We’re excited to be working with WTTW, Chicago’s public television affiliate, to conduct an audience evaluation of the station’s new science series. The programs will run as part of Chicago Tonight, WTTW’s popular evening show that covers a wide range of civic, cultural, and other topics of interest to Chicagoans.

Leadership funding for the series and for our evaluation work is being provided by the Elizabeth Morse Genius Charitable Trust, led by trustee Jim Alexander.

Our evaluation for Scientific Chicago will span three years and include both quantitative and qualitative research among the station’s viewers. The project will begin with a baseline quantitative study of attitudes toward science and awareness of opportunities to engage with science in and around Chicago, followed by qualitative interviews to delve deeper into viewer’s responses.

Years 2 and 3 of the evaluation will focus on assessing the outcomes associated with watching the series, using an experimental research design to distinguish among various segments of Chicago Tonight viewers.

For our firm, the WTTW project expands our involvement with a field we’re very interested in: public media. Since 2003, we’ve worked with Chicago Public Radio, a leading NPR affiliate and like WTTW a major cultural institution in Chicago.

We look forward to a long and fruitful relationship with our new colleagues at WTTW.

Category: Other missions