PRIVATIZATION AND COMMERCIALIZATION OF ELECTRONIC MEDIA
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PRIVATIZATION AND COMMERCIALIZATION OF ELECTRONIC MEDIA
ABSTRACT
Cultural and educational duties of public service broadcasting arrive at an opportune time, since the changing broadcasting environment is on many agendas. The current and future state of public service broadcasting is central to this discussion.
Major changes have occurred in the political economy of the media and the global economy as a whole, with technical advances leading to media privatisation and commercialization.
In most nations where these shifts have occurred, public service broadcasting has been jeopardised by the quick rise of commercial institutions, resulting in fierce competition for audiences.
This study will look at the influence of Nigeria’s privatisation and commercialization of electronic media on the broadcast business. The study employs a mix of document analysis, secondary literature, and qualitative interviews.
Chapter one
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
After more than 50 years of existence, Nigerian broadcasting has entered a new phase with the federal government’s decision to allow private ownership of radio and television stations.
Privatisation is the process by which the government transfers some or all of its equity ownership in a business enterprise to private investors. Commercialization, on the other hand, is described as the reorganisation of enterprises so that they can operate businesses owned entirely or substantially by the federal government without relying on government subsidies.
It should be noted that since the introduction of radio and television in 1932 and 1959, respectively, the government has traditionally reserved ownership to either the state or the federal government.
Re-diffusion services in Nigeria began in 1932, which marked the beginning of radio transmission. This re-diffusion began in Lagos with the distribution of programmes from the British Broadcasting Co-operation (BBC) in London.
This was part of the BBC’s international services. The programmes were distributed from the Lagos studio to numerous listening boxes by subscribers who paid a nominal subscription fee for this service.
Because of its popularity, this system was soon expanded to include stations outside of Lagos, including as Abeokuta, Calabar, Enugu, Ibadan, Ijebu-ode, Jos, Kaduna, Kano, Port Harcourt, and Zaria. Radio arrived in Nigeria in 1951 and 1952, when the federal government founded the Nigerian Broadcasting Service (NBS) and converted the principal re-diffusion stations into fully functioning stations.
In contrast to radio, which began in Nigeria as a federal government programme, television transmission began as a regional initiative. In October 1959, the administration of the erstwhile Western Region launched the first television station in Nigeria and Africa, Western Nigerian Television (WNTV).
The next year, on October 1, 1960, the former Eastern Region followed the West’s lead and established Eastern Nigeria Television (ENTV) in Enugu.
In April 1962, the federal government established its own television service, Nigeria Television Service (NTS), in conjunction with NBC-International of America, in Lagos.
In the same year, the administration of the former Northern region launched its own television station, Radio Television Kaduna (RTV). This is equally owned by the regional government and a British television firm.
The federal government television, which was under a management arrangement with an American corporation, persisted and was confined to the federal capital before being taken over by the Nigerian Broadcasting Cooperation (NBC) when the management contract with the American was established.
Television introduced a new dimension to Nigerian broadcasting. The formation of states in Nigeria allowed new state administrations to establish television networks in their respective states.
In 1973, the former administration of the mid-Western state established Mid-Western Television (MTV), which is now known as NTA Benin. Benue plateau television (BPTV) followed in 1974.
In 1975, the federal military government announced its intention to take over all of the country’s television outlets. It then established up apparatus under the federal ministry of information to carry out these plans.
At the time, 10 stations had been established in the following order: Ibadan, Enugu, Kaduna, Lagos, Benin, Jos, Port-Harcourt, Kano, Sokoto, and Owerri (Aba).
The Nigerian television authority was finally established in May 1977. Although Decree 24 or 1077, which formed it, was enacted in March 1077, efforts began in April 1976.
That Decree established the NTA as the country’s only authority for television transmission. Indeed, the federal government began funding all stations on April 1, 1976, when news was also networked on Nigerian Television via a local satellite. By December 1978, there were scheduled broadcasts from every state capitol across the country.
Between 1959 and June 1992, broadcasting organisations were an integral aspect of public service. The government exerted a high level of control and interference over the industry
which was used as a public service instrument to propagate government activities; as a result, broadcasting stations were committed to providing air time to government agencies with no commercial value.
The following assumptions helped to sustain the government’s monopoly on electronic media ownership. Among them was the argument advanced by a former information minister, Prince Tony Momsh, that privatisation and commercialization are likely to have an impact on national unity and security.
Again, Chief Alex Akinyele, a former information minister, stated that because Nigerians were not depriving themselves of knowledge due to the absence of such private electronic media
it could not be regarded to be a priority for the average person. He strongly believes that “private television/radio is patently dangerous” and is a costly diversion. Furthermore, there has been speculation that Nigeria is not mature enough to possess private electronic media.
However, the benefits of a privatised media outweigh those of government ownership. This varies from providing a broadcasting service with a high level of aggression, pragmatism, expansionism, and technological competence to prioritising revenue generation, profit maximisation, and being able to execute its programmes comfortably.
The Commission’s broad objectives
Preamble: Broadcasting is a form of communication in which an individual participates in the world around and beyond his immediate surroundings.
Every Nigerian should be exposed to ideas, values, and experiences that will improve his life and assist him in living in a complex and dynamic, yet humane society through the medium of broadcasting.
Broadcasting in Nigeria should be designed to favourably affect societal values, thereby improving and strengthening the nation’s social, cultural, economic, political, and technological fabric.
The primary obligation of broadcasting to inform, educate, and entertain shall not be at the expense of national unity and cohesiveness among Nigeria’s different social, economic, political, and religious configurations.
No broadcasting shall encourage or include crime, cause disorder, be hurtful to public sensibilities, make an offensive reference to any person, living or dead, or be generally demeaning to human dignity.
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