PROSPECTS AND CHALLENGES OF CAMPUS BROADCAST STATION IN NIGERIA; A CASE STUDY OF UNIQUE 88.5 FM

The Nigeria broadcast media industry which is Africa’s largest and the world’s fourth largest, media industry needs to strive not only in meeting with the competitiveness of the industry in the area of listenership, but strive for excellence in both qualitative and quantitative media content and programming to meet its target audience.(Simmering & Fairbairn, 2007, p.7). In
order to fully support this lofty aspiration, there is the need for the mass media to serve not only as an outlet for just information dissemination, but also for societal development, socialization of norms and values as well as agent of ethic and technological rejuvenation in the face of mounting pressure from popular culture through the media that seems to be eroding communal life and virtues around us. Insofar as this pressure remains, the prospect of the development of effective campus community radio operations in Nigeria seem to hang in the balance and that is why a study of this nature is necessary in order to unravel motivations that exist in establishing campus radio and also to find out the challenges and prospects of established community radios in Nigeria universities with delimitation on B.U.K 88.5 (Bayero University, Kano Campus Community radio station).
1.3     OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The main objective of this study is to carry out a comparative analysis of the operation and management of the Bayero University campus community radio station with respect to the factors that influenced the establishment of the station as a campus community radio should be, bringing out its challenges and prospects. Thus, the researcher hopes to achieve the following:
1.     To find out the factors responsible for the establishment of Bayero University Kano campus community radio.
2.     To find out the operational nature of the radio station.
3.     To find out the administrative structure of the radio station.
4.     To find out if there are existing gaps between the aims of establishing the radio station and its current operational function.
5.     To find out the challenges affecting the effectiveness of the radio station (if any).
1.4     RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The following questions will guide this study:
1.     What are the factors that influenced the establishment of a Campus Radio Station in Bayero University Kano?
2.     What is the operational nature of the radio station?
3.     What is the funding mechanism of the radio station?
4.     What is the state of the current operational function of the radio station in relation to the aims of establishing it?
1.5     SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS
This study will analyze the identified gap between the aims and objectives of establishing the Bayero University Kano community FM and its broadcasting services, while pulling out the problem(s) inherent in the establishment and operation of campus community radio broadcasting as well as the prospect in the establishment of community campus radio FM stations in Nigerian universities with special focus on B.U.K 88.5 FM. North-West of the country. Thus, this study will explore factors like locations, licenses regime, broadcast freedom, political and socio-cultural inhibitions to propriety of stations, technology and skills development, audience feedback as well as the socialization and participation of the campus and community in the programme and news content development and delivery for the benefit of all and sundry. The first limitation of this study is that, the research shall only consider the process and procedure enabling the establishment of campus radio or community radio broadcast in Nigerian universities, as well as the challenges limiting its effectiveness and efficient operations and not the general radio broadcast in Nigeria. The second limitation is that is shall only understudy B.U.K 88.5 stations out of about 27 licensed campus radio stations across the federation. This will probably make some findings from the research inapplicable to other campus radio stations. More so, the intention to use questionnaire as an instrument of survey would not erase the possibility of bias from the respondents’ responses to the questions in the study. However, the research will be adept and indepth with data, time and resources committed to the undertaking.
1.6     SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The data and information gathered in the course of this research would help the broadcast industry, media policy makers, the legislature, federal government regulatory agency in charge of broadcasting and university management/authorities to foster a more proactive, competitive and productive ways of developing community radio broadcasting in Nigerian universities. Wherever it will be established, this work would further provide information and additional literature on the nature, challenges and the prospect of campus community radio broadcast in Nigeria in particular, Africa and the rest of the developing world in general.
1.7     DEFINITION OF KEY TERMS
Campus:    A premise of learning of an academic institution, especially for tertiary education. Radio station: A broadcast house where mostly audio content and programming are produced and transmitted over broadcast spectrum or frequency Campus Radio: A radio station situated at the premises of an academic institution Community Broadcast: The way of broadcasting within a close frequency or range to a section of the society Challenges: The limitations and inhibition posed or that threatens the establishment, effectiveness and efficiency of the campus radio broadcast in Nigeria universities. Prospect: The possibilities and capacity to operate a successful campus radio broadcast in the universities. NBC: National Broadcasting Commission of Nigeria. The acronym for the sole broadcast regulatory agency in Nigeria               UNIQUE:   The acronym for Bayero University, Kano.