REGULATION AS TOOL FOR SUSTAINABLE PUBLIC SERVICE BROADCASTING

REGULATION AS TOOL FOR SUSTAINABLE PUBLIC SERVICEBROADCASTING IN NIGERIA

BY

PAULINE EHUSANI
MATRIC NO.: 180806

Department of Communication and Language Arts
Faculty of Arts
University of Ibadan

Lecturers

Dr. Ayobami Ojebode
Dr. Ngozi Onyechi
Dr. Babatunde R. Ojebuyi
Dr. K.O. Obono

©August, 2014

Abstract
The concept of Public Service Broadcasting has been declared by many as eroding and vanishing fast. This is on the premise that not only has public support for this established institution weakened drastically, the forces of commercialization, deregulation and digitization of the industry have created challenges far too overbearing to contend with.
Comparative analysis of the American Free Market Model, the State Model and the British Model of co-existence of Public Service Broadcasting (PBS) and commercial broadcasting is done to identify their inadequacies in sustaining Nigeria’s public service broadcasting.
A study of the National Broadcasting Commission’s efforts to ensure audience’ ‘right to quality broadcasting’ was done. The paper used analysis of programmes log books of selected broadcast stations in the south west, first quarter reports on broadcast stations in Nigeria and laws enacted in the broadcast code to buttress this argument. Normative Social Responsibility Theory is used to support the argument that the only option left for the sustenance of Public Service broadcasting in Nigeria is through regulation.

Keywords:
Broadcasting, Regulation, Public, Service, Radio, Television, Commission, Responsibility, Commercialization, Digitization

INTRODUCTION
Broadcasting is a very powerful organ of Mass Communication in view of its sensitive nature and wide reach. Simply put, “Broadcasting can reach vast heterogeneous audiences and widely diverse locations all at the same time, in a language that they can understand even if they are illiterate. It can use a variety of methods and techniques, to present

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