CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of study.
The Nigerian electorate in recent years has been intensely individualistic groups. Hence political parties usually confront pro-found cultural differences given the cultural structure of the Nigerian electorate.
Independent Television Benin is an electronic media with visual and audio sounds. It is an effective spontaneous messages carrier of our time. On 27th of March 1997 when Independent Television started transmission of programmers‟ on channel 22 with its slogan certainly the Best, the station radically changed the horizon of broadcasting in it coverage area. Independent television came with a new millennium. The zeal of the founding father Sir Chief (Dr) Gabriel Osawaru Igbinedion the Esama of Benin kingdom, who after a careful study of the broadcast media yearned for an enhancement of the choice available to viewers to a level comparable to what is obtained in developed countries. Chief Igbinedion‟s dream culminated in the approval and subsequent presentation of a license by the formal Head of state General Ibrahim Babagida on 36th June 1993, at the Ladi Kwali hall of Sheraton Hotel and Tower Abuja. It goes down in history that Independent Television was the first private owned broadcasting station in Nigeria to receive a private license No.001 on that memorable day.
Having obtained the Franchise, Sir Chief (Dr).Gabriel Osawaru Igbinedion, the Esama of Benin Kingdom went straight to work by rendering standard skeletal services under the umbrella of Independent Television Network plans were known for the birth of fully fledged Independent Television, which resulted in the sitting of the station at Igwsa because of the high attitude of the location A 1000 feet mast was erected by ALLAN DICK, a reputable firm based in London. An Italian company TECHNO SYSTEM, with its team of highly qualified Engineers delivered and installed Independent television a pair of its best transmitters of Ten kilowatts capacity, transmitting on channel 22UHF. Independent Television which commended fully transmission on the 27th March, 1997 watts stronger with fans growing in leaps and bounds by the day.
On the first of September 1997, the management and staff paid courtesy visit to the Benin monarch, HRF OMO N‟ Oba n‟ Edo UKU Apolokpolo Oba Erediawa. The royal father lauded the station and enjoined members to keep the flag flying. Also the then Edo military administrator Group Captain Baba Adamu Iyam played host to the management and staff of Independent television.