Encyclopedia of Radio 3-Volume Set

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NARROWCASTING

Narrowcasting is the process of identifying or selecting a specific portion of the overall radio audience and designing a station's programming to attract and retain that audience. Other related terms include audience fragmentation, target audience, listener segmentation, niche audience, and format-specific, cultural-specific, or audience-specific programming.

Narrowcasting stands in contrast to the older word broadcasting, which was borrowed from the agricultural industry. To a farmer, broadcasting means to sow seeds as widely as possible throughout a field; in radio, stations transmit their signal widely throughout their coverage area. In the early decades of radio, stations designed their programming to meet the needs of ...