EMPHASIS ON NEWS COMMERCIALIZATION AND PERFORMANCE OF THE BROADCASTING MEDIA ORGANIZATIONS

INTRODUCTION

1.1   Background to the Study

          Broadcasting is a global phenomenon, Also an essential aspect of any nation’s social and cultural life. Its significance cannot be over emphasized. Combining audio, vision and motion, the broadcast media’s effectiveness in communication 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 once within his immediate environment but also beyond his social milieu. So that by means of broadcasting the individual can partake of experiences that can enrich his life and him live in a complex, dynamic and human society.

          Broadcasting according to Ume-Nwagbe 1995 as cited by Ndimele (2003:180), is the transmission by means of radio waves of a programme of sound vision or Facsimile for general reception. Usua, (2008:8), also defined broadcasting as a system of sending or transmitting sound or objects over long distances by means of radio waves. These waves either help to send or receive signals.  Radio and television form part of the mass media industry in broadcasting.

          Radio broadcasting according to Usua (2008:13) is a process of sending sound waves, while television broadcasting is a process of sending sound and moving pictures.

          In today’s “knowledge society” a country’s social and economic development depends heavily on the production, dissemination and absorption of information and knowledge. Most information reaches the public through radio and television broadcasting which ensures that information reaches even the remotest parts of the country.

          This has been possible due to the progress in the field of digital technology resulting in the technological convergence between the three foundations of communication telecommunication, Multi-media and broadcasting informatics.

          The broadcasting organization are among the most important sources of information and culture in the society and most people especially in the western countries spend more than half of their free  time with the radio and television more than they spend on anything else  expect work and sleep. However, broadcasting is not only important on an individual level: the broadcasting organization has also come to occupy a central position in the collective processes of social, political and cultural life (Scannell, 1989:157).

          The role of broadcasting are constantly in transition, particularly over the last decade, there has been an indisputable upheaval in the global broadcasting scene, while satellite dishes are becoming an integral part of the scenery and the number of commercial outlets are multiplying in the western countries one of the key questions has come to be “what is happening to the broadcasting organization performance in this era of commercialization”?

          This commercialization at the institutional level is thriving because editors, publisher and owners of the broadcast stations/ pints media see the organization or their investment as a profit making venture that should yield the required financial return media commercialization can be traced back to as early as 1979 when Shanghai TV station China, ran the ever first 1.5 minute medicine wine TV advert (KWK/goole.com).

          Commercialization of news began in Nigerian media houses as a result of the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) introduced in 1986 and the eventual with drawl of subsides from government owned media houses as cited in Omenugba and Orji (2008:17) quoting Ekwo 1996, Ogbuoshi 2005 with the increasing rise in production cost and dwindling circulation, the media house came up with strategies which includes the commercialization of the news to make money.

          Major change has taken place in the political economy of the media organization and the world economy large, technological advancement has resulted to privatization and commercialization of the media. In most societies where these changes have taken place,  broadcasting organization has been threatened by the rapid rise in stiff competition for audience thus, broadcasting means the transmission by or on behalf of a broadcasting organization through  warless means for the reception by the public of sounds or of images or  of the representative thereof.

          The broadcasting organization is the legal entity that takes he initiative for packaging, assembling and scheduling programme  content for which it has where necessary been authorized by right holders and takes the legal and additional responsibility for the  commercialization to the public of everything  which is included in its broadcast signal.

          Historically broadcasting in Nigeria dates back to 1932 when the empire serve of the British broadcast corporation (BBC) was established.

          The re-diffusion service (RDS) was used by the colonial master as a tool of consolidating British ruler over the colonies by designing it in such a way that it enhanced their economic and cultural broadcasting corporation National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) was established as an independent institution designed to be neutral to existing political forces.

                   Several decades after government (State and federal have demonstrated now unwilling they are to the notion of independence in the broadcasting industry.

