Engagement Assessment of Community Radio Programmes on Youth Employment in Ghana's Coastal Areas, 2004

Community radio in Ghana's coastal areas plays a crucial role in disseminating information about employment opportunities to young people. A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining quantitative survey data and qualitative interviews to evaluate audience reception and content relevance. Community radio audiences showed a strong interest in employment-related programming, particularly those broadcast during the morning hours (7-9 AM), with engagement rates reaching up to 65% among young participants. The findings suggest that tailored and informative content can significantly enhance youth awareness about available job opportunities within coastal communities of Ghana. Community radio stations should further tailor their programming to reflect local employment needs, especially during morning hours when audience engagement is highest. Model estimation used $\hat{\theta}=argmin_{\theta}\sum_i\ell(y_i,f_\theta(x_i))+\lambda\lVert\theta\rVert_2^2$, with performance evaluated using out-of-sample error.