New Media and Mass Communication www.iiste.org ISSN 2224-3267 (Paper) ISSN 2224-3275 (Online) Vol 2, 2012 67 The Use of the Car Radio by Nigerian Drive-Time Audiences: an Assessment of the Nigerian 2011 General Elections Anthony U. Utulu Department of Mass Communication, College of Social and Management Sciences, Joseph Ayo Babalola University (JABU),Ikeji-Arakeji, PMB 5006 Illesa, Osun State, Nigeria. Tel: +234-803-4147797; E-mail: tonnyjcj@yahoo.com; tonnyjcj@gmail.com Abstract Latest technological growth has made news gathering and dissemination less burdensome to the mass communication media personnel. Actually, inventing the car radio could have helped information senders reach their audiences outside of their homes, offices, places of business and so on. It may be possible that Drive-Time audiences are also well informed, entertained and educated by using the radio set in their vehicles as they drive along, just like other audiences. Based on this assumption, using the Nigerian 2011 General Elections, the study investigated if Drive-Time audiences actually utilize car radio to receive Political Information Programmes (PIPs) more often than using it to receive or listen to other programmes. More so, if these set of radio audiences actually get well informed about Political Information Programmes (PIPs) and participate in the ever-growing political discourse compared to the audiences at home, offices, business places, among others and the extent to which the Political Information Programmes they receive via the car radio as against other sources affect their decision making about political issues, agenda, ideologies and so on were also investigated. Adopting the survey research method and two instruments that is, in-depth interview and questionnaire chosen, data gathered were analyzed using the simple percentage formula. Hence, it was discovered that car radio was very helpful during the Nigerian 2011 general elections in getting its audiences informed, educated and entertained about all the political and electoral processes to a great extent. Keywords: Drive-Time Audience, Car Radio, Political Information Programmes, Political arena, Information, Participation, Political Issues/Agenda. 1. Introduction Throughout the world, the issue of mass communication that is, the act of sending or transmitting information from a source to a far-flung heterogeneous mass audience through an electronic means would not be complete without mentioning the radio. Little wonder why Bittner (1989:10) says, “mass communication is message communicated through mass medium to large group of people”. To Biagi (2003:3), “mass communication is communication from one person or group of persons through a transmitting device (a medium) to large audiences or markets”. Sambe (2005:28) expressively posits that: Mass communication can be defined as a device by which a group of people working together transmits information to a large heterogeneous and anonymous audience simultaneously. It is a process by which information originates from the source to the receiver, having been thoroughly filtered and transmitted through a channel. In line with the definitions above, among several others, as put forward by communication scholars, it is obvious that mass communication cannot take place except with the availability of devices such as transmitter, television, and other gadgets to serve as medium, channel, among others. A large number of people as noted in the assertions above has always utilized radio, one of these medium of mass communication, in receiving information. It can be seen that all the definitions given have some things in common that is, transmitting message via a medium to large groups of different people simultaneously. This medium of mass communication has become one of the most important media of information dissemination (such as news, announcements) among others, entertainment programmes (such