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ABSTRACTIt is not just
good enough to obtain license, establish and start running a community radio station.
The success of any organization is hinged on the fulfillment of the objectives
of that organization. It is based on this premise that this research work is
carried out to examine the present operational nature of University of Port Harcourt
Community Radio Station 88.5 Unique FM in comparison with the Objectives of its
establishment, trying to find out the challenges (if any) and prospects of the
radio station in the process with the hope that it will be useful to the
university management and the Department of Mass Communication on issues
concerning the operation of the radio station, policy adjustments, funding and
equipping.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
The
personal and unique character of radio makes it one of the most appealing and
universal mass media for participatory communication and development
(Teer-Tomaselli & De Villiers, 1998, p.147). Various researches aver that
radio has the capacity to reach large audiences, both young and old, including
those in remote, underdeveloped and impoverished areas of the developing world.
According
to Bosch (2007), in the absence of other forms of media such as television and
newspapers, radio has proven to be a powerful and vital means of entertainment
and communication that guarantees community involvement in the communication
process. Further researches show that radio is renowned for providing
communities with up-to-date local and international information in their own
languages accompanied by various music genres that are compatible with diverse
cultural inclinations (Mmusi, 2002, p.3; National Community Radio Forum, 1993,
p.10).
The
development of digital radio and its capacity to integrate or network with
various Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), through convergence,
has arguably placed radio as the world’s most successful ICT to date that
reaches millions of listeners everyday (National Community Radio Forum, 1993, p6).
While the traditional functions of national radio, especially Public
Broadcasting Service, cannot be underestimated, community radio serves as a
“niche” of the media landscape that serves as a primary source of reliable information
for the entire population (Dunaway, 2002, p.4). As such, the sector has
continued to provide news and information relevant to the needs of community
members in the form of a medium which empowers them politically, socially and
economically, through locally produced and oriented media content (Wigston,
2001; Fraser & Estrada, 2001). This is evident in the kind of programming
that reflects people’s needs with regard to education, information, and
entertainment to all language and cultural groups in the country (Mmusi, 2002;Teer-Tomaselli,
1995).
Although
radio is not a new phenomenon, private ownership, control of programming,
content and operation is relatively a recent phenomenon. It has been gaining
strength throughout the world in recent years most especially in developing
countries. As a result, private FM and community radio has attracted the
attention of many international development organizations as an optimal
resource to be developed in the struggle for democracy, the fight against disease,
and the preservation of local language and culture (Blackson, 2005).
Furthermore,
radio is scholarly proven to be the perfect medium for mass communication. If
we compare radio to other mass media, it’s consistently ranks as the most
popular means of information dissemination, regardless of the continent. The
interactive appeal of radio has distinguished it as an effective medium above
other tools of mass media. What makes radio particularly appealing is its
interactivity, its capacity to provoke dialogue and solicit the participation
of local populations (Baran, 2003).
1.1.2 BRIEF HISTORY OF RADIO IN NIGERIA
Historically,
radio broadcasting began in Nigeria in 1933 as a redistribution of service by
the Post and Telegraph Department, which received and relayed BBC news through
what was called RADIFUSSION (Radio Diffusion). Eight years later in 1951 the
Nigerian Broadcasting Service (NBS) was established, marking the birth of true
broadcasting in the country. Along the line, NBS transformed to Nigeria Broadcasting
Corporation (NBC) in 1956, which was position to have an external service
called (Voice of Nigeria) in 1961. NBC is now the Federal Radio Corporation of
Nigeria (FRCN), restricted to domestic
broadcasting , VON was excised from FRCN in 1990, given full autonomy and
exclusive power to broadcast externally by radio from Nigeria (Okpanachi,2008;
Ebuna 2009).
In
1939, a station was opened in Ibadan, Kano station was commissioned in 1949
while between 1945 to 1949 stations had been opened in towns like Kaduna,
Enugu, Abeokuta, Ijebu-Ode, Jos, Zaria, Calabar and port-Harcourt as relay
stations.
