The relationship of sports commentary on Algerian television with the audience of the national football team's matches.

Abstract

Studying the elements of the communication process in societies is among the most important phenomena, as many researchers and thinkers have focused on the communication process, which is the basis of social interaction between the communicator (sender) and the audience (recipient). Despite the diversity of media and communication channels—written, audio, audiovisual, and electronic—some media studies have focused on understanding the relationship between the sender, the audience, and these media channels. This includes examining the impact of messages and content on the audience and the significant role played by the sender. Previously, the prevailing question was: what do media and communication channels do to the audience? Most studies and research have concentrated on the impact of the communication channel on the audience—that is, what the channel does to the audience. However, another perspective and research have emerged, focusing on what the audience does with media and communication channels. This has led to theories of influence in general, and uses and gratifications theory in particular, which have revolutionized research in sociology, psychology, and media and communication studies. Whereas the audience was once viewed as passive in the face of the messages and content presented by media and communication channels, responding automatically, it is now viewed, within the framework of uses and gratifications theory, as a... It is a conscious, active, and effective element that perceives, remembers, and acts selectively towards media content in light of all elements of the communication process (sender, message, receiver, medium, and any influence). This new concept of the audience seems more appealing when studied, especially the audience of a medium like television, as it is closer to them than other media such as radio, print, and online newspapers. This is because television addresses the viewer through sound and image, striving to provide everything they desire and need in terms of diverse content and programs, relying on the human resources of competent and professional media professionals. Regarding our study, which examines the impact of sports commentary on Algerian television on the public's viewership of the national football team, a field study conducted by students of the Department of Media and Communication at the University of M'sila, we attempted to analyze how the Algerian public watches and follows sports commentary on Algerian television. We sought to understand the extent to which their needs, desires, inclinations, and aspirations are met by the sports commentators (the broadcasters) on Algerian television, given the presence of competing Arab and foreign satellite and television channels with vast experience, material and human resources, and the regular training and development programs they conduct to enhance their media performance. In Algeria, however, the opening of the audiovisual media sector to private entities, as stipulated by the organic law issued on January 12, 2012, further complicates the situation. With its entry into the world of sports professionalism, the professionalization project that our local championship entered by launching the first professional championship, the first professional championship with 16 clubs and the second professional championship with 16 clubs, for the 2010/2011 season, it became necessary for Algerian television to develop a serious policy in employing competent media professionals and intensifying training courses for the human resources and recycling and renewing its means in order to provide a distinguished and professional public media service.