Proliferation Of Radio Stations And Its Implication For Media Performance

INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
Control of the electronic media is both internal and external, since there is nucleus of interdependence and co-existence. There is a common saying with regards to mass media control in Nigeria and elsewhere, which has become a cliché, that “He who pays the piper dictates the tune”. This means that the owners of a mass media channel controls what the medium broadcasts and how it broadcasts it.
In Nigeria, there are three main types of media ownership; namely: government ownership, private ownership and partnership. In the case of government ownership, the government establishes, controls and finances the media outfit, private ownership is when an individual or a group of persons establish, control and finance the media outfit, in partnership, both the government and private individuals are into some sort of co-ownership regarding the establishment, financing and controlling of the media house.
There is a symbiotic relationship between the media and the society. It is in the interest of the society to have strong and robust mass media as it is in the best interest of the media to uphold the values and protect the interest of the society from which they derive their impulse, support and patronage. No media institution can survive if it is perceived to be working against its own society. (Onukaba, 2005:3).
It is the duty of any media institution to keep the public aware of what is going on around them by providing accurate, factual and timely information at all times, it is also the duty of the media to warn or alert the public about impending danger, to interpret events or provide information needed by the public to make every day decisions or that will make them participate actively in the political, economic and social activities of a community; and to assist the public in determining current trends and making sense of our increasing complex world.
Radio is one of Nigeria’s leading media channels, with a capacity to reach tens of millions daily. Radio station are also expected to use their products to educate, entertain, mould public opinions, reinforce attitudes and set agenda for the society. In many societies, people depend on the media to be able to know where to find jobs, where to shop, where to eat out, who to vote for etc. It is safe to say that the influence of the media extends to every aspect of human life and society. But for radio station institutions to be able to play these roles effectively, they are expected to uphold the values of objectivity, fairness, justice, accuracy, balance, moderation and decency.
Deregulation of the media house, its control and recruitment of its principal staff have formed the influential factors consequent upon the programme quality of the media house since the owner(s) of the media house usually determine the aforementioned factor. As opined by Folake 92022) the media ownership has in some ways influenced the media programmes and this has posed problems to journalism as a trade. In this case, the broadcast media have to function in tune with the whims and caprices of the owner(s). Nothing runs the broadcast media practitioner down as having the option of either following the dictates of the owners or face the bitter music of being sacked. Ownership influence on programme content has made many broadcast media outfits to collapse in operations and has also made them to lose their audience grip. This is mostly true of private owned broadcast media. To this end, the research examines the impact of ownership structure on the objectivity of private station in Nigeria using Ray Power FM 100.5 , Alagbado (private radio), Eko FM, 89.7 Ikeja (state radio) and FRCN 6090 Lagos (Federal radio) as reference point.

1.2 Statement of the Problem
Broadcasting is a global phenomenon. As an essential aspect of any nation’s social and cultural life, its significance cannot be overemphasized. Combining audio, vision and motion, the broadcast media’s effectiveness in communicating 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 only within his immediate environment but also beyond his social milieu. So that by means of broadcasting the individual can partake of ideas and experiences that can enrich his life and help him. live in a complex, dynamic and humane society.
However, in. Nigeria for several decades followmg. the inception of broadcasting in 1957 (Obazele, 1996), the industry led a sheltered life shielded from the winds of free market forces as successive regimes ensured that the sector remain. ed an exclusive monopoly of the Central government. Even the 1979 constitutional provision for the establishment of private electronic media could not change the trend. Whereas the print media had much earlier experienced liberalization, the broadcast media remain. ed as earlier stated an exclusive preserve of government. It could be argued that perhaps governments initial monopoly of the in. dusty may not be unconnected with the seeming potential of broadcasting as a tool for social change and engineering which as such ought not to be left in. the hands of just anyone. Again. it is probable that private entrepreneurs would emphasize an orientation towards exclusive commercialism rather than consideration for national in. terest. This may be another reason for governments grip on the industry over the years.
Be that as it may, the much expected deregulation materialized in 1992 when the Babangida regime promulgated decree 38 which liberalized the industry and also established the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC). This decree (38) of August 24 (1992) empowered the NBC to regulate the entire broadcast in. dusty, both public and private. This singular act by the Babangida military presidency eclipsed the over 50 years of sole government domination of the sector in Nigeria. Interestingly this action by government heralded a proliferation of private electronic media as entrepreneurs and in.vestors cached in on the window of opportunity to invest so that at present in Nigeria there are so many privately run radio and television stations operating in an atmosphere of competition with the hitherto existing and even newly established public stations breeding lackadaisical attitude of the Regulatory and professional bodies particularly on the issues of ethical conducts and practitioners’ welfare poses a serious concern for the media industry in Nigeria.It is against this background that this investigation is based on. Essentially it examines the impact of the liberalization of the broadcast industry in Nigeria to ascertain the positive and negative developments that have arisen since the deregulation.

