"The Bloomsbury Handbook of Radio presents exciting new research on radio and audio, including broadcasting and podcasting. Since the birth of radio studies as a distinct subject in the 1990s, it has matured into a second wave of inquiry and scholarship. As broadcast radio has partly given way to po
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dcasting and as community initiatives have pioneered more diverse and innovative approaches so scholars have embarked on new areas of inquiry. Divided into seven sections, the Handbook covers: communities; entertainment; democracy; emotions; listening; studying radio; futures." (Publisher description)
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"This paper will use the example of the approach taken by UK Community Radio station, 'Future Radio' to obtain both quantitative data primarily through street surveys and qualitative data through on-line questionnaires, exploring why the station felt such research to be both necessary and beneficial
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. Showing how reasonably accurate data can be obtained on a cost-effective basis, issues of accuracy and practical difficulties will also be explored. Finally, the paper will examine some of the opportunities and challenges raised by the changing nature of radio listening and interaction brought about by new methods of consumption such as Internet streaming and mobile 'smart-phone' applications." (Abstract)
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"For community radio stations, one important gauge of relevance is the Popularity of their programming outputs, as without evidence of this it is difficult to justify providing access to scarce broadcast frequency resources. In part, the popularity ofprogramming outputs can be assessed through varia
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nts of the type ofquantitative research carried out for larger stations by the Radio Joint Audience Research Limited (RAJAR). However because such research ‘does not produce listening figures for a particular Programme on a particular day‘ (Lister et al 2010: 67) it cannot provide detailed qualitative data concerning how satisfied individuals are with the speciflc content of Particular programming. More broadly, its generic audience sample is not best suited to surveying niche listening, such as, for example, to minority language outputs. With the above in mind, how might individual community radio stations approach the issue of audience research so that they can obtain cost-effective and reasonably reliable data suitable for their needs? The following case study examines the approach taken by one particular community radio station serving a ‘community of place' that is the city of Norwich in the east of England." (Page 349)
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"In the twenty-first century, community radio is fulfilling an increasingly important role in the world’s mediascape. This book documents the ways in which community radio broadcasters and activists are using the medium in countries around the world to challenge political corruption, aid the trans
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ition to political democracy and broadcast voices that are otherwise unheard. The contributors to the volume are academics and practitioners from five continents, many with first-hand experience of community radio. Each chapter demonstrates the pivotal role that small radio stations can play in developing, sustaining and invigorating communities. The book charts campaigns for the legalisation of community radio and relates them to a theoretical context, while providing illustrations and examples from community radio stations around the world." (Publisher description)
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