A RESEARCH PROPOSAL

ON

AUDIENCE ASSESSMENT OF ‘VIEWPOINT’ ONRHYTHM 93.7FM: A PORT HARCOURT CITY

SURVEY.

PRESENTED BY

UWALAKA TEMPLE U.BDE:2004/2566

DEPARTMENT OF MASS COMMUNICATION,FACULTY OF MANAGEMENT SCIENCES, RIVERS

STATE UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE ANDTECHNOLOGY, NKPOLU-OROWORUKWO

PORT HARCOURT.

SUPERVISOR:DR. G.B OKON

JULY 2008.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Abstract -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

i

Table of contents -- -- -- -- -- -- --

ii

Chapter one: Introduction

1.1 Background of the study -- -- -- -- --

1

1.1.1 Brief History of Rhythm 93.7 FM -- --

-- -- 7

1.2 Statement of the Problem -- -- -- -- --

8

1.3 Objective of the Study -- -- -- -- --

-- 8

1.4 Research Questions -- -- -- -- -- --

9

1.5 Significance of the Study -- -- -- -- --

10

1.6 Theoretical Framework -- -- -- -- -- 10

1.7 Limitations of the Study -- -- -- -- --

11

1.8 Operational Definition -- -- -- -- --

11

Chapter Two: Literature Review

2.1 Review of Concept -- -- -- -- -- --

13

2.1.1 Broadcast Programmes -- -- -- -- --

-- 13

2.1.2 Broadcast Programmes Classifications --

-- -- 15

2.2 Review of Related Studies -- -- -- -- --

17

2.2.1 Review of Audience -- -- -- -- --

-- 17

2.2.2 Audience Response -- -- -- -- --

-- 19

2.2.3 The Nature of Perception and Cognition

-- -- 21

2.2.4 Perception and Behaviour -- -- -- --

-- 25

2.3 Summary -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 28

Chapter Three: Research Methodology

3.1 Research Design -- -- -- -- -- -- --

30

3.2 Sampling Procedure -- -- -- -- -- --

31

3.3 Data Collection Method -- -- -- -- --

31

3.4 Data Analysis Technique -- -- -- -- --

32

References -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

33

Appendix -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 36

Questionnaire -- -- -- -- -- -- --

37

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The broadcast industry which consist of Radio

and television like their print counterparts has

many functions to carry out in the society. Harold

Lasswell, a communication scholar identified some

as, surveillance of the environment, correlation of

the different parts of the society and transmission

of cultural heritage from one generation to the

other.

Furthermore, McQuail et al (1992) dovetailed

the role of the media within the framework of

“individual functionalism”. Okon (2001:36). This

framework look at the media from the point of view

of their audience, their motives for media usage

and consequences resulting from media usage. From

their typology, the media audience, their usage and

consequences are sectionalized into the following

categories:

CATEGORY I

Finding out about relevant events and

conditions in their immediate surroundings,

society and the world.

Seeking advice on practical matters or opinion

and decision choices.

Satisfying curiosity and general interest

Learning, self education

Gaining a sense of security through knowledge

CATEGORY II

Finding reinforcement for personal values

Finding models of behaviour

Identifying with values

Gaining insight into oneself

CATEGORY III

Integrating and social interaction

Gaining insight into circumstances of others,

social empathy

Identifying with others and gaining a sense of

belonging

Finding a basis for conversation and social

interaction

Having a substitute for real life companionship

Helping to carry out social roles

Enabling one to connect with family, friends

and society

CATEGORY IV

Entertainment

Escaping or being diverted from problems

Relaxing

Getting intrinsic cultural or aesthetic

enjoyment

Filling time

Emotional release

Distillations of the above functions will in simple

terms show that the media perform the following

functions; news, economic, entertainment,

political, pointing out needs and solutions and

interpreting state and national news, Okon

(2001:42).

Many years ago, there was no competition on the

part of broadcast stations about their market

(audience). This was due to the monopoly of the

broadcast industries then by government stations.