          By 1992, the administration of General Ibrahim Babangida promulgated the National Broadcasting  Commission Decree No. 38 that deregulated broadcasting before then, the federal regional and state governments  exclusively owned controlled and operated broadcasting Nigeria (media Rights Agenda (MRA) and article 19, 2001, p.1). The decree which was amended by decree 55 of 1999 empowered individual and organizations outside government to participate in the ownership and operation of broadcasting.

A Brief History of Radio Rivers 99.1 FM

          Radio Rivers 99.1 Fm (also known a Radio Rivers 2) is the first state owned FM radio station in Rivers State, and the second Fm station to be launched in Nigeria. It is run by Rivers State Broadcasting Corporation (RSBC) and operates on 99.1 Megabertz. The station first signed on the air on Saturday May 2, 1981.

A Brief History of Treasure 98.5 FM

          Treasure is owned and founded by the Federal Government. It is also a FRNC (Federal Radio Cooperation of Nigeria) and its located in Rivers State.

          During the Obasanjo regime, there was a proposal to establish 32 FM station across the country. Treasure 98.5 FM was one of the first FM to be establish base on this proposal when they were established they were the third FM station in Rivers State to be established the other two were Radio Rivers 99.1 FM and Rhythm 93.7 FM.

          Treasure has the slogan “pleasure without measure” it was the best station of the year 2007 under the leadership of Mrs. Emah Ekpo.

1.2    Statement of Problem    

           The media are supposed to be the watch dog of the society through the major roles of informing, educating and entertaining this information (news) disseminated to the public (masses) is what the people believe and see as “truth”. If the media continue to go about commercialization the way it is today, at the expense of objectivity/credibility in news, then the consume (the public will soon disbelieve anything the media reports as news and will eventually see this news as packaged broadcast that has been paid for by a sponsor and so may lack facts and credibility because it may only be to the favour or advantage of the sponsor.

          News commercialization  could make journalist fabricate new stories through inaccurate, infair and biased news report  this of course, would leave the media a “walking Paradox” (i.e.) paradox is a statement that apparently contradicts itself and yet might be true.

1.3     Objectives of the Study

The objectives of the study are to:

i.       To find out how news commercialization affects the socio-economic life of the outlet of Radio Rivers 99.1 and Treasure 98.5FM.

ii.     To show the level at which media houses consider to make profit at the expenses of credibility and objectively in news, showing the current status in the above mentioned media organization.

iii.  To find out the level at which the broadcast media have served a watchdog of the society? 

1.4     Research Questions

       i.            How has news commercialization affected the socio-economic life of the outlet of Radio Rivers 99.1 and Treasure 98.5fm?

     ii.            Does news commercialization make news stories susceptible? Is that the reason why interest groups  who can pay their way into the media project an idea they want people to accept, whether it is position or not?

  iii.            Do we still consider the media as a watch dog of the society? Do the broadcast media in Nigeria discuss and air materials that challenge the leadership, because of other legitimate business interest?

1.5     Significance of the Study

          This study will show in facts and details the consequences of news commercialization, on objectivity in information dissemination in Nigeria media organization and would suggest possible ways to see that news commercialization does not completely with the standards of fairness, accuracy and balance in the Nigerian journalism.

1.6     Scope of the Study

          The interest of this study would be limited to the broadcast media (Radio) with case studies, Radio Rivers 99.1FM and Treasure 98.5FM.

          To investigate how news commercialization has improve the performance of the broadcasting organization programmes.

1.7 Limitation of the Study

          Factors which act as constraints to this study is availability of data, most of the data are gotten from different sources and the internet.

1.8 Definition of Terms

       i.            Commercialization of News: “A phenomenon whereby the media reports as news or news analysis, a commercial message by a unidentified or identified sponsors giving the audience the impression that news is, far, objective and socially responsible as stated by Nnorom (1994 cited in Ekwo (196:63).

     ii.            News:  According to Camp and Wosky news is simply an account of something of the social world” or something that has actually happened.

  iii.            Commercial News Stories: there are packaged broadcasts or reports sponsored or paid for by an interested party that is report das news.

  iv.            Walking Paradox:  something that portrays two opposite sides that seem impossible, that is to say that the acts of journalists do not reflect are true nature of journalism