The BBC has combined research into the audience's appreciation of its programmes with data about audience size since the earliest days of television. The first such research was conducted in the summer of 1939 when viewers, estimated to number no more than 20,000-25,000, were invited to apply for a questionnaire. The BBC distributed 4,806 copies; 85 per cent were returned.
Viewers were asked to indicate the genres of programmes they liked, with the following results, showing the proportion of viewers saying they liked each category.
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