The Impact of Radio Broadcast on Residents of Uromi Community

ABSTRACT This study essentially investigates the impact of radio broadcast on Uromi community of Edo State with a view to identify and assess the relative effectiveness of media information and enlightenment through the radio in rural or semi-urban development areas. The choice of radio as a medium of communication in this study is due to the popular belief that, in terms of accessibility, radio broadcast is the cheapest, it’s accessibility or usage cuts across all social and economic classes of the society (the low, middle and upper classes; the literate, semi-literate and illiterate classes) and the most ubiquitous medium of the three conventional mass media – the other two being the television and the newspaper. However in recent times in Nigeria, radio broadcast is often relegated as a very reliable means of passing information and creating awareness because it is no longer as popular as the television, the print media and the internet. This study therefore used the questionnaire instrument in eliciting relevant data from Uromi community residents in order to assess and ascertain the peoples’ awareness level of the importance of the radio as a medium of communication, their accessibility of the medium and its impact on their political, social and economic consciousness. The questionnaires were administered to 50 randomly selected Uromi residents who can read and write. Simple percentage descriptive method was used to analyse and describe data. The findings validated the assumptions of the study that the awareness level of Uromi residents as to the relevance of the radio as a medium of mass communication is very high. The findings also included the fact that most Uromi residents still tune in to the radio or access it for news and all kinds of information. Also, the radio has not only kept many Uromi residents abreast of current developments at local, national and international levels, views from radio broadcasts have also helped shape their opinions on issues. The study therefore recommends among others that both government and private media establishments should endeavour to make their radio signals spread strongly to more rural and semi-urban areas because it is still a very reliable and useful means of information dissemination to the people. Media entrepreneurs should continue to find investments in radio broadcast very rewarding because it is still a highly potent media agency for growth and human development.