PIDGIN ENGLISH AS A COMMUNICATION TOOL: A STUDY OF CORRECT FM (97.3), CALABAR

This study examined the role of Pidgin English as a communication tool with a particular focus on Correct FM (97.3), Calabar. It aimed to determine the prospects of Pidgin English as a communication tool by Correct FM (97.3), Calabar, to understand audience perceptions of Pidgin English as a language for broadcasting by Correct FM (97.3), Calabar, and to assess the effectiveness of using Pidgin English in delivering messages to listeners in Calabar as practiced by Correct FM (97.3), Calabar. Drawing on the Uses and Gratifications Theory, the study employed a quantitative research design with descriptive survey as the research methodology and purposive sampling and convenience sampling as the sampling techniques to gather data from 204 respondents drawn from a population of 571,500 residents of Calabar. The researcher adopted a 16 itemized questionnaire as the research instrument for the study. The findings from the study showed that Pidgin English holds significant potential as a communication tool on Correct FM (97.3), Calabar, as it effectively engages the audience, and meaningfully contributes to the station’s popularity, and it is generally adopted by Correct FM (97.3), Calabar for broadcasts, as listeners of Correct FM (97.3), Calabar prefer Pidgin English due to its culturally relevant and entertaining nature, as against other languages featured on the station. Further findings from the study showed that Pidgin English is quite effective as a language for broadcast on Correct FM (97.3), Calabar due to its easily comprehensible nature which enhances the understanding of complex topics among listeners. The study recommended that broadcast media organisations should like Correct FM (97.3), Calabar should be adept in their usage of Pidgin English for broadcast, so as to enhance the comprehension of their listeners. The study also recommended that broadcast media organisations should be flexible in their selection of languages and choose the language that is culturally relevant to their audience, and best inform, educate, and entertain them, and they should frequently assess the feedback from their audience and use it as an avenue to measure comprehension, and make necessary modifications in the areas they are lacking in news delivery and communication.