IMPACTS OF THE ELECTRONIC MEDIA IN THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF NIGERIA

IMPACTS OF THE ELECTRONIC MEDIA IN THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF NIGERIA (A CASE STUDY OF ENUGU STATE BROADCASTING SERVICE ENUGU)
 
ABSTRACT
The Enugu State Broadcasting Service (ESBS Radio I) Enugu like many other electronic media establishment in Nigeria has been carrying out its communicating functions of informing, educating, entertaining, persuading and public enlightenments and advertisements and other social programmes using the social scientific methods of questionnaire survey and depth interview methods in the project work, the work is handled in five chapters. Chapter one introduced the electronic media and the guide on the handling of the topic and significance/rationale of the study. The chapter two continued with reviewing literature which ex-rayed the summary of related literature reviewed.  Chapter three explained the research methodology used to study the topic. The research methods include the questionnaire and survey method and interview while in chapter four data presentation and results summary of results findings are made relevant to research questions. Chapter five finally handled the discussion, implications, recommendations discussion of results and conclusions. Finally, it was found out that ESBS radio I, not only have an impact in the economic development of Nigeria as electronic media but went a step further to train other professionals.
 
CHAPTER ONE
1.0   INTRODUCTION
1.1   BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
The electronic media which is the focus of this study comprises the radio and television. The sophistication of these media of communication distinguished them as the wonders of modern communication. Just as the twentieth century dawned, a system was perfected which electromagnetic impulses could be sent through the air without wires carrying voice transmissions over long distances. This as radio” (Bottner). Electronic media are the machinery or an institutions used for simultaneous transmission of information to a wide and divergent audience. Although the electronic media are channels for which information is transmitted to the audience through the transmitted to the audience through the different types of media, yet they represent the attempt of man to relate to and interact with other men. It is clear to note that communication has been enhanced nationally and internationally with the use of technology. Mr. E. N. Aniebona in his contribution an impact of broadcasting in a developing context has this to say about electronic media “Electronic media are powerful and effective instruments for achieving national goals such as in need for widespread education for both children and adults in order realize the set down objectives in economic growth, health care, political and social awareness, political stability self reliance and national identify among other things”2.
Electronic media are aimed at presenting programmes like news, drama, interviews, health and family planning religious progrmmes and agricultural programmes. In his assessment of media Charles Ogbunambala, of Torch has this to say of electronic media”3. The electronic media include the radio, the television and the cinema. Our focus is on the radio, as the first source to which people tuned for the latest developments in the war or crisis time. We look on radio during announcement of annual budget by the head of state governor according Gulgleime Marconic, “Radio is a potential means of supplementing telegraphy, the most important long distance communication medium of the late nineteenth century”4. Radio was the most popular entertainment and news medium. To a degree, the radio receiver was the centre of the home and family activities frequently revolved around the broadcast schedule. The average station schedule had something for everyone from news and commentary through variety and comedy, to religion discussion, sports and children’s programme.
The Enugu State Broadcasting Service (ESBS) radio, Enugu, share in these responsibility of educating, informing, entertaining persuading and advertising. The ESBS Radio operates on both Amplitude modulation (AM) and frequency modulation (FM) and rated high by listeners for its requests and information packaged including education programmes – ESBS/IMT UNIAIR. The station strives hard in various ways to assert themselves. Some concentrate on music while others run discussion on special political, economic, education, social, cultural and religious issues ESBS Radio goes for the audience, which has the purchasing power. ESBS Radio in its impact in economic development undertake advertisement, sponsored programmes, public service announcement to enhance its finished base and educational programmes are diverse in its impact to promote products and enhance the training of professionals and thereby contribute effectively in the economic development of Nigeria.
1.2   STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
