A Study on Young Listeners’ Perceptions of English Usage on Hitz FM and TraXX FM in Klang Valley

Radio has been a powerful medium for educating and informing audiences through various types of content, whether informative or entertaining. This study explores the relationship between the formality of English language usage on radio and audience perceptions, focusing on Hitz FM and TraXX FM. Examining the characteristics of each language style used by the two radio stations, associated perceptions, and their impact on listeners' station preferences sheds light on the language factor influencing listenership in this research. For data collection, the target population focuses on young adults aged 18 to 29 residing in the Klang Valley region who are listeners of both Hitz FM and TraXX FM. The data was analysed using SPSS software through three methods: descriptive analysis, Pearson Correlation Coefficient, and cross-tabulation to assess the relationships between language style, audience perception, and listenership. The findings indicate the relationship between language style, audience perception, and radio listenership. Results showed that listeners preferred Hitz FM's informal language style over Hitz FM's formal style of TraXX FM, leading to higher listenership for Hitz FM.