RADIO LISTENERSHIP PATTERN AMONG WOMEN IN UYO
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background to the Study
Radio has been defined as a medium of communication that allows for the transmission of spoken words, music, and other signals through waves to areas within its broadcasting radius. The waves enable the transmission of communication signals that send information in form of radio messages which create a visual effect in the mind of the listener.
Ottah (2015) notes that radio creates a form of intimacy between the listener and the presenter and this is because of the emergence of technology such as phones, Facebook, and Twitter which has enabled radio to be two-way communication unlike in the past when it was one way.
Odero&Kamweru, (2000)puts forward that radio communication has continued to gain momentum globally. According to the WorldFact Book (2010), more than 44,000 radio stations exist and operate worldwide. This assertion is supported by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2011) which indicated that radio accounts for 86% of the total listenership time globally.
The institute further found that the radio listenership is eight times that of TVs in the global arena (UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS, 2011). 25 out of 51 countries (49%) have radio channels available on a combined platform, while 13% are available on cable only and 8% on satellite only (UIS,2011).
In the rural Philippines, radio has been indicated to be the most dependable medium in the distribution of news or surveillance, informing and entertaining the people. This has been
attributed to the mountainous nature of the country which creates a challenge as
mountains often blocked TV signals.
However, radio is listened to by 85% compared to less
than 60% of households that listen to the TV (Info said, 2012). In 2009 radio was used in
Brazil by 88% of households, 80% carbs, and 36% of mobile phones (Brazilian Institute of
Geography and Statistics (IBGE, 2010). This is the same case in Russia where the use of
radio has been on an upward trend with the average daily audience rising by 4% (37.7
million to 39.2 million) since 2008.
In developing countries like those in Africa, more than 75% of households have access to
a radio (UNESCO, 2012). According to Costa (2012), the use of local radio in rural
areas between 2000 and 2006 grew by 360% on average. In rural Zambia, the access to
radio stands at 68% compared to 83% in Tanzania with the radio provides news and any
other information to the rural population (UNESCO, 2012).
Radio listenership has also increased due to the invention of many gadgets that has
features installed in them for receiving radio and this has been made possible with the
new technologies.
According to (Bittner 1977) radio listeners are not restricted to
listening to the radio through the sets but some use their mobile phones, some cars also have
radio installations,ipads,iPods,mp3 players, and radio internet among the others, the
The availability of radio on different platforms has made it to be more accessible.
Advancement in technology has resulted in the invention of several devices equipped
with radio receiving features.
No longer do people listen to the radio through rediffusionboxes or immobile radio sets. The invention of miniature devices equipped with radio components has given the the the radio vast mobility, making it the predominant news source for the on-the-go population (Bittner and Bittner 1977). A survey study on media usage habits in Ghana done by audience scapes in 2009 found
that most Ghanaians were able to access radio and they mostly listened to it for
information and also as their main source of current affairs, the findings indicated that
over 90% of the respondents listened to the radio daily, and most people trusted
radio broadcasts showing that radio was the more preferred channel for disseminating
information by development practitioners.
Some of the respondents said they listened
more to FM stations regularly than AM because they mostly use their mobile phones and
this shows the impact of technology which has now replaced analog.
A similar survey was also conducted in Uganda by audience scapes in the year 2007 and
the findings indicated that radio most dominant channel among the Ugandans. The researcher also found out that some listeners used traditional radio sets while others utilized new technologies such as mobile phones, car stereos, tablet computers, satellite receivers, and internet radio among others.
The findings also showed that about 72% of people in the rural areas owned a radio and listened to it daily while over 90% listened to the radio every week, those who did not have a radio indicated that they listened to radio from their neighbors, friends or in public places such as hotels while relaxing. The study also indicated that even with the emergence of television in most households radio was still the dominant communication channel among most people.
Nigeria is a developing society with a landmass of 923,768 sq. km (356,700 sq. mile), a country in southeast West Africa. It is bordered in the South by approximately 800 kilometers of the Atlantic Ocean, in the West by the Republic of Benin, in the North by the Republic of the Niger,
and in the East by the Republic of Cameroon [1; 2].
She has diverse languages of over five hundred including Hausa Igbo, Yoruba, Ibibio, Fulani, Edo, Kanuri, Efik, and Fulfulde and the English Language is the official language in terms of spoken as written expressions, and the populace understands them (see Maxsiollum, 2012)
The country is made of thirty-six states and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and 774 local government areas nationwide, with democratic principles and values, and institutions that reflect the democratic principles and policy frameworks of governance, and responsibilities between the Federal Government, the State Government and the
Local Governments (Federal Republic of Nigeria Constitution 1999, Nigeria; Chinwe, 2015; Nairaland, 2016). The nation’s economic policy direction lies in a “free market system” with liberalization, deregulation, and competition to
stimulate economic growth and service direction (see Mordi, Englama, and Adebusyi, 2017).
There are three types of broadcasting systems: public (federal and states) private commercial (individual proprietorship) and community(grassroots or collective ownership). Remarkable to indicate is that both private and community broadcasting systems
where the product of the 1992 deregulation policy, which marks a shift from the centralization of broadcasting(government domination) to decentralization policy (public, private, and community broadcasting stations).
Today, multiple broadcasting stations are in operation: television broadcasting stations and FM radio broadcasting stations with private sector ownership, funding, and programs diversity (3; Nwachukwu, 1995; MediaRights Agenda, 2001:10-11, 2010,
Ihechu and Okugo, 2013; Shaibu,2016). Ihechu and Okugo, (2013) explain that the
deregulation of broadcasting in the country has opened up a new pattern of ownership and control as well as injection of competition in broadcasting and Nwachukwu, (1995) notes that the emergence of private broadcasting provide inspiration for healthier competition with public service broadcasting citing quality programming as competitive strategies among broadcasters, to the diversity of programs, flow and programming for the audience (see
1.2 Statement of the Problem
The pluralization of the airwaves has further increased the number of radio stations in the country, especially with the establishment of vernacular radio stations (Mogambi, 2011). In Akwa Ibom State currently, there are well over nine radio stations both privately and government-owned like the AKBC radio, Atlantic FM, Planet Radio, Comfort FM, Passion FM, and Excel FM.
Others are the Campus radio stations like the Uniuyo FM and the Heritage FM Radio among others. The fact that radio is the most popular channel in rural areas does not mean that people always listen to it in the same pattern but audiences listen to the radio for different purposes and in different ways (Nivedha 2014).
This means that people will prefer one station to the other or a certain radio program to others. In addition, various factors influence how, when, and why individuals listen to radio broadcasts or attend to mass media generally. Being a popular communication channel, there is, therefore, the need to establish the listening pattern of radio, its usage, and how it
benefits the women with special focus being on its access, frequency of listenership, time of listenership, preferred Radio stations, programs, and its perceived benefits among these women. This is because the effectiveness of radio can only be judged by its users on how, why, and when they use it. The lack of adequate studies on this subject matter is the research problemthath the researcher sought to address by studying radio listenership among women in Uyo Metropolis.
Objectives of the Study
The specific objectives of this study were :
To determine the radio listening behavior among Women in Uyo Metropolis in Akwa Ibom State. To ascertain the women in Uyo Metropolis level of preference of radio to other media of mass communication. To investigate their level of exposure to radio messages.
To ascertain the choice of radio stations and programs preferred by Women in Uyo Metropolis. To examine the impact of radio messages on the women in Uyo Metropolis.
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