Radio Feedback Mechanism as a Tool in Determining Radio Pogramming

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the study

Radio as means of dispensing information, education and entertainment is one of the greatest

technological feat man achieved. According to Onabajo (200) radio because of its capacity to

build and at the same time dispense messages instantaneously from one point to the other

It was suppose to be a means of communication but it only enhanced the initial one way

traffic form of communication. Radio divulged a lot of information to its hearers but did not

get feedback from them. Among the Yoruba speaking regional sect in western part of

Nigeria, it was at its initial introduction in the country called ‘Asoro ma Gbesi’ meaning the

one or thing that speaks but receives no response. It is also known among the Ibos, the sect in

the eastern part of Nigeria as ‘igwe na nekoku’ meaning it moves, it talks but it doesn’t wait

for you.

This means that radio programming at its initial stage was basically a one way traffic manner

of information dissemination. Being a blind medium, listeners only listened to what the

presenter had to say and enjoyed it or tuned off from the station if the programmes fell short

of expectation. Listeners listened and wished they could have certain subjects discussed but

could not in any way influence what was being aired.

However radio programming and production took a new turn in the ..... when listeners started

having opportunities to initially write and post mails to the presenter expressing their

thoughts on programmes they had listened to. Listeners were able to later on call in to the

radio station after the show. With time, the listener started having interactive sessions with

the presenter through diverse means like the phone (Phone –In ), Email, Facebook, Twitter

and various other social media.

 and is one of the basic means of transmitting message to a large heterogeneous audience,

which is portable and can easily be bought and access by any individual because of it

durability. Radio reaches a wider audience than any other medium: for example there are an

estimated 94 radios per thousand people in the least developed countries, ten times the

number of televisions or copies of daily newspapers available. In West Africa, the number of

a community radio station has jumped from five to 72 between 1991 and 1998. Radio

programmes are cheap, quick and easy to make. Radio receivers are widely available, cheap

and easily portable; this makes them convenient for listeners. The vast majority of people

around the globe have access to radio making it the most effective means of supplying news

and information to a diverse audience.

Kumar (2004) identified radio as an avenue for participatory communication and as a tool

relevant in both economic and social development.

Radio in the past, never had anything we call feedback, because radio serves as what people

listen to but it does not listen to them, which brought about what we call feedback. Feedback

can be got from different ways. The channels in which feedback are gotten would be seen as

the mechanisms. There are phone-ins, letters and e-mail. Lately through the invent and

growth of social media like facebook, twitter, You-tube, instragram etc feedback is instant.

This mechanism has made for instant and quick feedback for Radio Stations.

There are various advantages of feedback. Feedback is what is got back from listeners in

order to enable to know the kind of program they want to broadcasted on air; it helps to

determine radio programs. This also serves as a way in which media could know how it been

doing in terms of listenership. Feedback also enables Radio stations know the number of

people listening to them and the programmes which they air.

Statement of the Problem.

This research work is to inform radio station to always makes effective use of the feedback,

they get from there listeners. One of the problems is the fact that most media houses follow

the crowd without taking into consideration what particular feedback they get from their

heterogeneous audience.

Initial research for radio programming means gathering, organising and analysing

information of different kinds before planning and production of programmes. A radio

programme is only going to have impact if people are able to hear it.

There are some factors that affect the kind of programmes that would air on radio. These

factors would also affect Radio stations reacting on feedback they get from the public. These

factors include

• Listenership: collect information on the gender, age, social, ethnic and income/wealth group

of listeners and non-listeners.

 Radio ownership including the geographical distribution of control over and access to,

radios among target audience.

• Listening patterns: what are the target audience’s preferred programmes, programme

formats and times of listening.

• Transmission: number and type of stations on air, frequencies, time of transmission.

• Reception: what is the range and quality of reception, what factors influence reception.

• Media ownership: who owns and controls the station(s) and how are they financed.

• Extent of press freedom in the area/country; credibility of stations with the target audience.
Fact still remain that radio station are basically created to serve the purpose of educating,

informing and entertaining but are most media taking all this into consideration, are they

balancing or varying their program with the feedback they get from their listeners. Radio can

play a significant role at the grass roots level for rural development. For instance, issues of

poverty, agriculture, gender inequality, education, social problems among others could be the

focus for programming.

Yet, unless the information is provided in an interesting, accurate and entertaining way,

audiences will tune out.

Producing a good radio programme may seem like a relatively simple task, but in reality it

requires a great deal of thought and effort to provide consumers with something they will

both spend the time to listen to and remember.

This is so, whether the programme is primarily for entertainment (a pop music show, for

example) or whether it is there to inform and explain (news and current affairs).