In
Nigeria, radio broadcasting industry have been spreading very fast, motivated
by several factors such as language, politics, religion and education. Technical
and technological reasons should be added as these have enabled a very fast
proliferation of radio stations in Nigeria, during the last thirty years. Each
of the Nigerian states opted for own radio and TV stations, as well as the
universities. Radio stations have been established in Nigeria at a rate of five
(5) stations a year. Nigeria has the fourth largest radio network in the world,
with constantly growing staff and the figure of imported programmes going
constantly down (Egbuna, 2009).
Prior
to the circulation of National Broadcasting Commission Decree No. 38 of 1992 by
the Federal Government on August 24, 1992, the ownership, control and operation
of broadcasting stations in Nigeria was the exclusive preserve of various governments- Federal,
State, and Regional. There is an increasing choice of radio channels, and the
awareness it help creates increase numbers of community based stations for the
educational and information need of society (Umeh, 1989).
1.1.3 HISTORY/INTRODUCTION OF FM RADIO IN NIGERIA
The
first Frequency Modulation (FM) in Nigeria was commissioned on April 22, 1977.
It was known then as Radio Nigeria 2 (Metro FM). A year later when NBC was
re-organized, the state stations were handed over to State Governments and NBC
was left with only Lagos, Ibadan, Enugu and Kaduna which became Federal Radio
Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) (Akingbulu, 2010). Radio broadcasting in Nigeria was carried out
mainly on medium and shortwave bands until April 1977 when the FRCN launched
Radio Nigeria 2, AM/ FM stereo in Lagos on the FM band. The FM band is now the most
widely used in the country as most radio stations in Nigeria 1992 following
which a regulator the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) was established
and private radio stations emerged.
1.1.4 COMMUNITY RADIO
Community
radio has been defined as radio broadcasting situated within the sphere of
community media. Community media according to Oso, (2003:4) is made up of
localized media that serves as an alternative to mainstream media as well as
the profit motivated commercialized media. To Fuller (2007:224-226), community
media may be defined as those media which members of the community have access for information, education, and entertainment
when they want and community participates as planners, producers, and
performers, supplementing the mainstream media on both organizational and
content levels. Thus, among the various types of community media, radio is
scholarly considered as the perfect medium for mass communication.
Despite the
suffice advantages of radio as being one of the cheapest and accessible mass
communications technologies, some stations still struggle to survive. In
Nigeria and elsewhere, many community radio stations operate in situations of
dire need despite having been set up confident that local needs would ensure
community support in the form of volunteering, in-kind support and donations
(Simmering & Fairbairn, 2007:7).In addition, some poor communities faced
with high unemployment and lack of access to infrastructure view the sector as
providers of income and resources such as gaining access to telephones,
photocopiers, the Internet, training opportunities and above all, paid work
rather than as initiatives needing community support. For example, “the early
experiences of community radio projects in South Africa, where volunteers rebelled,
staged sit-ins and strikes, stole equipment and CDs, or simply abandoned
stations when they realized there was insufficient income to pay salaries, are
testimony to this” (Simmering & Fairbairn, 2007, p.7). Due to such
circumstances, there are community radio stations that are deeply rooted in
rural communities and serve community needs and interests, but have abandoned
their community origins and are little more than jukeboxes (Simmering &
Fairbairn, 2007, p.10).
Regardless
of the legal structure, the policies and objectives of community media are
articulated with a strong input from stakeholders within the community.
