Socio-personal, Communicational and Psychological Profile of Community Radio Listeners in Madhya Pradesh, India

Abstract

Community radio stations serve as vital intermediaries, bridging the knowledge gap between agricultural research institutions and rural farming communities by translating scientific findings into accessible, locally relevant information. The study was conducted to understand the characteristics and preferences of the local audience who listen to community radio stations. The study involved interviewing 320 respondents from Madhya Pradesh state of India and Frequency, Percentage, Mean and Standard Deviation etc. statistical tools were used to analysis the data. The insights gained can help in improving community radio programming to better serve the needs of the farming community and other local audiences. The study indicated that a considerable proportion of respondents (65.31%) were middle-aged, with males forming the majority (74.69%), and most being married (90.63%). About 41.56% of the participants belonged to nuclear families, while 48.75% were members of medium-sized households. Educational attainment up to the secondary level was observed among 23.44% of farmers, and 18.44% were primarily engaged in farming. In terms of behavioral characteristics, 48.33% exhibited a moderate level of information-seeking behavior, whereas 61.56% showed a medium degree of exposure to mass media. Likewise, 66.88% demonstrated a medium level of social participation, 48.44% displayed moderate openness to change, and 40.68% reflected a medium degree of achievement motivation. Furthermore, 57.19% of respondents expressed a moderate level of creativity, 54.06% possessed medium communication skills, and 56.25% exhibited a medium level of perception about Community Radio stations.