As stated earlier, the impact of the electronic media especially radio is enormous despite the problems facing them in dischanting their responsibilities. One thing certain is that radio helps in economic development due to its easy reach and penetration to diverse and scattered listening audience, the literacy level not withstanding. But of all these impact and contributions to the economic development of Nigeria, there are still case of poor funding and poor management of the electronic media especially radio to effectively carry out these impacts of economic development. The ESBS radio as an agent of news, information, education entertainment and advertising organ of electronic media has been affected due to poor funding, obsolete equipment and poor management.
1.3   THE OBJECTIVES OR PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
Radio as a medium of information has been recognized as the most useful media that its message out across the barrier of literacy, “In her assessment about radio, Stella Okunna has this to say, “Radio is the tune mass media in third world countries because it really reaches the masses.  In Nigeria, for  example, the use of radio as a source of information is truly widespread even among rural dwellers who make up the majority of the country’s population5. Radio as an electronic media have been known in recent decades as key mode of mass communication, an audio dimension or channel which is capable of providing, a great deal of details, description that are not communicable through written and visual communications. The impacts of radio in education which help to foster national unity and understanding cannot be waved without contradiction.
It also goes that radio helps in advertisement, public service announcements its enlightenment and educational programmes are diverse in its impacts to promote products and enhance the training of professionals. Since radio has these impacts above other electronic media in the economic development of Nigeria should be studied. The focus of this study based on terms and parameters defined by the researcher was to find out how ESBS Radio has faired in the economic development of Nigeria, through its duty of information dissemination. It would also be pertinent to point out that this study was undertaken to explore this area so as to contribute to the whole of a must stream of knowledge. It was  also hoped that data generated in this study could be used to solve other problems in other studies.
1.4  SCOPE OF THE STUDY
This study on the ESBS Radio for the period of time extending from means that the study spanned through five months (twenty-five wks). The researcher concerns herself solely with serving questionnaires and indepth interview on ESBS Radio for that period with a view to validating or falsifying the assumptions made for the study. As a matter of fact and for the want of time, the study delved into discovering whether or not ESBS Radio has made an impact in the economic development of Nigeria. That is as much as to say that the researcher did not go to length to include the impact of television, a sister station of ESBS Radio.
1.5   RESEARCH QUESTIONS
In order to carry out this study the researcher wishes to ask the following questions as a guide post to the research.
Has the ESBS radio helped in creating impact towards the economic  development of Nigeria through its advertisement programme?
Has the ESBS helped to create awareness on the economic development of Nigeria through some of its education programmes – ESBS/IMT UNIAIR ESBS study guide Academy for GCE/JAMB candidates.
Does the ESBS Radio assist in the development of socio-economic development of Nigeria through its variety of entertainment programmes like the rise and shine early morning show, Ndu enu uwa, oge ndi olu bi and other social, agricultural, health and political programmes?
Has the ESBS Radio contributed in the economic development of Nigeria in form of training and promotion of musicians and other allied professionals.
1.6   SIGNIFICANCE/RATIONALE OF THE STUDY
Radio as a medium of information has been recognized as the most useful media that its message cut across the barrier of literacy. In her assessment about radio, Stella Okunna’ this to say. “Radio is the true mass media in third world countries because it really reaches the masses. In Nigeria, for example, the use of radio as a source of information is truly widespread even among rural dwellers who make up the majority of the country’s population”. Radio as an electronic media have been known in recent decades as key mode of mass communication audio dimension or channel which is capable of providing, a great deal of details, description that are not communicable through written and visual communications.
The impacts of radio in education which help to foster national unity and understanding cannot be waved without contradiction. It also goes that radio helps in advertisement, public service announcements. Its enlightenment and educational programmes are diverse in its impacts to promote products and enhance the training of professionals. Since radio has these impacts above other electronic media in the economic development of Nigeria should be studied. The focus of this study based on terms and parameters defined by the researcher was to find out how ESBS Radio has faired in the economic development of Nigeria through its duty of information dissemination. It would also be pertinent to point out that this study was undertaken to explore this area so as to contribute to the whole gamut of stream of knowledge. It was also hoped that data generated in this study could be used to solve other problems in other studies.