1.3 Objectives of the Study
The broad objective of this study is to examine proliferation of radio stations and its implication for media performance. Other specific objectives includes
1. To examine reason for deregulation of broadcast industry in Nigeria.
2. To ascertain the positive effect of radio proliferation in Nigeria
3. To investigate the negative effect of radio station proliferation in Nigeria media sector.
4. To determine whether proliferation of radio stations hassignificant implication on media performance

1.4 Research Questions
1. What are the reason for deregulation of broadcast industry in Nigeria?
2. What are the positive effect of radio proliferation in Nigeria?
3. What are the negative effect of radio station proliferation in Nigeria media sector?
4. Does proliferation of radio stations hasany significant implication on mediaperformance?

1.5 Significance of the Study
Based on the terrain in which media practitioners operate under control of government, this highly instructive work is aimed to enlighten mass media students and generality of the citizen to gain secondary knowledge of how journalists were harassed, intimidated, detained, brutalized and victimized not only under military dictates but also democratic rulers with the assertion that, “he who pays the paper dictates the tunes”.The study will help to provide adequate insight to meet the changing demands in the dynamic media environment of our society hereby helping media managers to make better management politics.The study will assist the media practitioners to know its role in enhancing the success or failure of media industries.Other beneficial of the study are media owners who will know how their action and reaction is crippling the success and public credibility of their media outfit.Future researchers will find this work very interesting to use as a reference material for their new work and see what previous researchers have done. Government agencies that are saddled with the responsibility to ensure fairness and media consistency will also see the need to come up will new laws that will reduce ownership influence especially in this democratic era so that the public will come to trust such medium.

1.6 Scope of the Study
The scope of this project borders on proliferation of radio stations and its implication for media performance. Other specific objectives includes The study further examines the reason for deregulation of broadcast industry in Nigeria. ascertained the positive and negative effect of radio proliferation in Nigeria, the negative effect of radio station proliferation in Nigeria media sector. The study is however delimited to Ray Power FM 100.5 , Alagbado (private radio), Eko FM, 89.7 Ikeja (state radio) and FRCN 6090 Lagos (Federal radio).

1.7 Limitation of Study
Like in every human endeavour, the researchers encountered slight constraints while carrying out the study. The significant constraint was the scanty literature on the subject of proliferation of radio stations and its implication for media performancediscourse is vast thus the researcher incurred more financial expenses and much time was required in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature, or information and in the process of data collection, which is why the researcher resorted to a limited choice of sample size covering onlypresenters and journalist inRay Power FM 100.5 , Alagbado (private radio), Eko FM, 89.7 Ikeja (state radio) and FRCN 6090 Lagos (Federal radio).Thus findings of this study cannot be used for generalization for other states within Nigeria. Additionally, the researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work will impede maximum devotion to the research. Howbeit,despite the constraint encountered during the research, all factors were downplayed in other to give the best and make the research successful.

1.8 Operational Definitions of the Terms
Broadcast Media: They are very potent mass media which combine audio, visual and motion in translation of news and programmes such as Splash F.M
Control: The power to direct and influence the decision on what mass media are to broadcast and which should not be broadcast.
Privately owned Broadcasting Media Organization: It means radio or television owned or belonging to one particular person or group only. (Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary 6th Edition).