Community members have both a sense of ownership and a real ability to shape
the station to suit their wishes and needs. Its specific focus is to make its
audience the main protagonists, by their involvement in all aspects of its
management, and programme production, and providing them with a programming
that will help in the development and social advancement of their community (Fraser
& Estrada, 2001, p.4)
1.1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF COMMUNITY RADIO
Community
radio stations offer concrete means for public participation and defense for
cultural diversity. “Participation is the engine of democracy and community
radio is a tool for participation” (Jordan, 2006, p.1). The strengths of
community radio, lies mainly in the horizontality and diversity of its
operational structure. Its organizational structure is an expression of the
bottom up framework, which is reflective of a community network of universes,
multiple languages, and expressions of differences. This diversity actualizes
the representation of the excluded, the survival of historic memories, of
cultural diversity and an equitable approach to addressing community radio
issues (Girard, 2007, p.2; Jordan, 2006, p.1).
Community radio
station is based in its community and accountable to it. Usually the community
is defined geographically, although its size can range from a small town, to a
city, or a vast rural area covering thousands of square kilometers. Some
community stations can also serve particular communities of interest such as
women, youth or linguistic and cultural minorities (Girard, 2007). Community
stations are owned and controlled by the community. In some cases, the legal
owner is the community itself, via an association established for the purpose.
In other cases, the legal owner is a not-for-profit group, a cooperative, an
NGO, or a municipality, acting on behalf of the community (Girard, 2007, p.1;
Fraser & Estrada, 2001, p.4).
To
consider today’s role and use of campus community radio raises the questions of
its place in new African and Nigerian media landscape, and in particular in the
radio environment marked by deregulation and the end of broadcast monopolies
that has proliferated the radio landscape and so position it for a more
effective educational broadcast programming with over 187 functional radio
stations.
Even
though Nigeria has opened up its airwaves and allowed for independent
commercial and community radio stations, there are legal and political
loopholes for community radio stations. However, this exception can be
addressed with clearly defined three-tier broadcasting system, namely public,
commercial and community. In addition, there has been tremendous de facto
political support for the establishment of rural radio stations, and other
forms of community radio. This may have a positive impact on the socio-economic
and educational development of thee host community as well as receiving
communities surrounding the stations but there is the air of fear of the
stations being used by politicians to promote acrimony limiting the licenses to
University and other educational campus in the country.
Community
radio stations plays vital role in building vibrant communities , in mobilizing
groups to action by informing and empowering citizens, in giving voice to the
marginalized groups of society, and in bringing community needs to the
attention of local and national governments. The scope of the actual and potentials
impact of community radio is wide-ranging, as are the challenges associated
with community radio development.
In
the view of CIMA-Centre for International Media Assistance report of 2007, the
power of community radio to mobilize groups and bring change to societies is
well recognized. Similarly, AMARC-World Association of Community Broadcasters
Report (1998) which stated that although many African countries have opened up
the airwaves allowing both independent community stations to exist alongside
state owned entitles, there are few laws such as the one which safeguard
community broadcasting per sec. furthermore, laws which liberalized the
airwaves, make no specific reference to campus community broadcasting. The NBC
(Licensing) Regulations of Act of 1992, which liberalized the airwaves in
Nigeria made no mention of community broadcasting whatsoever but has allowed
the development of campus community broadcasting, such as Bayero University,
New- Site Campus 88.5 FM.
Thus,
there is need for raising awareness among communication policy makers on the
role and benefit of campus community radio stations to Nigeria socio-cultural,
economic, educational and technological development, as well as in the host/
receiving communities, and monitoring to ensure the radio station delivers as
it should. This research hopes to evaluate the affairs of the UNIQUE Community
FM with the hope it will draw the attention of the authorities to its
challenges and be useful in soliciting for the necessary assistance the radio
station requires to function effectively and efficiently.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The
Nigeria broadcast media industry which is Africa’s largest and the world’s
fourth largest, media industry needs to strive not only in meeting with the
competitiveness of the industry in the area of listenership, but strive for
excellence in both qualitative and quantitative media content and programming
to meet its target audience.(Simmering & Fairbairn, 2007, p.7).
In
order to fully support this lofty aspiration, there is the need for the mass
media to serve not only as an outlet for just information dissemination, but
also for societal development, socialization of norms and values as well as
agent of ethic and technological rejuvenation in the face of mounting pressure
from popular culture through the media that seems to be eroding communal life
and virtues around us.
