This document discusses research into community radio listeners in France. It begins by providing background on community radio in France, noting there are over 600 stations that provide social and cultural programming while obtaining 20% of funding from advertisements. The document asks questions about whether community radio listeners exist and how to find them. It proposes using microsociology, ethnography, and statistics to study listeners. The researcher plans to use microsociology combined with ethnographic observations and statistical results. Potential methods are discussed such as interviews, focus groups, and participant observation at radio stations and affiliated community events. The goal is to gain diverse perspectives on community radio listeners in France.

1. Looking forLooking for
communitycommunity
radio listenersradio listeners
Sebastien PoulainSebastien Poulain
« A la recherche des auditeurs des radios associatives », International Radio Research
Network (IREN), Louvain-La-Neuve-Bruxelles, 9-10/11/2006

2. What is a French community radio? :What is a French community radio? :
 come from 80’s “free radios”come from 80’s “free radios”
 600 in France600 in France
 Social and cultural communicationSocial and cultural communication
 20% of the turnover with advertisement20% of the turnover with advertisement
 help assistant from a fee on TV andhelp assistant from a fee on TV and
radio’s advertisementradio’s advertisement

3. Frequent asked questions :
 Do the community radios exist ?Do the community radios exist ?
 Do the community radio listeners exist ?Do the community radio listeners exist ?
 How do you manage to find them ?How do you manage to find them ?

4. What can be the methodology ?What can be the methodology ?
 Microsociology ?Microsociology ?
 Ethnography ?Ethnography ?
 Statistics ?Statistics ?
What is my methodology ?What is my methodology ?
Microsociology with ethnographics andMicrosociology with ethnographics and
statistics’ results.statistics’ results.

5. Problems :Problems :
 Do community radio listenersDo community radio listeners
interviewed represent something?interviewed represent something?
 What is a “représentative sample” ?What is a “représentative sample” ?
Solutions:Solutions:
 To stay coherent.To stay coherent.
 To try to have a lot of point of view.To try to have a lot of point of view.

6. Where are they? :Where are they? :
 ““Radios communautaires” : by and forRadios communautaires” : by and for
immigrants listeners.immigrants listeners.
 ““Radios confessionnelles” : by and forRadios confessionnelles” : by and for
religious listeners.religious listeners.
 Associative, social and cultural places.Associative, social and cultural places.
 Observe the functioning of the radio.Observe the functioning of the radio.
 Participant observation.Participant observation.

7.  Conferences and demonstrationsConferences and demonstrations
presented or organized by the radio.presented or organized by the radio.
 Focus groups.Focus groups.
 Cutural and social atmosphereCutural and social atmosphere
 Interviews.Interviews.
Every methods have their own rules,Every methods have their own rules,
limits, problems, results.limits, problems, results.

8.  Production and general context.Production and general context.
 Forum on Internet.Forum on Internet.
 Talk show with listeners.Talk show with listeners.
 Listeners’ mails.Listeners’ mails.
 Letters that the radio keeps.Letters that the radio keeps.
 To know somebody and to follow him.To know somebody and to follow him.
 Feeling.Feeling.

9. Conclusion :Conclusion :
 Futur of the associations : moreFutur of the associations : more
participationparticipation
 Futur of the radio : a specific mediaFutur of the radio : a specific media
 Futur of audience researches : a moreFutur of audience researches : a more
complex audiencecomplex audience

10. Thank you !Thank you !