RTV Theory and Practice - Special Issue

The 'Tamil Enthusiast' is likely to be motivated in his choice of stations by a desme to hear the 'Tamil voice' wherever it comes from . SEGMENT 3: THE STATUS SEEKER The 'Status Seekers' in the audience are people who are motivated in their radio listening habits by an assessment of the status that - in their perception - different radio stations. confer on their listener. They take the same attitude to magazmes and books . "We get a lot of confidence - it has a respect in society . When you say you have listened to the news on the BBC you have a sort of respect." Such listeners appear to be people who, by their own assessment. do not have the status they woulđ like . Hence, in situations like the group discussions they act in ways that they see as enhancing their status; 'name -dropping' the stations they listen to and the magazines they read . The Status Seeker may tune into the broadcasts without really concentrating on them , and may exaggerate the extent of his/her listening . SEGMENT 4: THE MEDIA -DEPRIVED These listeners have a strong need for entertainment and information , but have a limited income , as a result of which the radio is effectively the only medium that they can use reguiarly . They cannot aff ord a television . SEGMENT 5: THE LONELT These are people who rely on the radio for companionship; people who are cut off in some way from social contact , such as young unemployed men , the hanđicapped , blind people . They are often confmed to their own house. For these listeners the radio is their only channel of communication . Besides providmg news and entertainment it gives them the emotional reassurances of companionship . "When you switch on the radio , you at least feel there is somebody there ."

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