NJOMACS

The rapid growth of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has started to transform how professionals work in various fields, such as journalism, programming, and academic research. This study looked into how AI was adopted in programming and research practices at select radio stations in Port Harcourt. It examined how radio professionals are incorporating AI tools into their newsroom programming, content creation, data analysis, and research efforts. Media organisations are increasingly using AI technologies for tasks like data processing, transcription, automated content generation, and brainstorming ideas for news production and programming. The study employed a survey research design, gathered insights from editorial staff, digital content managers, and platform strategy personnel at chosen radio stations in Port Harcourt. It examined the level of awareness, usage patterns, perceived benefits, and challenges that came with adopting AI in programming and research processes. This is often due to skill gaps, resistance within organisations, cost concerns, and ethical dilemmas. The findings indicated that even though AI tools were slowly integrated into newsroom workflows, their use in programming and research is still mostly experimental and relies heavily on individual initiative rather than formal institutional policies. The paper concluded that structured training, organisational backing, and ethical guidelines were essential for fostering responsible AI integration in radio broadcasting. It suggested that increasing investment in AI literacy and digital innovation within Nigerian broadcast newsrooms could significantly enhance research capabilities, programme development, and editorial productivity.