The Sanak-Kadang Jodhipati: A New Form of Virtual Radio Listeners Community

The purpose of this study was to analyze the shifting form of a community of cultural radio listeners, Sanak Kadang Jodhipati, from an off-line to a virtual community. Since adopting Facebook, YouTube, and audio streaming, Radio Jodhipati FM’s listeners have become part of a networked community. This study used a virtual ethnographic method, which allows researchers to conduct interviews and virtual searches from November 2019 to May 2020. The result shows that Sanak Kadang Jodhipati, as a social community, holds meetings in the Nganjuk Regency and other cities where Radio Jodhipati FM covers wayang kulit shows. As a virtual community, this community is more intensive in communicating through the WhatsApp group during the COVID-19 pandemic. The contents of the communication are not limited to discussing wayang kulit, gendhing, and other Javanese culture, it also addresses health, employment, legal, and political issues. Despite the diverse socioeconomic status, the members do not differentiate the form of communication, as fellow Javanese culture lovers.

Constructing Virtual Radio Center

Radio channels lack visuality and virtual reality platforms are designed to overcome this problem. Virtual objects are very common these days and people get used to virtual platforms. Does this mean people are ready to be involved in such a system? Is this necessary? How to make sounds visible? Use of Virtual Reality is growing rapidly in industry as well as in education area. This chapter is about the virtual radio center construction necessities, usefulness, and its adaptability to real life and to courses.