AUDIENCE PERCEPTION OF RADIO BROADCASTING AS A TOOL FOR CREATING AWARENESS ON GIRL-CHILDEDUCATION IN KADUNA STATE: A STUDY OF KSMC RADIO’S A CECE SU.
ABSTRACT
The major focus of this study is to find out how the audience perceives the radio programme A Cece Su (which means Let’s Save Them in the Hausa language) as a tool for creating awareness of girl-child developmental issues. The survey method was adopted for the study. A questionnaire containing multiple-choice and written-response questions was administered to three hundred (300) respondents from three randomly selected local government areas of Kaduna state in Northwest Nigeria. Data obtained from copies of the returned questionnaires were analysed using simple percentages and chi-square-based statistics. Analyses reveal that majority of respondents do not see the selected radio broadcast programme as sufficient on its own (in its present form) to bring about increased awareness on issues concerning the girl- child, her education and development. Particular important are concerns by many respondents in their written responses on how broadcast messages could help feed the girl-child and hence their recommendations for functional education that translates to income generation to be a part of the broadcast. Their recommendations are consistent with the Social Responsibility model  of  the  press.  Furthermore,  chi-square  analyses  of  the  results  at  the  5%  level  of significance showed some statistically important demographic differences that could inform policy in favour of the girl-child.  Particularly, statistically significant (p<0.001) and strong (Cramer’s V parameter 0.52) differences were found for radio access in favour of the male and for opinions on equal gender opportunities and educational level (p<0.001 and Cramer’s V of 0.47), with educated respondents showing a bias for equal opportunities. The former could inform a radio drive to provide radios for females while the latter indicates a bias that is consistent with the interaction and social integration aspects of the Uses and Gratification model (one of the audience perception theories).
CHAPTER ONE
1.0    INTRODUCTION
1.1    Background to the Study.
Population Action International (PAI) (2012) established that population growth is occurring more rapidly in Africa, and also that the continent is lagging behind in female school enrol- ment. Northern Nigeria is worse hit by this problem; in particular female literacy is much lower in Nigeria than in countries like South Africa, Kenya, Cameroon and Ghana. The gen- der ratio of population in Northern Nigeria  and the gender enrolment ratio indicates a dis- proportionate female representation in schools these statistics coupled with the widely held notion that female child survival rates are generally higher than that for the male child (Awogbade, 1990a), gives more urgency to the cause of female child education.
The legally defined rights of the female child are fully articulated in the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) (Hodges, 2001), and the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) (Hodges, 2001), which emphasize the need for urgent intervention by all stakeholders.
The role of mass communicators for creating awareness on the need to bring and keep the female child in school, so that she can get at least a functional education, cannot be overem- phasized. This is believed to be invaluable in helping to achieve the education for all (EFA) goals that seek to among other things achieve gender equality in education by 2015 (Hodges, 2001).
The radio is considered to be one of the most powerful information dissemination medium available to the mass communicator. It is considered to be one of the most effective  for development  communication  purposes  especially  in  the  rural  areas  (Ojebode  &  Adegbola, 2007). This is because radio waves are easily accessible and the radio is believed to be the cheapest technology in terms of first and maintenance costs.
Daniel Lerner cited in Seers (1997) in his book The Passing of Traditional Society which was published in 1958 wrote what is still considered today as one of the most rational argu- ments for modernization. Along with other scholars like McAnany and Jamison (1987), Ler- ner viewed mass media, especially radio as the means by which people of the Third World could be influenced. His ideas had several critics who viewed his position as ethnocentric and a ploy by the West to force capitalism on disempowered people of the Third World countries. This study therefore seeks to examine the role of the radio broadcast programme A Cece Su as a tool for creating awareness on developmental issues pertaining to girl child education in Northern Nigeria. This is because development communication scholars believe that several aspects of national development revolve around proper and adequate use of relevant radio broadcast messages (McAnany & Jamison, 1987).
An important consideration here is how the audience perceive and are influenced by the radio messages. It would be important to know what they use the messages for in light of the Uses and Gratification model (a subset of Audience Theory) (Lull, 1990) or if they had a preferred, oppositional or negotiated disposition to the broadcast messages as another Audience Theory, the Reception Model suggests (Hall, 1980).
Radio is the chosen medium because it is relatively cheap and available, there is also an ade- quate radio broadcasting infrastructure in Nigeria which has existed since the 1940’s (Umar 1997)  Also, and most importantly, the Northern audience is considered to be essentially a listening audience (Yusuf, 2003)
As a rural- oriented medium, the radio is believed to have a multiplier effect as A tells B what he heard on radio and so on. This is especially true of rural radio which increases the capacity
for knowledge sharing and potentially the rate of development through community involve- ment.
Mass Communication and Development scholars like Akinfeleye (2008) and Quebral (1973) are of the opinion that, the mass media (in this case radio) constitute both “cause” and “ef- fect” of development where “cause” is the mass media programmes in terms of broadcast media messages and “effects” is the response to the stimuli of messages (Dominick, 2010). In addition to these radio has some unique features  which include portability, cheapness, uni- versality and selectivity (Dominick, 2010).
This study is therefore aimed at assessing the effect of radio on listeners’ awareness.
1.2    Statement of the Problem:
The mass Media particularly the radio is the most important medium for creating awareness on so many issues such as education (Moemeka, 1981). Radio therefore is an indispensable medium for rural development. Some of the obvious advantages of radio over other mediums of information exchange are that it is portable, cheap, and accessible and the signals can be transmitted over a long distance.  In this instance therefore, development experts in the field of education are beginning to realize this advantages and are beginning to utilize them. Radio is a useful medium especially in creating awareness about health.  Health communication is no longer kept at the back door but creating awareness on health related matters is gradually gaining momentum.  The populace no longer relies on information from health officials for their wellbeing, but they seek information from the media on issues relating to their health. People seek information on so many other issues such as education especially as it pertains to the female gender.  Also, the millennium development goal outlines the development of girl- child education as a very important issue and it is on the front burner of all government poli- cies and objectives. Education is a catalyst for growth, but unfortunately, the girl-child educa-
* MSC MASS COMM.