But since the granting of license to private

broadcast stations which brought Rhythm 93:7fm to

life, there have been proliferation of broadcast

stations in the state. In Port Harcourt city

alone we have about five radio stations viz; radio

Rivers, Ray Power, rhythm, Love fm, and Garden city

radio.

The proliferation made the audience the “chief”

and broadcasters the “subjects”.

Apparently, the programmes department of the

station went on “war” of winning the market

(audience) in order to lure advertisers to the

station which is the revenue base of the stations.

It is sequel to the above, that “viewpoint” was

initiated by rhythm 93.7fm. Although media effect

has been posing a lot of problems and controversy,

its opposers raises such puzzle as “who sets the

agenda, the media or the society? This is because

of the heated arguments of effects of the media on

the people.

The notion of all powerful effect of media

which anchors their argument on agenda setting

believes that the audience of a mass media can be

changed through selective presentation. They

further posited that the effect of the mass media

is enormous, no wonder the likes of Napoleon

Bonaparte has stated that “three hostile

“newspapers” are to be feared than one thousand

bayonets” and Thomas Jefferson who posited that

“were it left for me to decide whether we should

have a government without ‘newspapers’ or

‘newspapers’ without government, I should not

hesitate to prefer the latter”.

Conversely, the notion of powerful effect of

the media has been subject of consistent doubt.

Researchers on the minimal effect cite uses and

gratification. Working on this premises, Klapper

(1960) in the effects of mass communication cited

in Okon (2001:118) noted that:

Mass communication ordinarily does notserve as a necessary and sufficient course ofaudience effects, but rather function betweenand among and through a nexus ofmediating factors and influences.

The fulcrum of this work therefore is to

evaluate and determine audience assessment of

‘viewpoint’ on Rhythm 93.7fm while Port Harcourt

city shall be the peripheral domain of this

research.

The researcher will strive to ascertain how the

people perceive ‘viewpoint’, if the programme

serves them the functions of mass media as

enumerated in the opening paragraphs of this work.

Beyond that, the researcher want to know if

‘viewpoint’ influences the opinion of the people on

issues and persons raised through the presentation

of the programmes. In all, the people will be

tested to know if they like or abhor the programme.

1.1.1 BRIEF HISTORY OF RHYTHM 93.7FM PORT

HARCOURT

Rhythm 93.7 which is a wholly owned Nigerian

broadcasting company managed and run by the Morris

Bruce family, commenced her transmission on the

month of October 2002 in Port Harcourt with her

main goals as the achievement of maximum

entertainment and information of her audience. In

order to achieve this ultimate goals of hers, she

was able to run a 24 hours service, this made her

the first broadcasting station to run a 24 hours

shift.

Furthermore, the organization consists of the

following; the administrative head, news

department, traffic, accounting, programmes,

production, marketing and engineering departments.

More so, the radio station has as her vision,

to be the leading entertainment and communication

organization in Africa, driven by creative and

visionary profession and has her mission as

“forecast broadcasting organization, capturing of

exceeding expectation of our universal audiences

through contemporary entertainment”.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The proliferation of radio stations in Port

Harcourt has placed radio stations managers on the

alert and this call for the production of good

programs. In order to ascertain the place of

‘viewpoint’,(i.e) if it is in the locus of good

programme or the other way.

Therefore, the basis for this study was to find

out how much time the audience in Port Harcourt

city spend listening to rhythm 93.7fm.

The selection of Rhythm 93.7fm by advertisers

is an endorsement that many people listen to the

station. The question is: Do viewpoint contribute

to this listening audience?

In addition to that, there shall be an

examination so as to know what callers want and

derive during the programme on Saturdays. What use

is the programme to them (audience). These are some

of the questions to which this study seeks to

proffer answers.

1.3 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The following are the objectives of this study:

1. To ascertain audience perception of

‘viewpoint’ on Rhythm 93.7fm

2. To evaluate audience assessment of

‘viewpoint’ as an informative programme.

3. To determine the extent to which audience

assessment of viewpoint contribute to

advertisers interest in the station or

advertisers disinterest in the station

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

As a basis upon which this study is conducted,

the following research questions are relevant;

1. How does the audience perceive ‘viewpoint’ on

Rhythm 93:7fm?

