ARI REVIEW FOR 2016-2017

Geographic distribution of the sample (n = 383). Table 1 . Chi-square test for the variables “ e-platform usage ” and “ willingness to use a platform ” with the district of residence. Evaluation of the radio broadcast “The Hour of the Countryside” as an information sharing medium In collaboration with the Extension Service, a study was initiated for the evaluation of the radio broadcast “The Hour of the Countryside” as an information sharing medium. Specifically, the goal of this study was to evaluate the radio programme“The Hour of the Countryside”as a source of agricultural information and examine the relationship between specific socioeconomic characteristics and listenership. For this purpose, a representative random sample of 383 farmers was used covering the whole territory controlled by the Republic of Cyprus (Fig. 1). The findings revealed that 78% of the farmers are aware of the program’s existence and half of them listen to it. Moreover, older farmers are more likely to be listeners, whilst there is no significant relationship between education level and listenership. Importantly, the farmers of mountainous and semi-mountainous areas are more likely to be listeners. It seems that there is a significant association between the variables “ location/district ” and“ listening to the programme ” (χ 2 = 41.46, p < 0.001). Within each district, except Nicosia and Larnaka, more than 50% of the farmers reported that they listen to the radio program. Famagusta and Pitsilia have the highest relative frequencies of listenership (81% and 72%, respectively), whereas Nicosia has the lowest (Table 2). It is evident that although the specific agricultural broadcast has been on air for a long period of time and at the same time other contemporary information sources, like the Internet, have well penetrated into the agricultural sector, radio still enjoys a relative wide listenership amongst farmers. It is strongly recommended that the broadcast be sustained and improved based on farmers’ suggestions and needs, and be regularly assessed. More focus should be given to mountainous and less favoured areas where more traditional information sources prevail. This may implicitly contribute to the development of marginalised areas and to rural development in general. ( G. Adamides, A. Stylianou ) 64 Rural Development