Abstract
The purpose of this study is to investigate women's radio talk program and evaluate its possibilities and limitation from the point of feminist perspective. The theoretical framework is based on feminist studies and text analysis of talk show. Existing studies regarding talk show are mainly focused on television. But radio talk show is one of general entertainment and it's influences on minorities are still significant. is the most representative women's radio talk program in Korea. It has been broadcasted over 10 years and very popular among Korean housewives. The audience of this program call themselves schoolfellow, and call the program 'school of women'. The media text of is mainly consisted of letters from women audiences, and they are selected by producers. So the text is made by both audiences and producers. The unique combination of this process produces complicated discourses which contain women's experiences in letters and station's considerations through safekeeping. The problems investigated in this study are as follows: First, What discourses are produced in this program? Second, Alternative possibilities can be seen in this program in feminist perspectives? Text analysis of 1week(2000.9.18-9.24) and interview with producers are accomplished to this purposes. In the text analysis, subject matters, inscribed women's position, values of the letters are revealed. Most of the subject matters are family affairs. Some are socially oriented but family and home are the predominant category of women's letters. And the position of women subject is defined in the domestic network. They are nameless but the mother, wife, daughter, daughter-in-law of other people. In value, family-oriented value and small happiness in everyday life are generally appeared. But these values are essentially coincide with the values of status quo. The answers of the conflict are not public but individualized. And acception the status quo is presented as the wisest decision, But ` has many implications in relation to women's sharing of their experience, and construction of imagined community in media. Women continuously interact each other revealing and discussing their experiences and sometimes their social practices are stirred through this media sphere. So we see the 'emotional union' among women are formed through radio. The limitation of this program is very apparent: it's patriarchic values, acception of status quo, and individualization of the women's problems. But in the same time we can read coexisting it's latent possibilities: the possibilities of women's public sphere. But it is completely alternative women's sphere in feminist perspectives. It renders women opportunities to participate public media and share with other women, and collaborate with their problem.