A teoria dos usos e gratificações na rádio (até às novas tecnlogias)

««From a business perspective, Alexander (1997) maintained that the primary goal of radio programming is to maximize the size of an audience targeted by advertisers and the only way to accomplish this goal is to satisfy the needs and wants of that audience. "Uses and gratifications" has long been a popular approach to understanding audience motivations for tuning to radio and television programming. The underlying presumption is that audiences are not passive nonjudgmental receivers of media but are, rather, active seekers of program content that will satisfy specific needs. From practical considerations, such as wanting information about traffic congestion, to more abstract psychological desires, such as relief from emotional stress, listening patterns are determined by each person's expectations of how well different media or programs will gratify their needs (Rubin & Perse, 1994)» (McDowell and Dick, 2003: 48)»

«Researchers can approach these phenomena from a number of theoretical foundations, but the uses and gratifications (U &G) approach which a<;sumes an active audience ;s best applied here. Wi . With choice comes fragmentation in consumer activity and the uses and gratifications approach posits that a consumer vated to use a certain technology based on an anticipated set of need(s) or gratification obtained.» (Albarran, 2007: 93)

Katz and Foulkes (1962) clarified the concept that the media is used as an escape. Katz, Blumler, and Gurevitch (1974) argue the media is utilized by individuals to gratfy specific needs; hel Ips provide an understanding of individual user motives regarding media behavior; and identifies functions or consequences that are the result of the motivations and behavior. Katz/Haas and Gurevitch (1973) found that individs use media to connect or disconnect with themselves and others via instrumental, or integrative relations. (Albarran, 2007: 93)

In terms of U&G studies specific to radio, Mendelsohn (1964) identified several motives of radio listening: companionship, filling a void created by daily routine,altering mood, relieving boredom, providing news and information, allowing active  participation in events, and overcoming social isolation. Killing time was the only lisng motivation identified in a survey of college students conducted by lichenstein and Rosenfeld (1983 ).   Albarran, 93-94

«Paramount to uses and gratifications is the idea that peopIe are active in their selection of media and content to satisfy certain needs, and that media use comprises but one form of activity among a multiplicity of options through individuals may fulfill those needs (Katz, Blumler, & Gurevitch, 1974). Scholars subsequently argued that media activity should not be considered a singular concept. For example, Blumler (1979) posited that there are varying levels of activity in to types of media, audience motivations, and media uses. Similarly, Levy and Windahl (1985) argued that levels of activity are dependent upon the individual; both regarding the extent of activity and at what time a person exercises that activity. (...)Historically, uses and gratifications has been a fruitful approach in understanding audience uses of traditional media. (...). A few studies have considered the uses and gratifications of radio. In one such study, Towers (1985) examined the use of radio news in relation to other media and listener demographics. He found that people who listened more frequently to the radio did so for entertainment and the immediacy of news, while those who listened less frequently did so to fill time. (...) Ruggiero also argued that researchers need to expand uses and gratifications theory and to adapt the theory o the characteristics of new communication technology. This returns to Katz, Blumler and Gurevitch's (1974) notion that uses and gratifications is associated with the attributes of a particular medium» (Ferguson, 2007: 104-105)

«This study seeks to examine the relationship between young adults and radio media by applying the Uses and Gratifications approach
(Katz, 1959; Blumler, Katz, & Gurevitch, 1974) whereby audiences may select specific programming to gratify needs, desires, or to affect
mood.  However, the idea of uses and gratifications as applied to programming may also be applicable to the types of media audiences
seek for entertainment, information, or economical reasons. (...) This study suggests young adult listeners are tuning to new radio because it is convenient, provides a better quality signal or reception, there are no or few commercial advertisements, and new radio offers a better selection for stations and programming.  Listeners are more apt to stay with traditional radio to meet entertainment and information needs.» (Free, 2005)