Prospects And Challenges Of Campus Broadcast Stations In Nigeria

It 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 UNILAG Community Radio Station 88.5 UNILAG 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.

Introduction

1.1 Background of the Study

Radio is regarded as an important modern medium because of its characteristics. It is cheap and affordable for large sections of populations everywhere. Its content is inexpensive to create and transmit. It is accessible because it does not require literacy. Listening to it is convenient while its programming is flexible. It can reach far and remote places where there is no access to other mass media. These characteristics have helped radio to perform important developmental roles, especially in the area of education.

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).

1.2 Statement of the Problem

According to Simmering and Fairbairn (2007), there is a need for the Nigeria broadcasting media 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.

One of the major challenges facing campus broadcasting stations is lack of adequate financial supports. There is a need for the school management to place value on the running of the campus broadcasting station. Inadequate dissemination of information is a major challenge facing campuses across the nation, the ability to get the slightest information of every students has been almost impossible. The use of a functional campus radio can station can help to overcome this problem.

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.

These problems make it glaring that there is a need to carry out a study on the prospects and challenges of campus broadcasting station in Nigeria, using UNILAG FM 103.1 as a case study.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

The general objective of this study is to examine the prospects and challenges of campus broadcasting station in Nigeria, using UNILAG FM 103.1 as a case study.

The specific objectives of the study are:

To ascertain the operational nature of UNILAG FM 103.1 broadcasting station.

To find out the factors that influences the establishment of UNILAG FM 103.1 broadcasting station.

To investigate if there is enough finances for running the radio station (UNILAG FM 103.1).

To know if UNILAG FM 103.1 has been able to solve the information dissemination problem of the campus.

To identify the challenges facing the administration of UNILAG FM 103.1 broadcasting station.

1.4 Research Questions

The relevant research questions related to this study are:

What is the operational nature of UNILAG FM 103.1 broadcasting station?

What are the factors that influences the establishment of UNILAG FM 103.1 broadcasting station?

Is there enough finances for running the radio station (UNILAG FM 103.1)?

Has UNILAG FM 103.1 been able to solve the information dissemination problem of the campus?

What are the challenges facing the administration of UNILAG FM 103.1 broadcasting station?

1.5 Significance of the Study

The findings 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.

This study will enhance the existing body of literature by contemplating the areas of the literature that have not yet been examined or considered and incorporating these factors into the current study. The study will thus form the basis for further studies in the field.

1.6 Scope of the Study

The scope of this study is restricted to the prospects and challenges of campus broadcasting station in Nigeria, using UNILAG FM 103.1 as a case study. Students of university of Lagos are selected randomly across various departments and faculties by the researcher as sample population.

Summary, Conclusions and Recommendations

5.1 Introduction

This chapter is the concluding chapter of this research work. In it, chapter by chapter summary of the entire project is provided as well as the general conclusion of the study. Based on this conclusion, recommendations on the study and for further studies on this topic or related ones are proffered.

5.2 Major Findings

The investigation into the challenges and prospects of community campus radio: what it should be and what it is in UNILAG (UNILAG FM) primarily found the following;

Findings show that the station was established to serve it host community and also to serve as training centre for students of the university undertaking journalism courses.

The establishment of the radio station is seen as a good development for the university community by the members of the community.

The station allows for community participation.

Source of funding of the radio station is mainly from the management of the university.

The favorable rating of the station by its public is considerably good.

The perception of its public towards its contents and programming quality is relatively good, however, with a need to augment on this.

Also, there is the need to augment on the broadcast timing/duration for the sake of students of the university who make up majority of the audience of the radio station.

The researcher discovered some loopholes in the present operational nature of the radio station compared the objectives of its establishment.

5.3 Conclusions

Good governance and genuine development can be achieved if all sections of society are integrated into appropriate communication processes. For the grassroots to be part of this lofty process, they must be provided empowerment and space to participate. The situation in Nigeria is that 70 percent of the population live in the rural areas, but are denied access to modern communication channels and thus shut away from credible information on issues which affect their lives and communities. Most of them live and die, never having an appreciation of development and the possibility that they could participate in a meaningful building of their country.

The grassroots is home to bulk of the country"s population and the source of her wealth and strength, remain largely, marginalized and voiceless. Painfully, mainstream media, including those in the broadcasting sector, have been unable to provide adequate coverage and engagement for grassroots governance and development.

