Audience Perception of the Relevance of Radio Programmes in Political Participation Among Edo Youth (a Case Study of Dream 92.5 Fm)

Abstract
Audience perception of the relevance of radio programmes in political participation among
Edo youth is investigated in this study. The importance of radio in political participation has
been proven by scholars. Thus, this study builds on the success of radio in this area to ascertain
if the same result can be replicated in Edo state, Nigeria. Using the Media dependency theory
as a base, this study takes readers on a journey to understanding the focus of the theory which
lies in the fact that media and their audiences should be studied in the context of larger social
systems. When people need more information, they turn to the media; People have different
goals they want to satisfy and the media always has a solution for them. The study was
anchored on the survey research method and the instrument for data collection was a well
structure questionnaire that was designed to elicit a response from 132 respondents who got
copies of the questionnaire through a face-to-face approach. Data collected was presented
using a frequency table with analyses for proper understanding. The data were analysed to
determine the motives behind their preference of either online or hardcopy papers. the study
reaffirmed the position of scholars on the subject of investigation, indicating that Edo youth
behaviour towards political activities is strongly affected by radio broadcast. The study
recommends that more effort is needed to ensure the information on the radio is knocked
together to positively influence the behaviour of people and their thought on election processes
in Nigeria.