الملخص الإنجليزي
Abstract
This study aims to identify how the visually impaired audience in Oman
use radio to obtain specific gratifications (GO). The overlap between the
gratifications obtained (GO) by this population and the gratification they
seek to have (GS) is also tested. The study also tests the correlation
between these GS and GO and the time the respondents spend listening to
radio. A sample of 103 visually impaired members of Alnoor Association
for the Blind in Oman has been interviewed from Feb. 1st through Feb. 28th
,
2020 to answer the research questions.
The results showed that, on average, the visually impaired respondents tune
in to the radio in four days of an average week. Out of eleven favored
media channels, radio was ranked fourth. The respondents have reported
that they spend on average 2.5 hours listening to radio on the day they tune
in. Furthermore, most of the sample agreed that having other competing
media platforms was the main reason they use radio less frequently. They
mainly listen to radio broadcasting via their smartphone platforms,
followed by their DRM receivers. Most of the sample prefer to listen to
radio alone, but they did not have a preferred time period for listening.
They also prefer local broadcasting stations over international ones. Their
favored broadcasting stations are, in a descending order, AlShabab,
AlWisal, Holy Quran Radio, Hala FM, Muscat FM, and AlShabiba. News
was the top preferred programming, whereas economic programs were the
least favored.
The results also show a significant statistical correlation between the
respondents' GS and GO. An exploratory Factor analysis revealed a
similarity between the factors that explain both GS and GO. The
relationship between the sought and obtained cognitive needs is
significantly, positively correlated with the frequency of listening to radio.
This shows that that listening to radio gratifies particularly cognitive needs
for the respondents.
More importantly, the results show that there is a statistically significant
positive correlation between the feeling of both social isolation and
psychological loneliness and the frequency of listening to the radio.
