VIETNAMESE SERVICE__PRESCRIPTION REVIEW
AUDIENCE MEASUREMENT
Research in Vietnam is not yet possible. The only source of structured information in recent years is a study carried out by USIA among a group of legal emigrants from Vietnam to the USA. The interviews were carried out in November 1987 at the Philippine Refugee Processing Center in Bataan. A sample of 292 respondents were interviewed, selected randomly from over 5,800 refugees in the camp.
Vietnamese
Although the sample was randomly selected among refugees at the Bataan Camp, the findings are not at representative of the population in Vietnam. reasons for this, eg:
the Vietnamese
There are
all several
a) The
b)
sample
differed
composition of the refugee demographically from the Vietnamese population in many important respects. All came from what was formerly South Vietnam. Half came from Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon), whereas only about 20% of Vietnam's population is urban. The sample was highly educated by Vietnamese standards: 55% had at least secondary education (compared with 15% of the population). Three-quarters were men.
Respondents had not only left Vietnam but had requested and received permission to emigrate to the US. In anticipation of leaving Vietnam, respondents were more likely than other Vietnamese to have tuned in to western radio stations.
c)
Most respondents were reporting on behaviour that had occurred more than a year ago (while they were still living in Vietnam).
Overall, the findings of the study are clearly influenced by the skewed sample and the special interest and perceptions of the Vietnamese respondents who chose to leave their country. However, in the absence of any other information, they are of interest and some use. It must be stressed that the findings cannot be used to represent the Vietnamese population at large.
Fear of being caught listening to western radio was a factor in deciding whether to tune in or not. (Typical penalties were reprimand
set confiscation.) Additional difficulties were frequent power cuts and a shortage of batteries. Nevertheless, the majority of the respondents had listened to western radio while in Vietnam.