| This study examines the habits of public broadcasting consumers to advance audience research in mass communication and in public broadcasting.;Consumers' media use is conscious and purposeful sometimes, but automatic and habitual at other times. Researchers have studied purposeful media use (e.g. attention, gratifications) quite a lot but have devoted much less to habitual media use. This study adopts LaRose's definition of media consumption habit as "a form of automaticity in media consumption that develops as people repeat media consumption behavior in stable circumstances," and uses a simplified version of Self-Report Habit Index (SRHI) to measure it. Guided by habit research in psychology, sociology and communications, this study conducted an online survey of Wisconsin Public Radio listeners and found that, first, certain content and channel related media habits are distinct from gratifications and exert independent influences on digital media use above and beyond the influence of gratifications. Second, certain media habits are also distinct from attention to news and exert independent influence on civic participation above and beyond the influence of attention. But the influence varies for different generational groups. Third, certain media habits have significant effects on one's willingness to pay for online news, but the effects do not exist for young people. Fourth, the habit of using radio has negative effects on digital media use. The cross-channel effects are both direct and indirect by influencing the perception of the usefulness and ease of use of digital media. Finally, consumers' social networks have positive effects on their digital channel habits even after accounting for the influence of gratifications.;This study also examines organizational habits of media producers through in- depth interviews with 1 l American public broadcasting organizations. The analysis reveals that in the digital media age, the old habit of organizing production in silos (television vs. radio vs. online) still prevails, and habitual linear workflow still dominates. Social networks help form new habits and maintain old habits. Some old organizational habits resist change because the greater system of public broadcasting remains a network based on local ownership and structured in silos (television vs. radio). |
