Gratification discrepancies and news program choice

This study examined gratifications sought and discrepancies in gratifica-tions obtained from network news programs in an attempt to predict news program choice. The results of both 1-test and discriminant analyses indi-cate that the decision to view a particular television news program is strongly related to the perception of gratifications obtained (or potentially available from) the various programs. A comparison of means indicates that such choice behavior is not a function of overallperceptions of gratifications obtained from oneS favorite program alone. nor is it usually a function of gratifications sought from television news in general. It is only when an audience member makes a comparison between the gratifications per-ceived to be obtained from his favorite program and competing programs that a functional relationship with viewing choice emerges. While in certain cases more specific perceptions of anchorpersons, program format. and news quality may be more important, the discriminant analyses indicate that the perception of differentialgratifications is at least as strongly related to viewing behavior as the more traditionalmeasures of program attributes