2. What are the effects of Rhythm 93:7fm’s

‘viewpoint’ on their audience?

3. Do ‘viewpoint’ contribute to advertisers’

interest on Rhythm 93:7fm?

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study when completed will be beneficial to

Rhythm 93.7fm and advertisers cum

production/manufacturing companies.

Rhythm 93.7 will be able to know how effective

viewpoint is and will adjust where necessary.

More so, this study will give the advertisers

the audience assessment of Rhythm 93:7fm and thus,

leading to effective advertising.

The general public will learn a lot from this

study.

Finally, it would be of great importance to

people wishing to carry out research on similar

topics.

1.6 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

The mass communication theory that is best for this

study is the uses and gratification theory.

The theory was propounded by Katz in 1970 and

it is concerned with how people use media for the

gratification of their needs. It propounds the fact

that people choose what they want to see or read

and the different media compete to satisfy each

individual’s need.

1.7 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

The constraints of this study as in most

academic research of this nature has to do with

time factor, financial constraints and finally,

sources of information in order to carryout this

study. This study is also restricted to residents

of Port Harcourt City in Rivers State.

1.8 OPERATIONAL DEFINITION

Some terms used here required clarification as

to their contextual meanings:

AUDIENCE: This is a group of people who listen to a

particular radio station.

VIEWPOINT: This is a current affairs and political

phone-in talk show that is used educating,

informing and mobilizing the audience of Rhythm

93:7fm.

ASSESSMENT: This is an opinion or judgement about

somebody or something that has been thought about

very carefully.

CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

This chapter will critically review the related

literature of previous scholars which will enhance

thorough investigation of the topic under research.

The chapter is divided into two, the first part

will be the review of concepts and the second part

will be the review of related studies. There will

also be sub-divisions.

2.1 REVIEW OF CONCEPTS

This part of the chapter will commence with

broadcast programmes and likely audience for

‘viewpoint’.

2.1.1 BROADCAST PROGRAMME

The broadcast programme is designed by the

programme department of any broadcast station. It

is the sequential outline of events. Broadcast

programme is the sequential arrangement of

information, music and specialty in a desired form

Okon (2001). The programme of any broadcast station

matters a lot. The production of a good programme

will cause audience preference drive (Station

Loyalty) which will bring about advertisement.

Advertisement is the major source of revenue for

broadcast stations.

The programme department has the onus of

bringing listeners/viewers to the station and it is

sequel to this that Nwanze (2003) posited thus:

As the name suggests the programmedepartment deals with programmes andprogramming. The main function of theprogramme’s department is the scheduling ofdifferent categories of programmes withintime segments that best guarantee highestaudience viewership (listening) preference,attention and penetration.

Okon (2001) made similar point when he stated

that programming is the pulse of every broadcast

station because:

It attracts listeners/viewers to the station. Theabove will in turn attract advertisers whichdefinitely will influence the revenue to thestation.

He is stressing on the fact that good

programmes at good times, wins audience preferences

in favour of the station. Advertisers are attracted

to advertise on the station knowing that they can

reach more consumers of their products and services

through the station.

2.1.2 BROADCAST PROGRAMMES CLASSIFICATION

According to Webster’s Ninth Collegiate

dictionary, “a programme is “a plan or a system

under which action may be taken towards a goals”.

Inferring from this, the goal of broadcasting is to

inform, educate and entertain their audience. The

plan under which this action is carried out is in

three-fold consisting of information, music and

specialty. These three components in professional

circles are taken to encapsulate the programmes of

a given broadcast station.

INFORMATION: This is a packaged bulletin consisting

of timely events and messages that will enable

listeners adapt knowledgeably to the society and

react intelligently to the environment.

It is divided into; all news, all-talks and

talk news. My concern here is in the second “All

talk” which has to do with call-in programmes on

topical and controversial issues. ‘Viewpoint”

belongs to this category.

