Radio Listening Habits Of Nigeria Students

Radio is one of the viable media of mass communication. Just as communication is the transfer of information from the source to a destination. Presently, for any thing to be called communication it must efficiently reach to the source, passing through the specified channel. Undoutfully, there is no way communication could be completed with out feedback. It is on this background, that the research deemed it necessary to have a look at the listening habit of students in higher institution of learning particularly the students of the Federal Polytechnic Nekede.

The researcher went further to find out what could entire students to listening to the radio programme. In the world today and in Enugu, precisely, different radio stations exist, but ability to attract audience listening is what matters, and when this happened they will tune the station off. What I am saying is that a successful media house should have the mass before planning their programmes. Any time it encounter this, the audience interest will wear away as the image of the station will be as stake. That is why due to the heterogeneous nature of the students population in the institute of management and technology which formed my case study, I decided to use random sampling method.

This method gave every student an equal chance of being selected and for the reason students tend to listen more of entertainment programmes than other programmes like the talks, religious, and news commentaries, especially when they are free or chanced from academic activities.

1.0 Introduction

1.1 Background Of The Study

The Nigerian society is a heterogeneous one with divergent communication need, coupled with the growing world of awareness. Different people have different perception of what roles communication, in it"s totality should play to the listening audience in higher learning.

According to me Bride Seam (91:980) "communication is considered in it"s broadcast sense, not only as the exchange of news and messages, but also an individual and collective activity embracing all transmissions and sharing of ideas, fact and data. Its main function in any social system be identified as information socialization motivation, discussion, debate, education, cultural promotion, entertainment and integration.

The mass media as an institution have been tasked to perform all these immeasurable roles. However radio which is not only the most important media in Nigeria, but also the most commonly spread, affordable and accessible to perform this enormous function as expected. One of the challenging feature of the media of mass communication is the composition of it"s audience

The audience of radio is highly heterogeneous with number having socio-economic stance and different interests.
Base on different kinds of radio audience, it is signifies that preferences of medium as well as its content will differ among members of audience, while some need a particular station or programmes for emotional releases, others may prefer serious programes, little news and current affairs, documentaries, commentaries all pending on one"s interest.

Discoing the mass media in American Bargas (1973) opined that "the media experiences in part time or activity of people engage in at certain time of the day where they have nothing of overriding importance to do and when they want to relax from boredom. The radio audience capability to the success or failure of any station and effectiveness will be should have the masses in mind before planning a station side tracks the audience interest will wear away and the image of the station will be at stake.

Therefore, for radio medium to arouse audience interest such station should select interesting programmes as well as particular message. Berelson and Jarowite "Regular viewers of news programme can be exposed to every thing that is broadcast.

The decision whether or not watch any documentary programme is novel likely to be made on the basic of the issues than on the point of view which will be used for emotional release, relaxation e.t.c. In his own contribution Williams Rivers (1969) in voice of AM form lecture confirmed and highlighted other aspects of selection process. That female"s students on their part pay greater attention to entertainment programmes that news and current affairs and other programmes.

Radio progammes produces especially a competitative situation, try always to satisfy their audience by good programming and audience has the tendency to select the type of station or progamme to listen to. Because of the heterogeneous nature of the media audience, the radio station should put in their best to make sure there is a forum which its audience will hear their view concerning the station progammes. This therefore called for two ways communication; it is obviously that radio journalists do not maintain this needed two ways communication between them and student of I M T.

1.3 Objectives The Study

This study is aimed at achieving the following purposes. Measuring the level of student"s attitude and interest in the total content of radio progrmme. Individual perspective to listening habit of students to radio progammes.
This study also aim at identifying the extent by which such variable as sex, course of study age, affect audience towards radio programme.

1.4 Significance Of Study

It is important that radio station at times take a critical look outside and feel the hearing of its audience.
This study is not only important to the students but will also serve as a green light to the media houses. Lecturers and media practitioners on how best they will restructure their programme so as to suit, and attract more audience and patronage from the general public especially students.

1.5 Limitation Of The Study

In any research work, there are some set backs that follows it. Some of such limitations is the factors which is on essential requirements and undertaking.

Scarcity of finance is another factor, which could have hindered the distribution of great number of questionnaires.
The researcher was also face with the task of combining the research work with normal lecture because it was at a time when the research was preparing for examinations.