The emergence of community radio in Nigeria will help to address the above mentioned and other challenges in various ways, including; fostering true broadcasting pluralism; providing access and voice for marginalized or underrepresented communities; empowering the grassroots to participate in search for solutions to issues affecting them and the country at large; building the capacities of communities to hold political office holders transparent and accountable; helping to preserve language and cultures across the country; and for those community radio stations in the academic environment, help academic debate; train future radio producer as well as journalists and radio education programme for the overall benefit of the community.

It is no longer gainsaying that community radio broadcast has come to stay in Nigeria mostly in our tertiary institution as there is a steady increase in the number of campus community radio stations in the Nigeria vigorously spearheaded by the tertiary institution. This novel intention, as bringing radio broadcast nearer to the people is however successful to some extent as well as facing several challenges in other areas.

The problem facing their establishment and effective operation is now what is posing serious challenges to the prospect of bringing broadcasting closer to its immediate community. This research has been able to uncover that the future of campus community radio stations is very bright even though a lot is still needed to make it serve the purpose for which they are established.

More so, the place of participatory developmental journalism or communication that forms the prima facie or tenets of community broadcast entirely must not be neglected but upheld in order to make the establishment of campus radio which is embedded on the premise of community broadcast principle a success. So far so good, the journey towards the establishment of this station has been good because the station has started full operation since its commissioning.

5.4 Recommendations

From the study as well as the primary findings, this research recommends that;

The society must understand the rules and regulations guiding the establishment and operation of a community station before seeking for license from relevant authorities to establish a station. The community must be ready to start, operate and manage as well as fund the community radio station adequately to avoid inefficient and ineffectiveness of the radio stations. The management of the community especially those within the university community should approach already established radio outfit either publicly or privately for the transfer of expertise in radio programming and broadcasting.

The community must seek for a significant proportion of its contents and programming input from the community in order for the station to start broadcasting to the community"s needs. For training purpose, the management of the station should liaise with the Departments of Mass Communication and Theatre Arts, and established radio stations as well as employ the services of professional hands or retired journalists in the profession for training of undergraduates in radio journalism and production. The Nigeria Broadcast Commission must be up and doing in order to ensure that the requirements for this nature of radio broadcast are met and they should monitor their programming frequency and content such that it meets the need and aspiration of the community.

Lastly, the study recommends that further study should be carried out on how campus community radio represents the community they operate, using another geopolitical zone as unit of study. Another methodological approach like qualitative content analysis should also be considered.

Chapter One

Introduction

1.1 Background of the Study

1.2 Problem Statement

1.3 Study Objectives

1.4 Significance of the Study

1.5 Study Questions / Hypotheses

1.6 Scope and Limitation of the Study

Chapter Two

Review of Related and Relevant Literature

Literature Review

2.0 Introduction

2.1 Definition of Community Radio

2.2 Community Radio in the Context of the Globalization of Media

2.3 A Brief Account of Community Radio in the World

2.4 International Approaches to Funding Community Campus Radio

2.5 Functions of a Community Radio

2.6 Affiliation to the Department of Communication

2.7 Community Broadcasting in an Educational Environment

2.8 The NBC Code on Community (Campus) Radio

2.9 Theoretical Framework

2.10 Development Media Theory

2.11 The Link Between the Theory and the Study

Chapter Three

Research Methodology

3.1 Research Design

3.2 Study Area

3.3 Sources of Data

3.4 Population of the Study

3.5 Sample Size Determination

3.6 Instrumentation

3.7 Reliability and Validity of Instrument

3.8 Method of Data Analysis

Chapter Four

Data Presentation Analysis and Interpretation

4.1 Data Presentation

4.2 Data Analysis

4.3 Data Interpretation

Chapter Five

Summary, Conclusion and Recommendation

5.1 Summary

5.2 Conclusion

5.3 Recommendation

References

Appendix

• Challenges And Prospects Of The Availability And Utilization Of ICT In Processing Information Resources By TSD
• Economic Crimes And Security Challenges: Prospects And Challenges For Nigeria
• Managing Small And Medium Business In Nigeria: Prospects And Challenges
• Challenges And Prospects Of Sole Proprietorship
• Nigerian Property Market; Prospects In The Midst Of Challenges
• Prospects And Challenges Of Information Technology In Nigeria Banking Sector
• Companies Income Tax And The Nigeria Economy; Challenges And Prospects

• Mass Communication Project Topics and Materials