The audience that may likely listen to

“viewpoint” are information seeking individuals

most likely those between the ages of 26 and above,

the educated, elderly and politically sensitive

persons in the society. Wade and Schramm (1969)

found out in a study that “information programmes

are likely to be used regularly by better educated

groups and elderly than others” in the same study,

they found out that “consumption of sports news,

music and cartoons tend to decrease with the rise

in standard of education” most importantly they

found out that “there is a positive correlation

between age, status and choice of media content.

Ashiem (1949) found out in his study that age

has an important factor in determining what

individual prefer as far as media content is

concerned. Cohen (1949) also observed that with an

increase in such variables like age, education etc

the media are used more for information and less

for entertainment. He succinctly concluded that:

Basically, it is educational level and age cumpolitical drive that seem to be best factors ofusing media content in international affairs.

2.2 REVIEW OF RELATED STUDIES

In this, part, we will look at audience,

perception and cognition.

2.2.1 REVIEW OF AUDIENCE

The numbers of persons that listen to a

particular radio station are the audience of such

stations. We have two types of audience and they

are; active and inactive audiences.

ACTIVE AUDIENCE: The audience of mass

communication is said to be active when they know

how and why they use the media. Different members

of the audience for different reasons are active in

choosing which medium of mass communication to

expose themselves to: listen to radio for instance

rather than read a magazine. Okunna (1999). She

further stated that “they (audience) are also

active in deciding which sections and programmes of

the selected medium to use’.

According to Rao (1975) he posited that:

Studies of the mass communication processshow that everywhere media audiences arenot passive and it is they, infact, who reachout to media of their choice … for articles andother media contents

INACTIVE AUDIENCE: This is for audience that cannot

differentiate the programmes they need. Those are

the people called the “masses, goons, and the

hoipollois” Amadi (2003) He was referring to the

birth of the masses (inactive audience) when he

stated that:

It was found to be so because these masseshaving been uprooted from their ruralcultural roots and marooned into a fledglingurban center, a center without any

established norm, found no moral prop torecline on. In other words, they become asponge very ready to soak up what ever wasthrown at them as a make up norm for theirown traditional norm which the new urbanlife had diluted if not erased.

These are the kind of people about whom Alexis

deTocqueville (1969) quoted in Amadi (2003)

described their grooming and tutelage in the

following manner:

Over this kind of men stands an immense protectivepower which is alone responsible for securing theirenjoyment and watching over their fate. That power isabsolute, thoughtful of detail, orderly, providential andgentle. It would resemble parental authority if, father likeit tried to prepare its charges for a man’s life, but on thecontrary, it only tries to keep them in perpetualchildhood. It likes to see the citizens enjoy themselves,provided they think of nothing but enjoyment. It gladlyworks for their happiness but wants to be the sole agentand judge thereof. It provides for their security, foreseesand supplies their necessities, facilitates their pleasures,manages their principal concerns, directs their industries,makes rules for their testaments and divides theirinheritances. Why should it not entirely relieve them fromthe trouble of thinking and all the cares of living?

2.2.2 AUDIENCE RESPONSE

Researches on media communications has revealed

several dimensions within each of the four levels

of viewers response discussed below (see) Leavith,

H, 1968 Plummer, (1970).

These four levels are;

- The conscious level

- The immediate perceptual level

- The retention or learning level and

- The behavioural level

One indication that unconscious response to media

content takes place maybe seen in the physiological

responses, such as galvanic skin responses and

heart beat rate, that have been measured in the

laboratory. The present knowledge in this area is

that reliable differences between stimuli effects

can be measured. However, what the various

differences means are still equivocal.

The second level of response is seen in the

immediate cognitive responses that a listener has

while listening to a broadcast programme. This

level relates to the feelings, emotions, personal

experiences that the programme arouses in the

listener (Plummer, 1970) Recall of specific

elements or product claims is part of the retention

process, so are the attitudes and image stored and

retrieved at a later time. This level of retention

has been indicated by years of delayed recall at

varying time-delay, the most common, being twenty

four hours (Grass, 1965). In discussing the

findings in a study on response, Plummer (1970)

remarks:

It appears that the amount of person is ableto recall or play back is a function of many

variable such as the interviewing time, thenumber of cues provided to aid recall, theinterest of the person in the product categoryetc. but there can be little question thatretention and recall take place and constitutea major response mode to communicationprocess.

