MOSCOW, February 9, 2021. Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents the results of a survey devoted to World Radio Day marked on February 13th.
More than half of Russians know that radio was invented by Alexander Popov (63%). One-third of respondents failed to give any answer, or they do not know who invented it (34%).
Every second Russian listens to the radio (55%). Fourteen percent of them do it more often than 5-7 years ago; 24%, less often; 17%, the same amount of time. Those who do not listen to the radio are largely young Russians aged 18-24 (68%).
Personal car is the most popular place to listen to the radio (59%). This is followed by home (34%, −7 p.p. since last year) and dacha or countryside house (17%).
Those who listen to the radio prefer music (77%), news (44%, −9 p.p. since 2019), weather reports (25%), various talk shows and interviews (20%), and science shows (22%).
Russkoe Radio, Europa Plus and Dorozhnoe Radio are the most popular radio stations (12%, each). Other popular radio stations are Dacha (10%), Autoradio (9%), Mayak, Retro and Chanson (8%, each).
20th century technical achievements as viewed by Russians
Radio is in top 25 inventions that greatly changed the world for the better. One percent of Russians point to radio (2% in 2007); it shares its position with television, gene engineering, nuclear weapons, electricity and other achievements of the 20th century.
Internet/computer technology (20%), space exploration/space flights (13%) and medical advances (12%) are the three major scientific discoveries of the 20th century.
Over fourteen years, the share of those who think that science and new technology have a positive impact on human life quality and life span has increased by 22% (77%). Negative impacts are mentioned by 16% (-11 p.p. compared to 2007).
Russian nationwide VCIOM-Sputnik survey was conducted on February 7, 2021. Results are based on telephone interviews with 1,600 Russians aged 18 and older. Stratified dual-frame random sample based on a complete list of Russian landline and mobile phone numbers was used. The data were weighted according to selection probability and social and demographic characteristics. The margin of error at a 95% confidence level does not exceed 2.5%. In addition to sampling error, minor changes to the wording of questions and different circumstances arising during the fieldwork can introduce bias into the survey.
In your opinion, what scientific discoveries/achievements have changed the world for the better in the 20th century? (open-ended question, up to 5 answers, % of total respondents, answers of at least 1% of respondents) | |
| Total respondents |
Internet, computer technology | 20 |
Space exploration / space flights | 13 |
Medical advances / healthcare | 12 |
Telephone, mobile communication / mobile phones | 8 |
COVID-19 vaccine | 6 |
Military technology / weapons | 5 |
Nuclear energy | 3 |
Antibiotics | 3 |
Rocket and missile engineering | 2 |
Cars | 2 |
Aviation / aircraft building | 2 |
Elon Mask achievements | 2 |
Achievements in electronics | 1 |
Battery-powered cars / electric motor / electric transport | 1 |
Television | 1 |
Gadgets / equipment | 1 |
DNA / genes / gene engineering | 1 |
Nuclear weapons / nuclear bomb | 1 |
Achievements in physics | 1 |
Electricity | 1 |
Radio | 1 |
Energy / alternative energy | 1 |
Nanotechnology | 1 |
Transport / transport development | 1 |
Other | 15 |
Don’t know | 49 |
In your opinion, do science and technology have a positive or a negative impact on human life quality and life span? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents) | ||
| 2007 | 2021 |
Science and new technology are likely to have a positive impact on human life quality and life span | 55 | 77 |
Science and new technology are likely to have a negative impact on human life quality and life span | 27 | 16 |
Don’t know | 18 | 7 |
Let us talk about radio. Do you know who invented radio? If so, can you name this person? (open-ended question, one answer % of total respondents) | |
| Total respondents |
Popov | 63 |
Marconi | 1 |
Other | 2 |
I have no idea | 20 |
Don’t know | 14 |
Do you listen to the radio, or not? If so, do you listen to it more often or less often than 5-7 years ago? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents) | |||||
| 2005 | 2009 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
More often | 21 | 14 | 10 | 13 | 14 |
Same as before | 33 | 29 | 18 | 18 | 17 |
Less often | 21 | 20 | 20 | 24 | 24 |
I do not listen to the radio at all | 23 | 36 | 50 | 45 | 45 |
Don’t know | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Where do you usually listen to the radio? (closed-ended question, any number of answers, % of those who listen to the radio) | |||
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
In my car | 56 | 58 | 59 |
Home | 41 | 41 | 34 |
Place where work/study | 20 | 19 | 22 |
Dacha/countryside house | 18 | 16 | 17 |
Transport (tram, trolleybus, bus, train etc.) | 15 | 16 | 13 |
Outdoors (including garden plot, field, while walking, etc.) | 14 | 13 | 12 |
Café, club, bar | 2 | 3 | 2 |
At somebody else’s house | 1 | 3 | 1 |
Another place | 4 | 4 | 3 |
If you listen to the radio, what do you find interesting? (closed-ended question, any number of answers, % of those who listen to the radio) | ||||
| 2009 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
Music | 48 | 74 | 72 | 77 |
News | 41 | 53 | 45 | 44 |
Talk shows, interviews | 8 | 24 | 27 | 20 |
Science shows | - | 28 | 24 | 22 |
Sports shows | - | 1 | - | - |
Weather | - | - | - | 25 |
Horoscopes | - | - | - | 11 |
Information about traffic congestions | - | - | - | 7 |
Other | - | 2 | 5 | 7 |
Don’t know | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
What is your favorite radio station? You can cite up to 3 radio stations (open-ended question, up to 3 answers, % of those who listen to the radio; answers of at least 2% of respondents) | |
| Total respondents |
Russkoe Radio | 12 |
Europa Plus | 12 |
Dorozhnoe Radio | 12 |
Dacha | 10 |
Auto Radio | 9 |
Mayak | 8 |
Retro | 8 |
Chanson | 8 |
Nashe Radio | 6 |
Echo Moskvy | 6 |
Energy | 5 |
Yumor | 5 |
Vesti FM | 4 |
Love radio | 4 |
Radio Rossii | 3 |
Monte-Carlo | 3 |
Radio FM | 3 |
Hit | 3 |
DFM | 3 |
Radio Record | 3 |
Novoe radio | 2 |
Radio 7 na semi kholmakh | 2 |
Maximum | 2 |
Zvezda | 2 |
Business FM | 2 |
Vanya | 2 |
Militseiskaya volna | 2 |
None | 0 |
Other | 35 |
Don’t know | 8 |