Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, February 14, 1995                   TAG: 9502140089
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

THE SOUND OF THE TONE....

Do you have a telephone answering machine?

Yes 55%

No 45%

Who's got 'em?

Most people under age 65, although Generation Xers are taking more messages than most. 71% of those age 18-29 have answering machines; only 20% of those age 65 and up do.

Ages 18-29: 71%

Ages 30-49: 68%

Ages 50-64: 54%

Ages 65 and up: 20%

Most people who have been to college. One-fourth of high-school drop-outs and half of high school graduates have answering machines, but 71% of college graduates do.

High school drop-outs: 24%

High school graduates: 50%

Some college: 68%

College graduates: 71%

Advanced degrees: 74%

Most people who make more than $20,000. But those who make more than $40,000 are the most likely to tell you to leave a message: 80% own answering machines.

Answering machines aren't just for the affluent, though: Almost one-third of those making less than $10,000 are taking messages, too.

Less than $10,000: 31%

$10,000-$19,999: 41%

$20,000-$29,999: 56%

$30,000-$39,999: 67%

$40,000 and up: 80%

Most whites do, most blacks don't.

Whites: 56% have 'em.

Blacks: 46% have 'em.

Of those who have answering machines, 45% say they use them to screen out unwanted calls. Women are more likely than men to screen calls that way.

The Roanoke Valley Poll was conducted by Roanoke College's Center for Community Research and has a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percentage points. Among demographic subgroups, the margin may be higher.