The final level of response is the action or

behaviour that takes place as a result of the

communication experience. This level of response is

less traceable to a particular programme and is

farthest removed in time. Immediate behaviour can

take place.

2.2.3 THE NATURE OF PERCEPTION AND COGNITION

How an individual perceive stimulus, product,

promotional messages, informative messages and even

the source of such message, largely determines how

the individuals act. Berelson and Steiner (1965)

have defined perception more formally as “the

process by which an individual selects, organize,

and interprets information inputs to create a

meaningful picture of the world”.

Individuals can have vastly differing

interpretations of the same situation. Whilst all

human beings receive information through the same

five senses-vision, hearing, smell, taste and

touch, the extent to which they attend to a piece

of information and how information is interpreted

tends to differ. It differs because perception is a

product of three valuable.

The physical stimuli (e.g. the programme). The

relationship between the stimuli and the immediate

environment and the psychology of the individual.

To avoid error in programmes for the audience

will require that we look at the interpretive

communities’ outlook. In this outlook, the audience

of the media is seen as made up of different

interpretative communities. Each evaluation,

behaviour and attitude are concepts whose meaning

determines what an individual consumes and because

such concepts as “belief”, “evaluation”, “attitude”

and “behaviour” feature prominently when culture as

a concept is explained. Thomas Lindlof and Timothy

P. Meyer (1987) argue that whatever media consumed

by a member of the audience depends on the cultural

construction of that member vis-à-vis the audience

members’ culture- induced belief, attitude and

behaviour towards the media and the media’s

content. In other words, our enquiry will require a

deeper search into the psychological/social

variables that govern intention and motive. Such a

search requires that we invoke the theory of

“reasoned Action” propounded by Fishbein and Ajzen

(1980) According to this theory, our resolved to

do something or not to do it (i.e. our-behaviour)

results in parts from intentions, derived from a

complex outcome of attitudes. Put another way, and

in view of our study, intention or do we say, the

intention of people to consumed depends or is

determined by the people’s attitude towards the

media (Attitude object) this attitude on its own,

depends on the people’s belief about the media

(i.e. regarding whether the media are inferior,

superior, contains anything worth checking out)

plus how other people, the native and expatriates

alike want the consuming audience to behave towards

the media. Graphically, this theory goes this way:

B1 = ABW. + (SN)W2

B1 = behaviour intention

AB = Attitudes towards the behaviour

SN = subjective norm (what others thinks about

attitude

towards behaviour)

W1 = Weight of attitude

W2 = Weight of subjective norm.

This formula reads as follows:

Your intention to do something equals your attitude

towards the behaviour times the strength of

attitude plus what others think times the strength

of their opinion. Amadi F (2003).

Adding to the Fray which frowns at using

conscious intentional behaviour in the absence of

social factors to determine the media consumption

behaviour is Carrangee (1991) when he remarked:

“In their desire to examine audience use of the

media content, interpretative studies largely have

ignored the organizational and economic factors

that influences the media text … Their

interpretative projects’ failure to incorporate

research examining encoding processes reduces media

text to autonomous signifying systems; they are

cut-off from their origin in organizational

routines and procedures”

The arguments above tally with the ones of Elihu

Katz, Jay-g. Blumer and Michael Gurevitch (1974)

who stated that the social and environmental

circumstances that lead people to turn to the mass

media for satisfaction of certain needs are so

little understood yet to be given a simplistic-

reductionist interpretation.

As a recap to the implication of their

evidence, that is the evidence of the earlier

mentioned scholars; McQuail, Blumer and Brown

(1972) pointed out that:

The relationship between content categories and

audience needs is farless tidy and more complex

than most commentators have appreciated …. One

man’s source of escape from the real world is a

point of anchorage to another man’s place in it.

2.2.4 PERCEPTION AND BEHAVIOUR

There is more to perception than meets the eye.

What a person perceives depends not only on the

energy charges transmitted from the physical world

through his sense organs, but also on his past

experience. He expectations or wants is used to

seeing some things more than others. The less

information he gets from outside, the more he

supplies from these expectations, needs and habit.

