The role of music selection in the decline of KovsieFM's listenership
Van Niekerk, Gert Abraham
English: In August 2012, KovsieFM’s listenership was estimated at 60 000 listeners for the period March to June 2012. Less than two years later, in June 2014, KovsieFM’s listenership was measured at 9 000 listeners for the period January to May 2014. These figures indicate that the radio station’s listenership decreased by 85% over a period of 18 months. This significant decline in KovsieFM’s listenership was examined considering the fact that music radio has the potential to attract large numbers of young listeners. According to the radio station’s broadcasting license requirements, 80% of the broadcasting content must consist of music. The music content was therefore be the first port of call when investigating a decline in listenership. The primary research objective of this study was to investigate the role that music selection played in the 85% decrease in KovsieFM’s listenership figures between August 2012 and June 2014. The secondary research objectives of this study included determining what the current perception of KovsieFM is among students of the University of the Free State, what the perception of students of the University of the Free State is of the music currently selected for airplay by KovsieFM and to determine what other factors could have contributed to the decrease in KovsieFM’s listenership. The study used the gatekeeper model, the uses and gratifications model and the media dependency theory as the theoretical framework. This study used a mixed-method approach to investigate the research problem. Auditorium Music Testing (AMT) represented phase one of the data collection process. Thereafter focus group research represented phase two with the aim of assisting in interpreting the results from phase one. The concentration of the focus groups was wider than the AMT, but was primarily focussed on other on-air as well as off-air aspects of KovsieFM. The data obtained from the AMT sessions was analysed by means of three methods: Firstly, Pearson product moment correlations investigated if a correlation exists between the respondents’ listening habits their corresponding rating of the songs on a 5-point Likert scale. Secondly t-tests was used to investigate if there are differences in the music rating between respondents who frequently listen to KovsieFM and respondents who infrequently listen to KovsieFM. Thirdly, frequency distribution tables were used to summarise the respondents’ favourite music genre and methods of music consumption. The data obtained from the focus groups were transcribed and a computerassisted semantical content analysis was utilised. The content analysis was based on the examination of recurrent instances that are systematically identified across the data set and grouped together by a coding set. This study concluded that music was a definite factor that contributed to the decline in the KovsieFM listenership between August 2012 and June 2014. The other factors that contributed to the decline in listenership were the content KovsieFM broadcasted and the manner in which the presenters and newsreaders presented the content. This study has shown that the content KovsieFM broadcast focused on entertaining the target audience. It can be concluded that UFS students also rely on the station to broadcast local content that is relevant to them. KovsieFM, as with many community radio stations, does little to no audience research and therefore assumes that music and broadcasting content appeals and satisfies the needs of the community. It is therefore important that radio stations in a similar position conducts audience research on a regular basis. This is especially relevant for campus-based radio stations, where the listenership base changes as students join and leave the university every year.
Afrikaans: Tydens ‘n Augustus 2012 opname was KovsieFM se luisteraarstal ongeveer 60 000, vir die tydperk Maart tot Junie 2012. Die getal het egter die volgende twee jaar drasties afgeneem na slegs 9 000 tussen Januarie en Mei 2014, volgens die opname van Junie 2014. Bogenoemde dui op ’n afname van 85% binne 18 maande. Diéè drastiese afname in KovsieFM se luisteraarstal word ondersoek in lig van die feit dat musiekradio die potensiaal het om talle jong luisteraars te lok. Volgens KovsieFM se lisensievoorwaardes moet 80% van die inhoud van programme uit musiek bestaan. Dit het gelei tot hierdie studie se hooffokus, naamlik om om musiek as die eerste moontlike oorsaak vir die afname in die luisteraarstal te ondersoek. Die primêre doelwit van die studie was om vas te stel watter rol die keuse van musiek in die afname van 85% gespeel het gedurende die tydperk Augustus 2012 tot Junie 2014. ‘n Sekondêre doelwit van die studie was om vas te stel wat die huidige persepsie van studente van die Universiteit van die Vrystaat is ten opsigte van die keuse van musiek wat tans op KovsieFM gespeel word. ’n Verdere doelwit was om te bepaal watter ander faktore ’n rol kon gespeel het in die afname in die luisteraarstal. Die studie het die hekwagterteorie, die gebruikersgratifikasieteorie en die media-afhanklikheidsteorie gebruik as teoretiese raamwerk. Die navorsing is uitgevoer aan die hand van ‘n gemengde metode. Ouditorium-musiektoetsing (AMT) is gebruik om inligting in te samel as die eerste fase. Vir die tweede fase is daar gebruik gemaak van fokusgroepnavorsing om die interpretering van fase een se data te ondersteun. Die verspreiding van die fokusgroepe was wyer as vir die AMT, maar was primêr gerig op faktore op en van die lug af. Die inligting wat verkry is tydens die AMT-sessies is met behulp van drie metodes ondersoek, naamlik, ’n Pearson-produkmoment-korrelasie om vas te stel of daar ’n korrelasie is tussen die respondente se luistergewoontes met betrekking tot KovsieFM, asook hul telling op die 5-punt-Likert-skaal. Daar is tweedens van T-toetse gebruik gemaak om die verskille te bepaal tussen respondente wat gereeld na KovsieFM luister teenoor respondente wat ongereeld luister. Derdens is daar van frekwensie-verspreidingstabelle gebruik gemaak om die respondente se voorkeure ten opsigte van musiekgenres, asook die wyse waarop hulle musiek beleef, saam te vat. Die inligting wat verkry is vanaf die fokusgroepe is getranskribeer en ’n rekenaar-ondersteunde semantiese inhoudsanalise is gebruik. Die inhoudsanalise is gebaseer op die ondersoek van herhalende gevalle wat sistematies geïdentifiseer en gegroepeer is vanaf die verkreë data deur middel van ’n kodifiseringsmetode. Die ondersoek het duidelik uitgewys dat musiek ’n besliste bydrae gelewer hettot die afname in die luisteraarstal van KovsieFM tussen Augustus 2012 en Junie 2014. ’n Verdere bydraende faktor ten opsigte van die afname in luisteraars was die aanbieding van die omroepers en nuuslesers, asook die inhoud van die programme. Die studie het aangetoon dat die inhoud wat deur KovsieFM uitgesaai is, daarop gefokus was om hulle teikenmark te vermaak. Daar kan ook aanvaar word dat die studente van die Universiteit van die Vrystaat steun op KovsieFM om inhoud uit te saai wat vir hulle relevant is. KovsieFM, net soos talle ander gemeenskapsradiostasies, doen weinig tot geen navorsing ten opsigte van hul luisteraars se voorkeure nie. Daar word aanvaar dat die inhoud van programme en die musiek wat uitgesaai word die betrokke gemeenskap bevredig. Dit is egter noodsaaklik vir radiostasies in dieselfde omstandighede om op ’n gereelde grondslag luisteraarsnavorsing te doen. Dit is veral van toepassing op kampus radiostasies waar die luisteraars gereeld wissel. radio, kampusradio, gemeenskapsradio, uitsending, musiek, luisteraars, omroepers, nuuslesers, uitsending-inhoud, KovsieFM
Kotzee, Rozanne (University of the Free State, 2012-11)
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