Innovating Radio News: Effects of Background Music Complexity on Processing and Enjoyment

In one experiment, listeners hear radio news delivered by a male or female anchor with either no background music or with music of differing complexity. Memory for and enjoyment of the news are assessed. Findings suggest that adding a simple beat makes the news more memorable and enjoyable, whereas highly complex music hinders both message processing and enjoyment. Anchor voice determines the results for moderate complexity. A second experiment further explores anchor voice and message processing and, together, the two experiments suggest that both pitch and number of auditory structural features should be considered when enhancing radio news with music.