He also ignores or screens out threatening stimuli.

Raymond (1974) noted that perception is selective,

organizational, interpretative and defensive.

There are two basic parameters of a perceiving

organism (Kotler, 2006, Nsuke 2007) these

parameters are the range and sensitivity. His range

begins at the smallest stimulus value he can

perceive (absolute threshold) His sensitivity is

the least energy change he can detect.

(Differential threshold or JND-Just Noticeable

Difference).

Both of those parameters can be changed

overtime (Raymond, 1974). The absolute visual

threshold, for example Raymond (1974) suggests can

be raise by prolonged exposure to a value 100, 000

times as intense as required after the eye has been

in darkness overnight. In a training study, it was

found that the ability to perceive two lines as

joining or not to be equivalent to the ability to

see a fly on a telephone pole 100 yards away.

Just as human receptors can be extremely

sensitive, especially after disuse, Kotler (2006)

and Raymond (1974) holds that they can be

correspondingly insensitive under conditions of

constant stimulation. They holds that while much of

what we see is selected and arranged according to

our needs and habits, it is never wholly unrelated

to objective stimuli (except in hallucinations) one

of the oldest laws of behaviour relate changes in

perception to changes in physical stimuli like a

programme or media content. It shows that the

large, the stimulus, the more it must be increased

for that change to be noticed. (Stigler, 1950 Kisa

and Weber 1961) Steven (1962), puts forward a more

general law that reduces Weber’s fraction to a

specific case called the psychological power law,

it states that any perceive psychological magnitude

is a linear function of the different between the

two physical magnitudes raised to some power

determined by the sense modality involved.

Symbolically:

Y = K(OI)

2.3 SUMMARY

We have tried to look at broadcast programmes

cum programmes contents (classifications) and we

stated that programming is very important to

audience acceptance or rejection of a solution.

Furthermore, we talk about “viewpoint” (i.e.

informative programmes) likely audience and we used

the studies of Ashiem (1949) and that of Cohen

(1949) to see that its likely audience will be the

elderly, educated and politically sensitive.

We also said something about audience that is

active and inactive audience. That led us to

audience response and then the last, the nature of

perception and cognition cum perception and

behaviour. All these point to the fact that the

individuals exposes their self to a programme to be

informed, but the media may use techniques like

priming, receive, acceptance and sample (RAS) Model

cum media cutting and framing to set the agenda for

the people.

CHAPTER THREE

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This chapter is specifically designed to show

the various processes involved in obtaining and

analyzing the audience assessment of “viewpoint” on

Rhythm 93.7, Port Harcourt.

According to Ogolo (1996), Research methodology

describes the procedures to be followed in

realizing the goals and objectives of a research.

Ake (1979) also posits that research methodology

“is concerned with the gathering analysis,

measurement and use of research data”. In the same

Vain, Okwandu (2004) states that “the Research

methodology should include each step of the

experiment in the order in which it will be carried

out” they include:

- Research design

- Sampling procedure

- Method of investigation

- Data collection methods and

- Data analyzing technique.

3.1 RESEARCH DESIGN

A research connotes the specification of

methods and procedures for acquiring the

information needed to structure or to solve

problems. It is a programme that guides the

investigator in the process collecting, analyzing

and interpreting observations. It allows inferences

concerning causal relations and defines the domain.

The research design is a framework or plan that

is used as a guide in collecting and analyzing the

data for a study. Baridam (1995).

This, address the issues of how the study’s

subjects will be brought into the scope of the

study and how they will be employed within the

research setting, to yield the required data

(Abbellah and Levine, 1979 in Baridam, 1995).

This study adopts a quasi- experimental

research design. This method is necessary because

the subjects under study are not directly under the

control of the researcher.

3.2 SAMPLING PROCEDURE

The study population comprises of the audience

of Rhythm 93.7fm in Port Harcourt city. This study

adopts a convenient sampling techniques, this is

because the audience (population) is too large for

the period of time allocated for the study. A total

number of 200 questionnaire was distributed, 180

questionnaire was retrieve and the total number of

160 questionnaire are useable.

