Assessment of Radio Listening Habits of Undergraduate Students of Imo State University, Nigeria

Abstract

This study examined the radio listening habit of Imo State University undergraduate students. The study was anchored on two theories namely: theory of listener sponsored radio and uses and gratification theory. The study adopted the mixed method research design using survey and in-depth interview methods. The population of the study was the 18,000 undergraduate students of Imo State University, Owerri. The Taro Yamane’s formula was used to arrive at a sample size of 400 respondents for the survey aspect of the study, while 11 respondents were interviewed for the qualitative aspect of the work. The cluster and judgmental sampling techniques were used for the study. Questionnaire and interview guide were the instruments for data collection. Findings revealed that 63% of the respondents listen to radio often. It was also revealed that over 70% of the respondents prefer listening to news programmes. Result of the chi-square test revealed that at X² (4, N=389) = 253.6, p < 0.00, students’ listenership to radio programme is dependent on the type of programme aired. It was recommended that students should continue to listen to radio programmes in order to add to their wealth of knowledge and escape the stress associated with busy academic calendar.

Key Words: Radio listening habits, Uses and Gratification Theory, Listener Sponsored Radio theory