Lack of mass communication books and well equipped literary also constitute a problem. The researcher could not lay hand on much books considering the high cost of books.

1.6 Delimitation Of The Study

As the topic suggests, the study constitute on only the mass communication students of the institute of management and technology (I M T) Enugu, both regular and part-time students.

1.7 Research Questions

To help in carrying out this investigation of following research questions were posed.

Does a students course of study influence his or her radio listening habit.

Is there a relationship between age and radio listening habits of student in higher institutions.

Does gender play any role in the contents of radio programme.

Does students listen to radio at the beginning of the semester than any other time.

1.8 Research Hypotheses

Hi Students of mass communication tend to play greater attention to radio programmes than students in other disciplines.
Ho Student of mass communication tend not to play greater attention to radio progrmme than students other disciplines.

H2 Young students tend to listen more to entertainment programme than old student.
Ho Young student do not tend to listen more to entertainment programme than the old students.

H3 Female students tend to listen more to entertainment programmes than their male counter part.
Ho female students do not tend to listen more to entertainment programmes than their male counter part.

H4 Students tend to listen more to radio when the academic load is minimal or reduced.
Ho Students do not tend to listen more to radio when the academic load is minimal or reduced.

5.0 Conclusion And Recommendation For Further Study.

5.1 Summary

A thorough study was conducted to ascertain the listening habits of students in institution of higher learning. I was able to uncover student"s attitude, on radio students are attracted to the frequency modulation (FM) stations to the amplitud modulation (AM) stations. The reasons being that fm station gives more of entertainment programmes which students like or enjoy than the AM which deals more on the younger student disregards. Student tend to turn off a station, if the station side tracks their interest. Student distance to radio more in as much they offer programmes of interest to them.

I found out that the programmes presented by this station affect the attitude of students towards listening to it. Also the course of study of students do not in any way affect the radio listening habit the factor is that the students listen to entertainment programmes than their male counter part, like wise the male the male students pay more attention to news and current affairs than the female students.
Also student have time to listen to the radio programmes when lectures are not serious than when it is serious or when their examination is taking place.

5.2 Conclusion

The heterogeneous nature of I M T is only duly reflected in the findings. There is a mixed or combine feelings of the result. Which is guided an understandable in the people with different interest, behaviour and react different in a given topic. Media selectivity which is one of the aspect of this study deals on the problems which the various audiences have in selecting and exposing themselves to the media. It does not means that the audience are bias the reason that media selectivity relies on the premise of self-interest and what the audience wants.

People choose certain media which gives them specific information on certain time of the day and this affects their media selectivity.

There is obligation on the part of media organization to dig the audience and find out their characteristics and wants, factors that their media out puts to meet their needs. It is important to know that the credibility of any medium affects the way

Messages from the medium are selectivity perceived. The more uninterrupted a message is the more the audience attention are with drawn from the massages and the medium by which it transmitted.

5.3 Recommendations

The audience, to a large extent contributes to the success or failure of any media organization and they comprised of people from different background, perceptive, social, strata, characteristic and wants.

For this reason, a media house and in particular the radio should try as much as possible to dance to the tune of its audience especially students by giving them what they want in radio programmes and satisfy their various inspirations and expectations.

5.4 Areas Of Further Studies

My research work, was based on radio listening habits of students in institute of higher learning. None was done on staff or not staff of I M T.

For areas of further study, I want other people who want to research on the similar topic to use staff or non staff as the subject of the study.

Preliminary Page(s)

Title page

Approval page

Dedication page

Acknowledgement

Abstract

Table of content

Chapter One

1.0 Introduction

1.1 Background of the study

1.2 Statement of research problem

1.3 Objectives of the study

1.4 Significance of study

1.5 Limitation of the study

1.6 Delimitation of the study

1.7 Research question

1.8 Research hypothesis

Chapter Two

2.0 Literature Review

2.1 Special features of radio

2.2 Uses of radio

2.3 Distance learning system

2.4 Radio and development

Chapter Three

Research Methodology

3.1 Research methods

Chapter Four

Data Analysis And Result

4.1 Result

4.2 Discussion

Chapter Five

Summary Recommendation For Further Study

5.1 Summary

52 Conclusion

5.3 Recommendation

• Radio Listening Habits Of Students In Higher Institutions Of Learning
• Radio Listening Habits Of Students In Higher Institution

• Mass Communication Project Topics and Materials