Co-decided Agriculture Information Radio Program Needs: A Case Study of Women Crop Farmers in Dodoma City, Tanzania

Abstract

The shift from top-down radio programming to co-decision-making, aimed at capturing listeners' needs, has been significant. However, there is a notable gap in studies assessing how gender considerations factor into radio programming for listeners' needs. This study addresses this gap by investigating co-decided agricultural radio program needs, specifically focusing on women crop farmers in Dodoma City, Tanzania. Utilizing a sample of 32 participants selected purposively for in-depth face-to-face interviews, supplemented by Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and key informant interviews, the study employed content analysis to analyze the collected data. The findings reveal variations in co-decided agricultural information radio programs among radio programmers, indicating a lack of alignment with the specific needs of women crop farmers. In light of these findings, the study recommends that the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) should address financial constraints hindering the co-decision approach to work accurately. With the accurate working of the co-decision approach intended listeners’ needs will be identified.