3.3 DATA COLLECTION METHOD

The questionnaire is used in data collection.

This method was chosen to allow data collection to

be completed within the time frame allowed for the

study because personal interview would have been

time consuming and expensive. The questionnaire are

personally administered and retrieved after a week.

This allowed time for proper responses.

3.4 DATA ANALYSIS TECHNIQUE

Data are presented in frequency distribution

tables and followed by brief explanatory note. Data

are analyzed using simple percentages. This is done

by dividing the response frequency by the total

number of respondents and multiplying the results

by 100 mathematically, it is stated thus:

Percentage% = response frequency x 100 Total number of respondents

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Ogolo, M. B. (1996): Student Guide to WritingResearch and Project andProposals: Port Harcourt: CityCreeks Publishers.

Okon, g.B. (2001): Basic Dimensions in MassCommunication: Lagos HdXCommunications Ltd.

Okunna, (1999): Introduction to Mass Communication:Engugu: New Generation VenturesLimited.

Rao, Laksh-Mana (1976): The Practice of MassCommunication Some Lessons fromResearch. Paris: UNESCO.

Raymond, C (1974): The Behavioural Sciences, NewYork; Harper and Row.

Thomas, R. Lindlot and Timothy P. Meyer (1987)“Mediated Communication as Way ofSeeing, Acting and ConstructingCulture”. In T.R. Lindlof (ed)Natural Audience QualitativeResearch of Media Uses and EffectsNorwood, N.J. Ablex.

Wade, S. and Schramme W “The Mass Media as Sourceof Public Affairs, Science andHealth Knowledge”.

APPENDIX

Department of MassCommunication

Rivers State University ofScience and Technology, PortHarcourt. Date ……………………….

Dear Respondent,

REQUEST FOR QUESTIONNAIRE RESPONSE

I am an undergraduate student of the above

named university, under taking a study on “audience

Assessment of ‘Viewpoint’ on rhythm 93.7 fm Port

Harcourt”.

Your response to the questionnaire will go a

long way in helping me achieve the purpose of this

study.

I ask that you provide these responses

honestly. This study is academic and so will be

used strictly for that.

Yours faithfully,

Uwalaka, Temple

U.B

QUESTIONNAIRE DESIGN

Please kindly read and complete each item sincerely

and according.

(1) Sex (a) male (b) Female

(2) What is your age?

(a) 15 – 25

(b) 26 – 50

(c) 51 and above

(3) Educational qualification

(a) FSLC

(b) SSC/WASSC

(c) Diploma and above

(4) Do you like listening to radio?

(a) Yes (b) No

(5) Have you heard about viewpoint on Rhythm 93.7

FM?

(a) Yes (b) No

(6) How often do you listen to viewpoint?

(a) Every Saturday

(b) At lest once in every three (3) Saturday

(c) At least one Saturday in a month

(7) What will you say about viewpoint?

(a) Informative

(b) Persuasive

(c) Entertaining

(8) What is your assessment of viewpoint in respect

of information provision?

(a) Highly informative

(b) Moderate information

(c) Slight information

(9) How much does viewpoint attract your attention?

(a) Very seriously

(b) Moderately

(c) Slightly

(10)There is a viewpoint message- “news behind the

news” do you believe that message?

(a) Yes (b) No

(11)Have you had a change of opinion after

listening to viewpoint on an issue in the last

two months?

(a) At least one

(b) At least thrice

(c) At lest five times

(12)How do you rate Rhythm 93.7 fm in terms of

believing “viewpoints” Quest speakers?

(a) Strongly

(b) Moderately

(c) Poorly

(13)Does the ownership structure of Rhythm 93.7 fm

affect your perception on the credibility of

viewpoint?

(a) Strongly

(b) Moderately

(c) Slightly

(14) Do you used to call-in during the programme

(viewpoint)?

(a) Yes (b) No

(15)How many times have you called-in to air your

view on ‘viewpoint’ in the last two months?

(a) 1______ 3

(b) 4_______6

(c) 7_______ 8