Proliferation Of Radio Stations And Its Implication For Media Performance

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Broadcasting is a global phenomenon. As an essential aspect of any nation's social and cultural life, its significance cannot be overemphasized. Combining audio, vision and motion, the broadcast media's effectiveness in communicating information with speed and accuracy to heterogeneous audiences has been proven over the years. Moreover, the broadcast media have helped the individual to share ideas not only within his immediate environment but also beyond his social milieu. So that by means of broadcasting the individual can partake of ideas and experiences that can enrich his life and help him. live in a complex, dynamic and humane society.

However, in. Nigeria for several decades followmg. the inception of broadcasting in 1957 (Obazele, 1996), the industry led a sheltered life shielded from the winds of free market forces as successive regimes ensured that the sector remain. ed an exclusive monopoly of the Central government. Even the 1979 constitutional provision for the establishment of private electronic media could not change the trend. Whereas the print media had much earlier experienced liberalization, the broadcast media remain. ed as earlier stated an exclusive preserve of government. It could be argued that perhaps governments initial monopoly of the in. dusty may not be unconnected with the seeming potential of broadcasting as a tool for social change and engineering which as such ought not to be left in. the hands of just anyone. Again. it is probable that private entrepreneurs would emphasize an orientation towards exclusive commercialism rather than consideration for national in. terest. This may be another reason for governments grip on the industry over the years.

Be that as it may, the much expected deregulation materialized in 1992 when the Babangida regime promulgated decree 38 which liberalized the industry and also established the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC). This decree (38) of August 24 (1992) empowered the NBC to regulate the entire broadcast in. dusty, both public and private. This singular act by the Babangida military presidency eclipsed the over 50 years of sole government domination of the sector in Nigeria. Interestingly this action by government heralded a proliferation of private electronic media as entrepreneurs and in.vestors cached in on the window of opportunity to invest so that at present in Nigeria there are so many privately run radio and television stations operating in an atmosphere of competition with the hitherto existing and even newly established public stations breeding lackadaisical attitude of the Regulatory and professional bodies particularly on the issues of ethical conducts and practitioners’ welfare poses a serious concern for the media industry in Nigeria. It is against this background that this investigation is based on. Essentially it examines the impact of the liberalization of the broadcast industry in Nigeria to ascertain the positive and negative developments that have arisen since the deregulation.

1.3   Objectives of the Study

The broad objective of this study is to examine proliferation of radio stations and its implication for media performance. Other specific objectives includes 

1. To examine reason for deregulation of broadcast industry in Nigeria.

2. To ascertain the positive effect of radio proliferation in Nigeria

3. To investigate the negative effect of radio station proliferation in Nigeria media sector.

4. To determine whether  proliferation of radio stations has significant implication on media performance