Download Practice of Radio Broadcasting in an era of economic meltdown in

Practice of Radio Broadcasting in an era of economic meltdown in Anambra
State, South East Nigeria.
By
Onyenekwe, Ogochukwu Nneka
B.A (Nig.), MPA (Futo),
A Ph.D. proposal presented to the Department of Mass Communication,
Faculty of Social Sciences, Nnamdi Azikiwe University as part of condition for
admission into the doctoral programme.
INTRODUCTION
Radio because of its convenience, ubiquitous, cost effectiveness and portability, is still revered and
respected as an exciting companion, reliable source of information and an influential informer (Pate,
2014). Radio transmission as an aspect of the Mass Media makes it a good platform for the
actualization of the principle of participation and freedom of speech. Although there are other
platforms that enable participation and freedom of speech available in the Mass Media like Print,
Television, the New Media and Multimedia message services, the accessibility to Radio Broadcasting
is still prominent. As a means of disseminating News, information, opinions and entertainment,
Radio has been rated as the most effective medium of communication of any society.
The African charter on Broadcasting recognises and advocates for a three tier Radio regime in
African Countries: public service, commercial / private and community broadcasting (Pate &
Abubakar, 2013). In Nigeria, the three tier of radio broadcasting became effective with the
deregulation of the downstream sector of radio broadcasting in 1992 with Decree 38 and the
subsequent emergence of community radio in 2007(Dunu, 2009).
The liberalization of the airwaves and the introduction of commercialization(private interests) and
community broadcasting with the subsequent reduction in government subvention to the national
broadcasting service(Ojebode, 2009) created an enabling environment for these stations to scramble
for a considerable chunk of the general market. Despite having stations in Nigeria’s 36 states, Public
Service broadcasters had to sustain their stations. Commercial and Community Broadcasters also
had to battle for their share of the market.
A global financial crisis rocked the United states of America and other advanced economies in 2008
into 2009. Being part of the global economy and given the problems in the economies of developing
countries mostly in Africa, Latin America and Asia, these economies could not have been insulated
from the effects of the economic meltdown (Ogunleye, 2015). For these economies, the impact of
the crisis which has not abated, include crash in commodity (oil, tradable agricultural and mining
products) prices, contraction of revenue accruing to Governments, de-accumulation of foreign
reserves with attendant pressure on foreign exchange rates amongst others (Ogunleye, 2015).
In Nigeria, the price of crude oil, the highest foreign exchange and revenue earner for the country,
crashed in the international market. Oil prices fell from 147 Dollars per barrel in July, 2008 to below
45 Dollars per barrel by the ending of the same year in the international market. It led to a drastic
contraction in revenue accruing to the country with adverse effects on governmental fiscal
operations. The dismal situation worsened in January 2014 with a further drastic slump in oil prices.
These phenomenon known as economic meltdown has affected all the facets of the Nations polity. It
may have had some degree of influence on the communication sector boiling down to the subsector of the Broadcasting industry. How has the economic meltdown influenced the programming
of Broadcast Radio stations especially in Anambra state, South East Nigeria?
What are the survival strategies of these Broadcast stations faced with the current economic
meltdown. Who does the slump in the market favour most – Private Broadcasters or Public Service
Broadcasters (PSB). This study therefore, intends to find out the impact of the economic meltdown
on the performance of Radio Broadcasting Stations in Anambra state their programming schedules
as index of evaluation.
According to Sambe (2003), a programme is a message which a Broadcast Media offers to the
society to justify the reasons for its existence or social responsibility. Such a message must be
Broadcast on Radio or Television and is creatively and freely crafted not only to justify some taste
but also to influence people or create awareness. A programme has been defined as a material
created to meet certain specific needs or attain some set objectives and transmitted to some
predetermined target audience (Anabajo 2001). He further posited that successful Broadcast
programming must fulfil its social, cultural, economic, political and professional objectives.
The broadcast content is regarded as the Broadcast programme that is aired be it News or a talk
show. For electronic media, content influences programming, which is a reflection of the Media’s
socio-political and economic relationship with the society. Although there are three main
perspectives to research work on Broadcasting, this study will spotlight on programming that is the
content (services provided). It is said in Broadcasting that ‘content is King’ while the consumer is the
kingdom.
