Extension Programming: Radio Through Multiple Media
Extension Education
Nicole Stoner
Extension Educator
University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension
Beatrice
Abstract
Radio is a great way to reach clientele. Nebraska Extension aims to meet clientele where they are, in methods they are comfortable with. The Yard and Garden Radio show is a live show where listeners call in with their questions about lawns, trees, gardens, annuals, perennials, and damage or problems within these plants. It runs for 90-minutes each Friday for 18 weeks through the spring and summer with 2 additional shows in the fall, for a total of 20 shows per year. Each week a new guest host from Extension or another agency joins Nicole Stoner to answer the questions and fill in between questions with things they may be seeing or doing for research. The show has been on the radio for over 40 years, hosted by Nicole for 12 seasons. In 2015 a blog featuring answers to questions from the show was developed and in 2021 the recorded show has been published as a podcast. These additions allow for clients to listen when it is convenient for them and to access written versions of the answers to all of the questions.
The radio show alone reaches 4,500 people weekly, there have been 1,500 views to the blog posts since 2015 and the podcast has been downloaded 600 times for the 2 seasons it has been recorded. The Yard and Garden radio show is a fun, interactive method to get information out to the public. From this one radio show, I was able to reuse it in multiple media platforms to reach more people. It seems that once the podcast became active, less people read the blog Q&A reports, showing that people prefer to listen to the show rather than just read about it. Listening on the podcast recordings allows fans of the show to hear all the other information given in between calls that wasn’t captured in the blog posts. It is also a great way for a person in an Extension position to interact with other colleagues. In a survey following the show, 56% indicated that they listen to the show every week and 31% said it was because the show is entertaining while they learn about yard and garden management. 58% indicated that listening to the show has led them to reduce water or pesticide use. When asked how, the respondents said it was due to ‘learning not to randomly spray once I see bugs’ or to ‘select more effective options that last longer’.
Poster has NOT been presented at any previous NACAA AM/PIC
This poster is being submitted for judging. It will be displayed at the AM/PIC if not selected as a State winner. The abstract will be published in the proceedings.
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Authors: Nicole Stoner
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Stoner, N. Extension Educator, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Nebraska, 68310-3514