CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
This study is on the influence of religious programmes on Nigerian television Authority (NTA) Enugu in regulating the moral conducts of Nigerian students using Caritas University students as a study.
Tracing the history of the establishment of the first television transmission began in Western Nigeria on October 31, 1959.This service which was initiated by a regional government was not only the first in Nigeria, but remains the oldest in the whole of the African continent. The birth could be termed purely accidental, because it was borne out of political dissension. Chief Obafemi Awolowo and his party men had walked out of parliament protest against a constitutional debate at the eve of Nigeria’s independence. This action was condemned by the ruling government over the federal all-Nigeria Radio Broad casting service, but access was denied the opposition leader to reply to the accusations. Instead of establishing a Radio station alone, to offer an unrepressed voice in national affairs, the Western Region commenced television transmission.
According to Faronbi (1979) unbelievers and critics. To many, it was a diversion of the scarce resources of the region to a prestigious project. This kind of thinking at the time was strongly countered by the argument that television was being established to satisfy the educational aspirations of the people of the Western Region. The daily times(1959) carried a page report of the inauguration of the new Western Nigerian Television service in Ibadan. According to adegbokun(1983) he holds the view that creation of state owned television stations but that another factor stronger than statism per se, was the effectiveness and importance of television broadcasting as demonstrated by the older station. He also reports that among the station that sprang up during the military regime were NTV Benin (now NTA Benin), Nigerian Television Jos, Nigerian Television Sokoto.
Furthermore, the establishment of the Nigerian Television Authority(NTA) was the first attempt by the Federal Government of Nigeria to have a centrally financed and co-ordinate television industry born out of experiment in Joint broadcasting in Nigeria, the authority played a major role in further development of the industry, in order to provide effective and and co-ordinate coverage of the second all-Africa games hosted by Nigeria in 1973, all the broadcasting agency in the country were pooled together to form the broadcasting organization of Nigeria (BON).One advantage to the television industry, and to the nation as a whole of the two bouts of the speedy proliferation of television stations was the rapid increase in the use of the television medium b y Nigerians. Many individuals’ establishments and homes procured television sets as a result of the oil wealth of the last two decades. Adiche (1974) reported a survey which showed that about 87 percent of the people surveyed viewed more than two hours of television programmes a day in all states.
Muniru (1984) commented on the increased choice of television channels for Nigerian viewers. He affirmed that television has spread to all areas of the country. Growth has been phenomenal. Viewers between Western States and Lagos could select from some twelve channels. Paradoxically,the availability of numerous radio and television stations in Nigeria during the 1979-1983 civilian administration should have enhanced national unity but instead it produced widespread disharmony caused by the unprecedented misuse of these two media facilities by the politicians and their agents. While inaugurating the committee for the rationalization of radio and television services, the then Chief of staff, supreme headquarters, lamented the abuse of the radio and television media by the politicians during the civilian regime. New Nigerian newspaper (1984) reported the chief of staff’s remarks: The exercise was aimed at streamlining television broadcasting in the country, saving cost and making the services more efficient. He condemned the role played by the various radio and television stations during the civilian regime. He said that the stations without exceptions became megaphones of political parties in power, suppressing or grossly distorting information to serve the whims and caprices of politicians. By so doing, Brigadier Idiagbon added, they fanned the embers of disunity, disaffection, and discord. They also succeeded in poisoning the political atmosphere to such an extent that law and order virtually broke down in many states of the federation.