Impact Of The Electronic Media In The Economic Development

INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
The electronic media which is the focus of this study comprises of the radio and television. The sophistication of these media makes them to be the wonders of modern communication.
Just as the twentieth century dawned, a system was perfected with electromagnetic impulses could be sent through the air without the wires that carries the voice transmissions over long distances. This is known as radio (Bottner). (Okunna, 2001).
Electronic media are the machinery or an institutions used for simultaneous transmission of information to a wide and divergent audience. Although the electronic media are channels through which information is transmitted to the audience through the different types of media, yet they represent the attempt of man to relate to and also interact with other men. It is clear to note that communication has been enhanced nationally and internationally with the use of technology. According to Aniebona (2002) said that Electronic media are powerful and effective instruments for achieving national goals, such as the need for widespread education for both children and adults in order realize the set down objectives in economic growth, health care, political and social awareness, political stability self reliance and national identify among other things.
Electronic media are aimed at presenting programmes, like news, drama, interviews, health and family planning, religious progrmmes and agricultural programmes.
According to Ogbunambala (2004) observe that electronic media include the radio, the television and the cinema. Our focus is on the radio and television, as the source to which people tune on to for the latest developments in the war or crisis time. We look on radio or television during announcement of annual budget by the head of state.
According to Marconic (2000) the first source is radio, it is a potential means of supplementing telegraphy, the most important long distance communication medium of the late nineteenth century. Radio was the most popular entertainment and news medium to a degree, the radio receiver was the centre of the home and family activities, frequently revolved around the broadcasting schedule. The average station schedule had something for everyone from news and commentary through varieties of comedy, religious discussion, sports and children’s programme.
The Enugu State Broadcasting Service (ESBS) radio, Enugu, share in this responsibility of educating, informing, entertaining persuading and advertising. The ESBS Radio operates on both Amplitude modulation (AM) and frequency modulation (FM) and rated high by listeners for its request and information packages include education programmes – ESBS/IMT UNIAIR. The station strives hard in various ways to assert themselves. Some concentrate on music. While others run discussion on special political, economical, education, social, cultural and religious issues ESBS Radio goes for the audience, which has the purchasing power. ESBS Radio in its impacts in economic development undertakes advertisement, sponsored programmes, public service encouragement to enhance the training of professionals and thereby contribute effectively in the economic development of Nigeria.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
As we stated earlier that the impact of the electronic media especially radio is enormous, despite the problems facing them in discharging their responsibilities. One thing that is certain is that radio helps in economic development due to its easy reach and penetration to diverse and scattered listeners, literacy level not withstanding.
But of all these impact and contribution to the economic development of Nigeria, there are still case of poor funding and poor management of the electronic media especially radio to effectively carry out these impacts of economic development.
The ESBS as an agent of news, information, education entertainment and advertising organ of electronic media has been affected due to poor funding, obsolete equipment and poor management. The researchers are therefore moved to ask despite the poor funding is there really any impact of this media to the economic development of our nation, Nigeria.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The main purpose of this study is to examine the ESBS Radio and its impact in economic development of Nigeria. Specifically, the study will:
1. Find out if ESBS Radio helped in creating impact towards the economic development of Nigeria through its advertisement programmes.
2. Determine whether ESBS Radio helped to create awareness on the economic development of Nigeria through some of its educational programmes – ESBS/IMT UNIAIR, ESBS through guide academy for G.C.E/JAMB candidates.
3. Ascertain if ESBS Radio assist in the development of socio-economic development of Nigeria through its varieties of entertainment programmes like the rise and shine early morning show, Ndu enu uwa, oge ndi olu and other social agricultural, health and political programmes.
4. Determine whether ESBS Radio contributed in the economic development of Nigeria in form of training and promotion of musicians and other allied professionals.

SCOPE OR DELIMITATION OF THE STUDY
This study is carried out in Enugu State Broadcasting Service Enugu. It is hurried to the impact of the electronics media in the economic development of Nigeria.
As a matter of fact and for the want of time, the study delved into discovering whether or not ESBS Radio has made an impact in the economic development of Nigeria. That is to say that the researchers did not go to length to include the impact of television.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
This research work becomes necessary because radio as a medium of information has been recognized as the most useful media that is message out across the barriers of literacy.
According to Stella (2004) Radio is the true mass media in third world countries because it really reaches the masses. In Nigeria, for example, the use of radio as a source of information is truly widespread even among rural dwellers who make up the majority of the country’s population”.
Radio as an electronic media have been known in recent decades as key mode of mass communication, an audio dimension or channel which is capable of providing a great deal of details, description that are not communicable through written and visual communications. The impact of radio in education which helps to foster national unity and understanding cannot be waved without contradiction.
It also goes that radio helps in advertisement, public service announcements. Its enlightenment and educational programmes are diverse in its impacts to promote products and enhance the training of professionals. Since radio has these impacts above all other electronic media in the economic development of Nigeria. The focus of this study based on terms and parameters defined by the researcher was to find out how ESBS Radio has failed in the economic development of Nigeria, through its duty of information dissemination.
It would also be pertinent to point out that this study was undertaken to explore this area so as to contribute to stream of knowledge. It was also hoped that data generated in this study could be used to solve other problems in other studies.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS
In order to carry out this study the researcher wishes to ask the following questions as a guide post to the research.
1. Has the ESBS radio helped in creating impact towards the economic development of Nigeria through its advertisement programme?
2. Has the ESBS radio helped to create awareness on the economic development of Nigeria through some of its educational programmes – ESBS/IMT UNIAIR ESBS through guide academy G.C.E/JAMB candidates?
3. Does the ESBS Radio assist in the development of socio-economic development of Nigeria through its varities of entertainment programmes like the rise and shine early morning show, Ndu enu uwa, oge ndi olu bi and other social, agricultural, health and political programmes?
4. Has the ESBS Radio contributed in the economic development of Nigeria in form of training and promotion of musicians and other allied professionals?
5. Does the ESBS Radio create awareness in teaching/learning process?