A STUDY ON THE LISTENERSHIP PATTERN OF RADIO MEDIUM AMONG FEMALE YOUTH POPULATION WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO CHENNAI REGION

Abstract

Radio is the most effective and affordable medium among the various other mediums because of its mobility and its other special characteristics like It doesn’t require any usage of internet and it informs, entertains and educates the public about various aspects. According to the studies of UNESCO,Radio’s audience is consistent throughout the day for adults 18+. 40% of the public listen to radio at around 7am and it remains consistent until 6pm which is the prime time of radio listenership.In accordance with UNESCO studies, Radio counts for 86% of the total time adults aged 25-54 spend listening to main audio platforms. Over the past ten years, Youth Radio projects have been popping up across the world in various shapes and forms. From Bolivia to Bangladesh, New York to New Delhi, and Kinshasa to Kuala Lumpur, Radio Stations are seeing the benefits of getting youth on the airwaves.The Human Rights reports says that, in the process of Radio Production, the youth become conscious of social issues and become responsible citizens. Already, the program is running in 20 schools and colleges across eight cities of Andhra Pradesh. Children are able to understand their rights and responsibility and create a better world.Chennai has more than 6 FM Radio channels which are operational. FM Radio Stations in Chennai play Tamil, Hindi and English music. Popular FM stations in Chennai include Suryan FM and Radio Mirchi and Hello FM.The two private FM stations, Radio Mirchi FM and Suryan FMseem to be popular among the listeners, especially the youth in Chennai City. Youth in the age group of 21 to 30 preferred Radio Mirchi to the top slot with 53.03% audience.Fever FM is a growing radio network in Chennai and the most preferred Radio station for youth with listenership of over 60%.Most respondents, regardless of gender difference, prefer to listen to the radio in the evening. Slightly more male respondents seem to have time to listen to the radio in the morning as they prepare for the day. It appears both female and male are on par listening to the radio during lunch break. Females of age 12-25 years, listen to radio more than that of men. Men listenership is more than women only after the age of 55 years according to reports. Thus the researcher studies the impact of the listenership of the Radio programs  across the youth  population with special reference to Female category in the city of Chennai. The questionnaire was circulated among the female youth population with 20 questions. Data was analyzed and reviewed.

KEY WORDS: Radio Programs, Radio production, Youth Population, Listenership