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IMPACT OF NEWS COMMERCIALIZATION ON MANAGEMENT OF BROADCAST MIDIA IN NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

This research project examines the implication of news commercialization on management of broadcast media in Nigeria with emphasis on NTA Enugu. Thus, the issue at stake on this topic is to find out what impact does news commercialization has on the mass audiences even when media claims to be the watch dog of the society. Therefore, media should be ready to accept the dangers posed by news commercialization and such dangers include media questions on objectivity, professionalism, and fairness now being undermined by limited access to news airtime. The educationist, sociologist, politicians, the businessmen and eve the religions minded are all interested in this debate. In this research I decided to use survey research method ascertain the validity of various hypothesis formulated. The result of this research will useful to students of mass communication media experts, government and the society at large.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1     BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

The advert of broad casting in Nigeria was ushered in, in 1932 with the empire services transmitted from the British broadcasting Co- operation, (BBC) in Daventry, England, to entertain and inform the colonial masters. Also Stella –Joan Ebo (1994:43-44), further stated t5hat Nigeria station began experiment with rediffusion sets. Then the Nigeria posts and telegraphs department was authorized to work out plans for the distribution o0f programmers to subscribers in Lagos, Kano and Ibadan. It was in the phase of this that brought about the establishment of broadcast media outfit both Radio and television in Nigeria which Nigeria television authority (NTA) Enugu was one of them. Even since the inception of broadcast media in the country, ownership pattern shows that investment into the establishment of the industry was the exclusive preserve of the federal and state governments in Nigeria. This is the reason why NTA is owned both at federal level and state level. That is to say that prior to decree 38 of 1992, no private ownership was allowed in Nigeria. But before then, t5hye down turn in the economy of this great nation brought with it certain changes. Some of these changes were mostly stringent, that various government were always decrying, lack of money to prosecute their programmes.

Electronic media organizations which NTA Enugu is one of them is not exmpted from-the area government was finding difficult to spend the organization that can fund them if given the enabling resources. Then, the government of general Ibrahim Babangida through the amended decree No 25 of 1988 empowered the media organization to commercial broadcasting through which they would be augmenting the meager subvention that subsequently be coming from government. News stories put out by Nigeria television authority (NTA) Enugu with implicit confidence, the channel enjoyed high credibility rating from them. However, some serious questions readily come to mind at this juncture. With the introduction of news commercialization as a measure of improving the financial standing of the organization, have news producers remained objective? Does the channel still enjoy the confidence of the audience? Does it still maintain the audience level it had before news commercialization?

How has this more affected the ethics of the profession, and the newsworthiness of some of the materials that are include in the news packages. What is the current credibility rating of the station. Does it generate substantial amount from commercial news stories to justify its maintenance as a veritable source of income to it. Has this move not limited through news packages. News commercialization has affected the principle of news packages as a humanitarian service. This has led the sponsors of news stories having some measures of control over the station. This they do through the understanding that their news stories take precedence over unpaid ones. As stated by Raph Efiong (1999:70) the implication of commercializing news in the nigeria media has effect on the media credibility and consequences on the citizens participatory rights in the communication media.

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY:

It is pertinent to find out in this study to substantiate that news commercialization is unethical. It has caused out news producer to be packaging some material that are not news worthy as news stories. Also it has affected adversely the way and manner in which out reporters go in search of news stories. Their manner of searching for news has been constrained by the fact that some stories would have to be paid for. So any new story which has commercial value and which is not paid for is usually dropped. They are also affected by the fact that news stories, which have paid for, would attract more prominence and detail than stories not paid for.

This due to the drastically reduction of subvention from the federal government to the media organization, the broadcast media organization now embark on various ways of generating now additional find to enable them run their stations.

As planning and execution continued in most of the broadcast stations. They discovered that before they can ever generate what is near to the amount that can be enough to supplement their meager subvention, they would have to market almost all their programmes. It is on this understanding that news programmes were not left out, rather, they were also commercialized.

Therefore, with news commercialization the media organizations started to charge money to go on coverage and writing of some news items.

The media management now sees as a commodity, much like advertising that can be traded for profit.

But, also, how can this commercialization trend be ranged against societal information needs? If the broadcast media air only paid news, what will this mean to media professionalism and much need social surveillance?

The foregoing, thus, forms the basis of this study.

STATEMENT OF RESEARCH PROBLM

 Broadcast media managers are well aware of their essential role in society. They have been tutu red according to the best strategies to manage social information. They are conversant with social information needs. These form their guidelines in managing media resources to produce media sole offering-information. Initially the production of news package in Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) Enugu, was based on the principal of items that are newsworthy. Also it was guided by what is ethical in journalism profession and according to the house style of the organization. The producers of news packages would then go out to cover an assignment, and when they return they would write news stories objectively. They were always careful not to include in their news stories materials that were based on wrong news principles. Also they avoided writing or converting some stories to be newsworthy. As the guidance perceived the because I intend to base this study on data correctly supplied by the respondents.

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