udience receptions analysis of “dorgaa-dorgee” oromia radio entertainment program: the case of ghimbi distric
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Date
2010-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
This research was aimed at exploring how audiences make sense of, interpret, relate to, and construct their
own meanings out of the messages encoded by the producers of “DORGAA-DORGEE” Oromia Radio
Entertainment Program.
The study area was Ghimbi District, West Wollega Zone, Oromia Regional State. Two kebeles were selected
based on convenience sampling technique. The study subjects were also recruited from their respective
kebeles with the essence of purposive sampling. The study employed quantitative and qualitative techniques
to collect the data. The results of the two data sets were triangulated to complement each other.
The attempt made in the study could indicate essential insight in the investigation of audiences’ receptions of
“DORGAA-DORGEE” entertainment radio program. As the data indicated, the majority of the respondents
have positive attitude towards the radio program. The respondents were able to accept and react positively
to the content elements more close, familiar and unthreatening to their life.
As the study reflected, the respondents paid more attention to things they encounter within their life space.
The majority of the respondents were able to relate the content elements of the radio program to their social
reality. Audiences at some level of educational status and with some professional background tend to make
sense of the program messages in line with the media intention. With this regard, the data results also
indicated that the media producers focused at satisfying the interests of educated social groups in conducting
the radio contest.
The majority of rural respondents tend to display that the entertainment radio program centers more the
interests of urban audiences. On the contrary, the producers displayed that the radio program is designed to
entertain the entire radio listeners regardless of socio-demographic characteristics. With this regard, the
data tend to confirm that there is perception gap between the media producers and the radio listeners.
The popularity of issues treated in the radio program could encourage the reception of the radio program
message. However, the respondents were selective in their listening to the program contents. The majority of
Christian religion followers (protestant) tend to avoid listening to the music elements of the radio production
mainly because of their religious ideologies.
The study displayed that radio accessibility influences listening to the entertainment radio program. With this
regard, the survey result indicated that the majority of rural respondents face more difficulty to get radio. On
the other hand, language use in the radio broadcast is also a challenge for the majority of rural respondents
to draw clear message out of the radio text. Besides, the radio broadcast time was not convenient for the
majority of rural respondents mainly because of rural farm work conditions. Like wise, the qualitative result
revealed that due to problems related to transmission clarity, the respondents face difficulty in receiving the
radio program.
The study revealed that the respondents decode the media message beyond its social meanings. I n addition
to the intended social meanings encoded in the program, listeners attached political meanings to the
program. The study also shows three decoding strategies: accepting, negotiating and opposing the encoded
messages with varied degrees.
The reception analysis seems to reveal that the producers’ field of experience, to a considerable extent, over
laps with the audiences’ field of experience which could encourage the receptions of the intended media
message. However, the study indicated there is no one-to-one relationship between the encoded message and
audiences’ subjective interaction, so that the same content element of the radio program could produce
varied meanings.
As the study indicated, media meaning is reconstructed in the audiences through reception. Meaning of the
program message, with this regard, is not the same even within audiences in the same social location and
context. The reception study also tends to reflect that ‘’DORGAA –DORGEE’’ radio program is more of
educational rather than entertainment.
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Keywords
oromia radio entertainment program: the case of ghimbi distric