| Summary: | This thesis is concerned with the transition of radio as a medium and its significance for listeners in Finland. It is based on an analysis of radio listening data collected in 1993 and 1999. The main focus is on everyday uses and meanings of radio listening. The major conclusions are as follows: 1 The transition of modern radio at a technical, institutional and programming 2 3 4 level has been reflected in the geographical, textual and technological . mobility of radio. The meaning of geographical mobility to the listener is in changing listening situations during a day, which makes listening a plural concept. Individual differences in listening are seen in three listening profiles, i.e. the enthusiast, the selective and the indifferent listeners. The meaning of textual mobility to the listener lies in the contextuality of listening: texts have different meanings in different listening situations. The meaning of technological mobility to the listener lies in the individuality of different media. Within radio high channel loyalty makes for low technological mobility. However, listeners show much mobility between different media in their daily routines. Radio is distinctive compared to other media in that it has been replaced by television. Recordings have fragmented listening in households and the print media are competing for listeners' time. Overall, the mobility of radio in everyday life is a highly complex concept, meaning different things to different listeners. Although radio is regarded as an invisible and secondary media, it occupies a special socio-technical space in listeners'· everyday life. Changes in media scenery and the integration of digital radio technology with other media means that listening is set to become even more mobile in the future
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