THE IMPACT OF NEWS COMMERCIALIZATION ON MANAGEMENT OF BROADCAST MEDIA IN NIGERIA
ABSTRACT
This research project examines the implications 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 even 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
Cor-operation, (BBC) in Daventry, England, to entertain and inform the Colonial masters.
Aso Stella – Joan Ebo (1994: 43 – 44). Further stated that Nigeria Stations began to experiment with rediusion sets. Then the
Nigeria posts and telegraphs department was authorized to work out plans for the distribution of programmes to subscribers in
Lagos, Kona 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, the 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 exempted from- the area government was finding
diicult to spend the limited resources available to it. However, government saw media as organization that can fund them if given
the enabling resources.
Then, the government of General Ibrahim Babangida through the amended Decree N0 25 of 1988 empowered the media
organization to engage in commercial broadcasting. This allows them to do partial commercial broadcasting through which they
would be augmenting the meager subvention that would subsequently be coming from government.
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 funds 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 le 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 see news as a commodity, much like advertising that can be traded for profit.
But, alas, 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 PROBLEM
Broadcast media managers are well aware of their essential roles in society. They have been tutu red according to the best
strategies to Manage Social Information.
They are conversant with societal information needs. These forms 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 principle 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 new 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 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 included 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 the amount of news information
that are disseminated to the consumers through news packages.
Mews 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 he 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.
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THE IMPACT OF NEWS COMMERCIALIZATION ON MANAGEMENT OF BROADCAST MEDIA IN NIGERIA
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