ABSTRACT
Radio is not a good medium by itself for establishing a genuine two-way contact. Listeners may feel that the broadcaster comes into their home and they may even get the impression that they know an individual presenter. However, this is at best a substitute companionship rather than a genuine personal interaction. The broadcaster/listener relationship – or perhaps that of the station/listener – can be made more real through the broadcaster’s ability to allow and encourage listeners to take part in the programmemaking activity. This can go much further than the phone-in of the last chapter, for there are many ways of stimulating such involvement, extending its obligations as a public servant. But this should not be undertaken lightly, for it can be expensive in time, money and effort. It therefore requires the backing of a management policy which understands and values additional forms of listener contact.