Making a consumer affairs programme is a particularly good example of radio which is

actively engaged with its audience. Their concerns become your concerns and consumer

issues which you have discovered, and illuminated will enhance their awareness. The chance

to discover what concerns people in their everyday lives, the disagreements which turn into

impassioned debates, the campaigns which catches the imagination of your audience all this

and more will be part of creating a consumer affairs programme. And probably the most

dynamic, and effective, element in your programmes will be the experiences and feelings of

those ‘real people’ your listeners.

Cultural norms and expectations will differ from country to country. What constitutes a

consumer issue in one part of the world might be deemed unimportant in another. But the

basic elements in making a good programme are the same, no matter what part of the world

you live in. Good craftsmanship, focus, enthusiasm, attention to detail, using your
imagination – these exist beyond cultural boundaries, or issues of regional differences.

Wherever you are, and whatever issues you are dealing with, good craftsmanship works.

The listeners you can, and will, attract will depend on what time of day your programme is

broadcast, and on what day of the week it is broadcast. If you have access to any audience

research information, this will help tell you who you’re potential audience is, in terms of age,

sex, employment level and education. A programme can double – or half – its audience

simply by being moved to a different time slot. If you broadcast a particular type of item, you

will attract a particular type of listener.

If, for example, if a Radio Station concentrate on concerns which will be of interest to people

with children, they are unlikely to attract younger single listeners. If they want to attract a

broad general audience they must deal with concerns which will attract a broad audience.

A radio station may or may not want to cover issues which are of interest to listeners with

special interests or requirements. For example, disabled listeners. Regardless of who is

listening, Radio must aim to do the following:

• convince listeners that they are on their side, and interested in what concerns them

• encourage them to feel part of the programme

• encourage them to contribute their views and concerns to the Radio station.

Another problem is that most radio station use feedback but they don’t actually use the

feedback they get from their listeners to create their programs. Often based on their

commercial value of programmes and the marketing capabilities of programmes, Radio

stations tends to develop programmes not based on feedback but on the marketing strength of
such programmes. It is also hard to be convinced that feedback of one listener is that of

another listener.

Research question

 How has feedback help in improving radio?

 How has feedback been a tool of change in radio program?

 How has feedback helped radio in determining their various radio programs?

 Does radio station use feedback mechanism the way they are ought to be used?

 How many stations take the feedback they get from their listeners into consideration

before creating their various programs?

Objective of the study

 To what extent has feedback helped in improving Radio stations.

 To what extent has feedback been a tool for change in Radio program.

 To what extent has feedback help in determining radio programs

 To what extent do radio stations use feedback mechanism

 To what extent do Radio station use feedback got to create their own programs.

Significance of the study

This would enable media house to see the reason why feedback is necessary. It will

Also enable media house to learn to use the feedback they get from people to

determine their program. This would also give an insight into how radio stations
develop their content and it will enable me to know if radio stations use the feedback

they get from their listeners to develop this content.

Scope and limitation

Due to the fact that all radio stations in Nigeria cannot be access, this research work

will be limited to two radio stations which are Ray power Lagos Hope F.M.

Limitation to this work would include getting materials online, in the library and

getting direct and sufficient information from people that work in radio stations.

Operational Definition of Terms.

Feedback: when a receiver answers or responds to the sender through a message or

information is called feedback, in other words, feedback is the reaction to the sender’s

message. Without feedback from the receiver, communication process becomes

incomplete. This feedback may be verbal or non-verbal depending on the situation.

According to Bartol & Mating said feedback is the receiver’s basic response to the

interpreted message.

Feedback is the response by the source to determine if the message has been receiver

and understood thus after the receiver has decodes and interpreted a message then

becomes the sourced also vital part in communication because it enables the original

source to evaluate how the receiver has received his.

Radio: According to Farlex dictionary, it defined radio as a system of

telecommunication employing electromagnetic waves of a particular frequency range

to transmit speech or other sound over a long distance without the use of wires.

Feedback mechanism: is defined as the information produced by a receiver and

perceived by a sender that informs the sender of the receiver’s reaction to the
 message, feedback is a cyclic part of the process of communication that regulates and

modifies the content of messages.

Radio program: is the broadcast programming of a radio format or content that is

organized for commercial broadcasting and public broadcasting of a radio station.

Tool: is defined as a device or implement, especially, one held in the hand used to
carry out a particular function.

Programs: According to oxford advanced learners dictionary, it is a film, play, activity

etc that is broadcast on television for people to watch or on radio for them to listen to. It is a
schedule of activities to be carried out and aired in a media house, be it radio or television.

CHAPER TWO
Radio is one of the basic means of transmitting message to a large heterogeneous audience,

which is portable and can easily be bought and access by any individual because of it

durability.