The headline complex of a radio programme as a meta-text indicator (based on survey data)

Abstract

The aim of the study is to ascertain the extent to which the elements of the headline complex of a radio programme effectively perform the function of a meta-text indicator, that is, to determine whether the potential addressees can guess the range of themes presented in the programme after familiarising themselves with the elements of the headline complex. Evaluation of the success of a radio programme’s title, hashtags, annotation, illustrations posted on the radio station’s website and on its public page in a social network was determined on the basis of data obtained during surveys of potential listeners. The headline complexes in the programmes and podcasts of radio stations of different formats were used for the surveys: Radio Rossii, Radio Mayak and Dorozhnoye Radio. The scientific novelty of the study lies in developing and testing a survey methodology that offers a consistent verification of the role of verbal and visual elements of the headline complex. The conclusions about what causes unsuccessful radio communication at the stage of the listener’s perception of the header complex are also novel. The results showed that potential addressees do not always correctly guess the range of themes of a radio programme based on one or more of the presented elements of the headline complex. The function of a meta-text indicator in a radio programme is performed by the headline complex most effectively in the totality of its elements.