Masters Theses

Date of Award

12-1978

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Agricultural Extension

Major Professor

Robert S. Dotson

Committee Members

Lewis H. Dickson, Cecil Carter Jr., David M. Songer

Abstract

This multi-method study was concerned with a study of agricultural Extension radio usage and production in Tennessee and Iran with special emphasis on script and tape packet material development and evaluation. Library research was used to gather information about the background of agricultural Extension radio in Tennessee and Iran. Questionnaires were used to survey the opinions of 75 Tennessee radio stations about the quality and usefulness of two University of Tennessee packets, Radio Script Service (Scripts) and Farm and Home Briefs (Tapes) in general for 1978 and specifically for the weeks of July 31 and August 7, 1978. Also, a panel of three Tennessee radio production experts rated the packet material for those two weeks for various indicators of technical and content quality by completing radio performance rating sheets. Fifty-two of the radio station questionnaires were acceptable for data analysis. Major findings disclosed the following information obtained from Tennessee radio station directors about their opinions and use of Scripts and Tapes for the weeks of July 31 and August 7, 1978: (1) Most radio stations judged the numbers and varieties of topics to be "About Right"; (2) agricultural topics were generally used more frequently by radio stations than other subject topics in the packets; (3) sources in addition to the packet material were used by all respondents for agricultural programming, mainly "USDA," "ASCS" and "Farm Bureau"; (4) most respondents felt that the material in both Tapes and Scripts was "About Right" in length and most respondents used the material without modifying it; (5) most respondents felt that the technical quality of Scripts and Tapes was "Satisfactory." Major findings concerning the opinions and Information from Tennessee radio stations about the general use and quality of Scripts and Tapes in 1978 revealed that: (1) Respondents that received only Scripts or only Tapes used the packet material more "Frequently" than those stations that received both Tapes and Scripts; (2) the most used period of time for broadcasting U.T. packet material, among Tennessee radio stations was "8 a.m. to 12 noon"; (3) nearly all respondents had "Regularly Scheduled" times for agricultural programming; (4) most respondents wished to receive "More of the Same" type of packet material in the future as they received in the past, in both subject matter and length. The major findings about the ratings of Scripts and Tapes for the weeks of July 31 and August 7, 1978 by the radio production panel revealed that, according to a scale designed to provide descriptive categories for the panelists' ratings: (1) The "Organization-Content- Message" and "Subject Material" of Scripts for both July 31 and August 7, 1978 were Good; (2) "Organization-Content-Message," "Subject Material," and "Presenter(s) Delivery" of Tapes for both weeks of July 31 and August 7, 1978 were Good; (3) the overall evaluation ratings by the panel, of Scripts and Tapes for both weeks of July 31 and August 7, 1978, were Good. The outcome of the evaluation of Scripts and Tapes by the panel of experts concurred with the major findings of the opinions of Tennessee radio stations about Scripts and Tapes for the weeks of July 31 and August 7, 1978. The major findings in the portion of this study that dealt with the agricultural radio situation in Iran revealed the following information: (1) Radio was the most popular form of mass media, was fitted to education in Iran, and could reach remote rural areas and the one-third of Iran's population that was illiterate; (2) Extension Service in Iran did not concentrate its efforts on small rural farmers' needs and was unsuccessful in introducing high-yield technology in rural areas; (3) Extension Service was not coordinated with other agencies in serving rural communities and Extension did not have enough practical training for its staff; (4) more "Tribal" people listened to radio than "Urban" and "Rural" people; (5) the most popular Extension program was broad- casted 6 days a week from Radio Iran, in Tehran, and was three hours long; (6) most respondents of a Hamadan survey listened to the radio between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. and between 5 a.m. and 6 a.m.; (7) most Hamadan respondents listened to the Extension program and followed the advice given on it; (8) discussions by specialists, new agricultural technology, and attention to local agricultural problems were the most popular topics of the Extension program among rural people, according to the Hamadan survey. In applying the findings of this study to the development and use of radio packet material in Iran, some appropriate steps were identified as necessary: (1) Consideration of the available sources of agricultural Information in Iran, (2) consideration of the socio economic, cultural and agricultural needs of the rural people and the type, form, and presentation of radio packet topics appropriate for broadcasting; (3) appropriate use of communication networks between government organizations, radio, and the rural people; (4) preparation of radio packet material as a supplement to Extension work using a standard criteria for content and technical form; (5) periodic evaluation of radio packet material; and (6) consideration of development of other possible types of agricultural radio programming for Iran. Implications and recommendations also were made.

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