Local radio and affective communities in pandemic times: the case study of radio stations in Viçosa, Minas Gerais

Abstract

In this article, we aim to investigate how radio stations from towns in the Brazilian countryside are able to reach their audience in these recent Covid-19 pandemic times. To do this, focus was given on the reality of the town of Viçosa, in the state of Minas Gerais, in southeastern Brazil, by following the activities of two local radio stations, namely Rádio Montanhesa and Viçosa 95.1 FM. As part of the methodology, a procedure involving the analysis of interview content was carried out with four professionals that work for these radio stations, being two presenters and two managers. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed with the Iramuteq software for content organization and extraction of analytical categories of the interviewees’ speeches. As main result, this article points out the mobilization of affective communities as the central element for the generation and rendering of services as far as local radio stations are concerned. Also, the regional daily lives has been highlighted as an important component of such communities that establishes the schedule of the radio stations.