CHAPTER ONE

1.0     INTRODUCTION

The power of communication as an agent of change cannot be overemphasized. The current age of communication is regarded as the information age. This is the age when the vehicle of mass communication comprising of television, radio and print media have become imperative to the development of all. Radio has been singled out as the most effective instrument for rural dwellers, thus making its advantages over other media in comparable in terms of coverage portability, cost effectiveness, etc.

Even, government in this current political dispensation have taken giant strides towards integrating the rural dwellers into the scheme of things. In other words, efforts are being geared by the government in bringing its programme, policies and government closer to the rural dwellers.

Radio is a very effective tool for disseminating entertaining, informative and educational programmes to rural dwellers. This communication, through the radio can be referred to as purposive communication because the information sent is meant to mobilize the listeners. Radio is the only tool of mass communication that is cheap, cost effective and affordable in the economic situation of developing countries. The radio is also versatile because it can be used to transmit messages and information in different languages. For instance, when one is broadcasting or transmitting messages to people, you can use radio and broadcast in the language of their choice.

          This research is thus conducted to know the influence of radio on the rural community and the level of achievement of these medium of communication.

1.1     BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

          The growth and development of people in rural areas depend on how communication and information flow between the media houses and its publics. For development to occur, the people in rural areas must be fed with information that will keep them alive to happenings in urban areas, through the media, especially the radio. Since they cannot all be in the urban areas every time.

          The aim of radio broadcast is to inform, educate and entertain and also to make large numbers of people most especially in the rural areas get involved in doing something in common with people in the urban areas. This is where there will be a need for communication to take place so as to achieve it. It has been however observed that, man by nature can always get mobilized through constant effective communication.

Indisputably, the role of radio broadcast is the heart of people in any developed and mobilized rural area. its function and position is inevitable when talking about the development of rural and urban areas.