The Use of the Car Radio by Nigerian Drive-Time Audiences: an Assessment of the Nigerian 2011 General Elections

Abstract

Latest technological growth has made news gathering and dissemination less burdensome to the mass communication media personnel. Actually, inventing the car radio could have helped information senders reach their audiences outside of their homes, offices, places of business and so on. It may be possible that Drive-Time audiences are also well informed, entertained and educated by using the radio set in their vehicles as they drive along, just like other audiences. Based on this assumption, using the Nigerian 2011 General Elections, the study investigated if Drive-Time audiences actually utilize car radio to receive Political Information Programmes (PIPs) more often than using it to receive or listen to other programmes. More so, if these set of radio audiences actually get well informed about Political Information Programmes (PIPs) and participate in the ever-growing political discourse compared to the audiences at home, offices, business places, among others and the extent to which the Political Information Programmes they receive via the car radio as against other sources affect their decision making about political issues, agenda, ideologies and so on were also investigated. Adopting the survey research method and two instruments that is, in-depth interview and questionnaire chosen, data gathered were analyzed using the simple percentage formula. Hence, it was discovered that car radio was very helpful during the Nigerian 2011 general elections in getting its audiences informed, educated and entertained about all the political and electoral processes to a great extent.

Keywords: Drive-Time Audience, Car Radio, Political Information Programmes, Political arena, Information, Participation, Political Issues/Agenda.