Thesis, Undergraduate (BA Communication Arts) -- U. P. in Mindanao

Talk to Papa is a radio talk show aired at 103.5 WOW FM from Monday to Saturday. It adopts a problem-solution theme in catering to the needs of its listeners. However, unlike other radio talk shows of other radio stations in the region, the talk to papa offers an interactive way of dealing with audience's problems by airing a phone-in segment during the program. The study paved way into understanding and analyzing conversational interactive features in a medium known as the radio talk show using Agenda-Setting Theory by Shaw and McCombs and Deborah Tannen's Genderlect Styles. The conversational database was gathered by recording and transcribing conversations between the host/moderator and active listeners of the said radio program. A conversational analysis of the conversations of the said program was performed using Sequencing Approach and Genderlect Theory. Patterns of interactive features in the conversations were identified as topic change , topic initiation, interruptions and overlaps and accounts. The study revealed that the host has the prime authority in maneuvering or managing the conversations with his active listeners. The host/moderator has the tendency to attack the conversations differently according to the gender he is conversing with. Specifically, the host/moderator and his female active listeners tend to initiate sexual topics in almost the same level. On the other hand, interruptions and sarcasm are dominant characteristics when conversing with male active listeners. The host sets the agenda of what the listening public deemed important to know. Furthermore, the study also revealed that men-women conversations are cross-cultural encounters as stipulated by Deborah Tannen in her Genderlect Styles/Theory.