There are – number of Radio Stations in the state. These are Anambra Broadcasting Service Radio
88.5fm, Rhythm 95.7fm, Purity 102.5fm, Blaze 91.5fm, Brilla 88.9fm, Unizik 94.1fm, Madonna
94.4fm and Radio Sapiensa 95.3fm. The stations are classified either as Public Service or
Private/commercial Broadcast stations. The community stations are excluded as broadcasting
regulatory agency, National Broadcasting Commission stipulates that they should not be run on
commercial principles (NBC Code, 2010).
The degree of programme sponsorship and News commercialisation with the volume of adverts will
serve as index in determining the level of performance of the Radio station in the market that is its
market share.
Statement of the Research Problem
The effects of the global economic meltdown have not been restricted to the western world. Its
effects have slowly trickled into the developing countries of the world, due to the connectedness of
these economies. In Nigeria, various sectors of the economy are reeling from the effects of the
meltdown. In the communication sector of which broadcasting is a part, how has it fared? The study
will attempt to see how these radio stations maintained or gained a bigger proportion of the market
share in response to the economic meltdown.
Purpose of the study
The purpose of this study is to ascertain the performance of the broadcasting stations using the
degree of programme commercialization pre and after January, 2014.
Objectives of the study
Specific objectives of this study include
1) To find out the extent of programme commercialization and adverts volume before and
during the period of the meltdown.
2) To decipher the key players in the commercial sector that purchase airtime, sponsor
programmes and place adverts on these stations, before and during the period of the
meltdown.
3) To ascertain if there was a significant shift in the programme genres that enjoyed
sponsorship and adverts before and during the meltdown.
4) To find out if the predominantly sponsored programmes are in the interest of the sponsors
or in the public interest.
5) To determine if the major source of commercials is from programme sponsorship or from
advertisements, pre or during the meltdown.
6) To find out if there was programme constriction or expansion in the programme schedule
pre and during the economic meltdown.
Research questions
1) What is the extent of programme commercialization and advert volume before and during
the period of the meltdown?
2) Who are the key players in the commercial sector that purchase airtime, sponsor
programmes and place adverts on these stations?
3) What is the extent of shift in the programme genres that enjoyed sponsorship and adverts?.
4) Were the predominantly sponsored programmes in the interest of the sponsors or of the
public?
5) Which was the major source of commercials if programme sponsorship or advertisements?
6) Were there programme constriction or expansion?
Research hypothesis
Null Hypothesis (Ho): The practise of Radio Broadcasting is affected by the economic meltdown.
Alternate Hypothesis (Ha): The practise of Radio Broadcasting is not affected by the economic
meltdown.
References
Dunu, I.V. (2009). An appraisal of Audience involvement in University Campus Radio Operations in
South-East Nigeria. Journal of Communication and Media Research, 1(1).
Ogunleye, G.A. (2015). ‘global financial crises: lessons for deposit insurance systems’. The Nigerian
Observer.
Ojebode A. (2009). ‘Public service versus profit-making: the Nigerian Broadcast sector in a neoliberal
economy’. In Media and Communications Industries in Nigeria: Impacts of Neoliberal reforms
between 1999 and 2007. A.A. Olorunnisola (ed.) Lewiston, NY The Edwin Mellen Press Pp 59-80.
Olayiola A. (2011). Political communication and Radio Broadcasting: The impact of ownership and
control on news production in the Ibadan Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State (BCOS). Journal of
Biz and Organisational Development, 3:
Pate, U.A (2014). Broadcasting Politics and strategic interest amidst security concern in Nigeria.
Paper presented at FRCN management retreat, 29th August in the Guardian Newspaper.
Pate, U and Abubakar A (2013). The struggle for community Broadcasting in Nigeria. Malaysian
Journal of media Studies, 15(1): 1-19.
Report on the global economic crises and the impact on Africa. Financial and economic crises. Hub
pages. Retrieved on August 15, 2015.