcast, were en-thusiastic about this communication tool.But funds for purchasing the radio equip-ment for Boiler Bay State Park have not yetbeen procured. It is hoped that as OPRD

managers learn of the outreach potential ofLPR broadcasts, funds will be secured forpurchasing this equipment. Visitor educa-tion is vital to conservation of marine andcoastal resources.

Low power radio broadcasts are a viableoption for state park coastal managers todo more with less. LPR broadcasts couldbecome a trademark of Oregons coastalparks. The state park system is alreadyhighly valued by residents and visitors. As

we look ahead to increasing coastal resi-dents and visitors, this outreach tool couldhelp stimulate and renew interest in ourmarine environment and natural resources.One future study could investigate whethera Coast Talk broadcast encourages visitorsto be more responsible stewards in thecoastal environment.

There are several advantages of using 100milliwatt LPR units in coastal parks insteadof a 10 Watt transmitter placed along thehighway. Signs notifying visitors of a 10Watt system must be viewed while motor-ists are traveling at high speeds along road-ways. Attention to the message content ofthese size stations may be minimal whilemotorists are navigating through traffic,perhaps studying maps, or distracted inother ways inside the moving vehicle. Useof 100 milliwatt broadcasts in parking areasprovides greater opportunity for visitorsseeing signs, attention to message content,and likely leads to greater retention of thebroadcast information. Tune-in rates during

the 10 Watt Forest Talk evaluations rangedfrom 1.3% to 8%. While the Boiler Bay pro-

ject had a tune-in rate of 10% during the firstweek with only four signs visible, it jumpedto 16% during Weeks 4 and 5, a rate whichis double the highest Forest Talk listener-ship. The 100 milliwatt LPR stations musthave an adequate number of signs dis-

played so visitors have the opportunity totune in to the broadcast.

Whether the OPRD interest level increasesenough to widen the LPR broadcast applica-tion in coastal parks remains to be seen. The

Boiler Bay project results intrigued the Portof Newport and Hatfield Marine ScienceVisitor Center. Both locations now have a100 milliwatt LPR station. Results from thisstudy indicate that LPR broadcasts are apromising communication technology forproviding park visitors with helpful infor-mation. State parks in Oregon offer impor-tant opportunities for visitor recreation andnatural resource education. With increasingvisitation to the nation's coastal parks, thereis growing need for marine education to

enhance stewardship, interpretation, andsafety knowledge. This research indicatesthat parks should consider LPR technologyas an affordable communication strategy forreaching these visitors.

Acknowledgements

The assistance of these organizational col-laborators in this research and demonstra-tion project is gratefully acknowledged:

Mike Rivers, Oregon Parks and Rec-reation Department

Joe Cone, Assistant Director forCommunications, Oregon Sea GrantProgram

Pat Kight, Science CommunicationsSpecialist, Oregon Sea Grant Pro-gram

Kevin Strandberg, Oregon Parksand Recreation Department

Claude Crocker, Oregon Parks andRecreation Department

With additional thanks to:

Janice Adams, Amanda Caruso, Jennifer DeYoung, Lyudmila Kirill-ova, Kevin Bruce, and James Tin-gey, Surveyors

Amanda Caruso and LyudmilaKirillova, for post survey assistance


11/12


References

Oregon Parks and Recreation Department.(1999). About OPRD. URL:. Visited on January 19,1999.

National Safety Councils EnvironmentalHealth Center. (1998). Coastal Chal-lenges: A Guide to Coastal and MarineIssues. Washington, DC.

DeYoung, Bruce. (1992). Low Power Radio:A New Communication Method forReaching Target Audiences. OregonState University Extension Service Spe-cial Report 890.

Environmental Protection Agency. (1999).Sustainable Industry webpage, URL:. Last updated on April 15,1999. Visited on October 10, 1999.

Fazio, James R. and Gilbert, Douglas L.(1982). Public relations and communica-tions for natural resource managers.Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company.

National Ocean Service National Oceanicand Atmospheric Administration(1999). URL:. , U.S. Department ofCommerce. Last revised on September

23, 1999. Visited on October 10, 1999.Lamb, Melany. (1994). Forestry Extension &Low Power Radio: An Evaluation of theSantiam Broadcast Site. Oregon StateUniversity, College of Forestry Master'sDegree Thesis. 74 pp.

State of Oregon. (1999). Official TourismWebsite. General profile page underTourism Research under Informationsection. URL:. Vis-ited on January 19, 1999.

Reed, A. Scott and Bondi, Michael C. (1995).

Using Low Power Radio to Communi-cate Forestry Messages. Presented at

IUFRO XX World Congress ExtensionWorking Party, Tampere, Finland.

Weed, Frank. (1999). Personal Commu-nication in August, 1999. Weed is theNational Park Services Chief of Wire-less Technology.


12/12

Documents

Low Power Radio an Antidote for Coastal Visitors