CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the study
Technological advancement in communication technologies has continued to eulogize television as a powerful medium of mass communication. Interestingly, television programme span around the circuits of human endeavour including politics, culture and education.
Udeajah (2004, p.7) affirm this when he notes that:
We all know in truth broadcasting has become an indispensable form for the practice of politics and governance in all modern nation states. The reasons are quite simple. No other medium can deliver as large and instantaneous an audience to the politicians or government as broadcasting can. It is also the belief all over the world that broadcasting is an eminently persuasive medium; omnipresent in people‟s homes, working places even in transit. It is akin to a second skin through which most people stay in touch with their immediate environment and the world at large.
It is therefore in recognition of this that the federal government in 1992 deregulates the broadcasting industry. What hitherto was the exclusive of the government become open for all Nigerians; this marked a turning point in the history of television broadcasting in Nigeria.
The first television station in Nigeria was (WNTV) in 1959, this was followed by the Eastern Nigerian Broadcasting Service in 1960 and the Broadcasting Corporation of Northern Nigeria (BCNN) and then to the era of deregulation.
Supposedly, private television stations emerged. They includes: African Independent Television (AIT), MINAJSystem Station Obosi, Silver bird Communications, Unity TV Communication, Chrone TV Choffaan Communication etc.
Commending the federal government DecreeN0. 38 of 1992 on the deregulation broadcasting sector, Okenwa (2000, p.53) stated thus:
The year 1992 marked a critical turning point in the development of the broadcast media Nigeria. It came with policies that were to revolutionalize the media industry through allowing private participation in ownership of the electronic media.
The deregulation of broadcasting in Nigeria widened the scope of programming, performance scheduling as well as scope of competition in the sector. Both old and new television stations began to compete with each other so as to remain in the business and make profit.
Duru and Okafor (2003, p.136) supported this statement thus:
The advertiser perceives the broadcast deregulation, because the resultant effects of their advert messages in audience are encouraging. Similarly, research shows that privatization has resulted in more job, mobility, creativity challenge and healthy competition, which make for the exploitation of hidden creative talents.
Indeed, private participation in the ownership and operation of television stations increased qualitative competition. This has resulted in the packaging of quality programmes for audience viewership. Such competition has arguably spurred government television stations out of their seeming compliancy. They have now risen up to the occasion in order to sustain themselves in businesses in line with the capitalist orientation of our economy.