Radio Listening Habits and Preferences

Abstract

There is need to understand the place of radio in this era of proliferation of new communication technologies and in an age apparently dominated by electronically generated visual information via the internet or television. Radio is basically a non-visual media platform hence the need to understand how it is faring in this new mass media landscape. More crucially is an investigation into the radio consumption habits, preferences and experiences among children aged below 15 and born into this internet era. This study examines how these children interact with radio, the media platforms they use to access radio, their preferred radio content and the reasons behind their preferred content. The study draws upon quantitative research method where the questionnaire as a research tool was heavily deployed. Focus Discussion Groups came in handy too under the qualitative approach in collecting data on a sample of a hundred respondents compromising of children and adults ranging from the rural to urban settings in Kenya. These different geographical settings are aimed at revealing any possible radio consumption variations among children in these areas. The research established that many children know what radio is and indeed listen to it and that children in the rural areas consume radio more frequently than their urban counterparts. This study also reveals that children still find the traditional radio set relevant and it is indeed their most favourite platform. Generally, it was concluded that most children consume radio purely for entertainment. It is therefore important for radio content producers to relook into their programming so as to cater for the early teenage radio consumers who the study observes also consume adult targeted programmes. Kenya’s Ministry of education too needs to utilize radio more in their educational media services to schools to benefit even children who cannot access internet platforms. Elsewhere, the mass media researcher and radio practitioners need to undertake further studies into the possible conclusion that ‘the higher the media consumer scales up the social and economic ladder, the less their interaction with radio’. Significantly for media researchers and theorists, the study reveals that media content preferences among consumers are not dependent on the ownership or control of the media platform.