AN ASSESSMENT OF RADIO LISTENING HABITS OF NIGERIA STUDENTS

1.1 Introduction

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 anything 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 without feedback. Since its invention in 1895, the radio has refused to take a definite form, but has metamorphosed in its shape, features and usage. At inception, radio took the form of a big box with lights, bulbs and dials, after some years, it transformed to a portable unit small enough for one's pocket (Armsterdam News, 2017).

As a prelude to other parts of this study, this chapter will discuss the background upon which this study was initiated, the statement of problems that led to this study, the Aim and Objectives of the study. Others are Significance of the study, Scope of work, Research hypothesis and questions, Limitations of the Study and Definition of technical terms.

1.2 Background of 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 everything that is broadcast, the decisions 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 Federal Polytechnic Nekede.

Therefore, in Federal Polytechnic Nekede, Owerri where the research was carried out, the activities that was conducted is to assess the Radio Listening Habits of Nigeria Students.

1.3 Statement of Problems

Investigation revealed that studies on radio listening habits of Mass Communication and SLT students of higher institutions in Federal Polytechnic Nekede. Radio remains a prevalent mass communication medium in this part of the world. Data retrieved from the Database for FM radio stations shows that Northern Nigeria has the highest density of radio stations in the country and among the Northern States, Kaduna ranks third with a total of 19 running radio stations.

Preserving a thriving stance despite the competition shove from other main stream media such as television and the internet, “radio remains the medium with the greatest reach and impact worldwide” (Chapman et al., 2003). As a result of the heterogeneity of audience, various people listen to radio for different reasons and thus have interest in various genres for their personal reasons. Some of these reasons include education, entertainment, basic companionship, information and more.

1.4 Aim and Objectives of the Study

The aim of the study is to assess the Radio Listening Habits of Nigeria Students using Mass Communication and SLT Students in Federal Polytechnic Nekede as a case study. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:

1. To examine the individual perspective to listening habit of Mass Communication and SLT Students to radio progammes;
2. To measure the level of student's attitude and interest in the total content of radio progrmme; and
3. To identify the extent by which such variable as sex, course of study, age, affect audience towards radio programme.

1.5 Research Questions

The study came up with research questions so as to be able to ascertain the above stated objectives. The specific research questions for the study are stated below as follows:

• Does 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?
• Do students listen to radio at the beginning of the semester than any other time?

1.6 Research Hypothesis

In order to pursue the objective of this study, the following generalized statements have been designed to guide and aids in obtaining the result for the experiment to be conducted. For this work, the null hypothesis will be represented with H0 while the alternative hypothesis will be represented with hypothesis H1.

Hypothesis One

• H0: Young student do not tend to listen more to entertainment programme than the old students.
• H1: Young students tend to listen more to entertainment programme than old student.

Hypothesis Two

• H0: Student of mass communication and SLT tend not to play greater attention to radio progrmme than students other disciplines.
• H1: Students of mass communication and SLT tend to play greater attention to radio programmes than students in other disciplines.

Hypothesis Three

• H0: Female students do not tend to listen more to entertainment programmes than their male counterpart.
• H1: Female students tend to listen more to entertainment programmes than their male counterpart.

Hypothesis Four

• H0: Students do not tend to listen more to radio when the academic load is minimal or reduced.
• H1: Students tend to listen more to radio when the academic load is minimal or reduced.

1.7 Significance of Study

The study will be beneficial to students and 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.

1.8 Scope of Study

The scope of this research is focused on the Analysis of Radio Listening Habits of Students in Higher Institution using Mass Communication and SLT Students in Federal Polytechnic Nekede as a case study.

1.9 Limitations of the Study

During the course of this study, many things militated against its completion, some of which are:

1. Time Constraint: The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
2. Establishment Policies: Establishment policies posed a serious limitation as most staffs are not ready to release information needed for this project work. There were lots of information needed from the staffs of this establishment to enhance the study which took them time to release or they did not release at all for security purposes, hence the scope was reduced.
3. Research material: 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.
4. Frequent power failure: This made the researcher append more money on fuel to ensure sustainable power.
5. Financial Constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).