A CRITICAL APPRAISAL OF LISTENERSHIP PREFERENCE OF FM RADIO STATIONS IN THE TAMALE METROPOLIS OF NORTHERN GHANA

Abstract

Contemporarily, radio remains the most powerful mass communication medium. Regular radio broadcast reaches out to a vast number of audiences and caters for the aspirations of the masses by providing information, education and entertainment. Now wide-band FM radio has very high quality transmission medium for its coverage areas. The paper examined listenership preferences of FM radio stations, programs patterns and habits of audience in the Tamale Metropolis. The paper adopted a crosssectional survey design and proportional size to sampling techniques for selection of communities. Out of the total of 400 questionnaires distributed, 392 were retrieved and analysed. The study established that an overwhelming majority preferred FM radio to state-owned-radio and Zaa radio rated highly preferred FM radio station in the Metropolis. The study also indicated that discussions and phone-inprograms are most preferred programs. The paper recommended that state-owned-radio be decentralized to enable it design community based programs to cater for the audiences. It also recommended that radio be used for information disseminating tool to the communities instead of being a propaganda machinery to sail through government policies and programs.