Insofar
as this pressure remains, the prospect of the development of effective campus
community radio operations in Nigeria seem to hang in the balance and that is
why a study of this nature is necessary in order to unravel motivations that
exist in establishing campus radio and also to find out the challenges and
prospects of established community radios in Nigeria universities with
delimitation on B.U.K 88.5 (Bayero University, Kano Campus Community radio
station).
1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The
main objective of this study is to carry out a comparative analysis of the
operation and management of the Bayero University campus community radio
station with respect to the factors that influenced the establishment of the
station as a campus community radio should be, bringing out its challenges and
prospects. Thus, the researcher hopes to achieve the following:
1.
To
find out the factors responsible for the establishment of Bayero University
Kano campus community radio.
2.
To
find out the operational nature of the radio station.
3.
To
find out the administrative structure of the radio station.
4.
To
find out if there are existing gaps between the aims of establishing the radio
station and its current operational function.
5.
To
find out the challenges affecting the effectiveness of the radio station (if
any).
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The
following questions will guide this study:
1.
What
are the factors that influenced the establishment of a Campus Radio Station in
Bayero University Kano?
2.
What
is the operational nature of the radio station?
3.
What
is the funding mechanism of the radio station?
4.
What
is the state of the current operational function of the radio station in
relation to the aims of establishing it?
1.5 SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS
This
study will analyze the identified gap between the aims and objectives of establishing
the Bayero University Kano community FM and its broadcasting services, while
pulling out the problem(s) inherent in the establishment and operation of
campus community radio broadcasting as well as the prospect in the establishment
of community campus radio FM stations in Nigerian universities with special
focus on B.U.K 88.5 FM. North-West of the country.
Thus,
this study will explore factors like locations, licenses regime, broadcast
freedom, political and socio-cultural inhibitions to propriety of stations,
technology and skills development, audience feedback as well as the
socialization and participation of the campus and community in the programme
and news content development and delivery for the benefit of all and sundry.
The
first limitation of this study is that, the research shall only consider the
process and procedure enabling the establishment of campus radio or community
radio broadcast in Nigerian universities, as well as the challenges limiting
its effectiveness and efficient operations and not the general radio broadcast
in Nigeria. The second limitation is that is shall only understudy B.U.K 88.5
stations out of about 27 licensed campus radio stations across the federation.
This will probably make some findings from the research inapplicable to other
campus radio stations. More so, the intention to use questionnaire as an
instrument of survey would not erase the possibility of bias from the
respondents’ responses to the questions in the study.
However,
the research will be adept and indepth with data, time and resources committed
to the undertaking.
1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The data and
information gathered in the course of this research would help the broadcast
industry, media policy makers, the legislature, federal government regulatory
agency in charge of broadcasting and university management/authorities to
foster a more proactive, competitive and productive ways of developing
community radio broadcasting in Nigerian universities. Wherever it will be
established, this work would further provide information and additional
literature on the nature, challenges and the prospect of campus community radio
broadcast in Nigeria in particular, Africa and the rest of the developing world
in general.
1.7 DEFINITION OF KEY TERMS
Campus: A premise of learning of an academic
institution, especially for tertiary education.
Radio station: A broadcast house
where mostly audio content and programming are produced and transmitted over
broadcast spectrum or frequency
Campus Radio: A radio station
situated at the premises of an academic institution
Community
Broadcast: The
way of broadcasting within a close frequency or range to a section of the
society
Challenges:
The
limitations and inhibition posed or that threatens the establishment,
effectiveness and efficiency of the campus radio broadcast in Nigeria
universities.
Prospect: The possibilities
and capacity to operate a successful campus radio broadcast in the
universities.
NBC: National Broadcasting Commission of Nigeria.
The acronym for the sole broadcast regulatory agency in Nigeria
UNIQUE: The acronym for Bayero University, Kano.
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