Role Of Community Radio Broadcasting

1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Berlo (1960:10) defines communication as a process that involves all acts of transmitting messages to channels which link people to the languages and symbolic codes which are used to messages, the means by which massages are received and stored, and the rules, customs and conventions which define and regulate human relationships and event.
Daramola (1997:50) gave many definitions of communication that illustrate the use of the terms in relation to two ways communication process. He said, that “communication is the broad field of human interaction which takes place through symbols. The symbols may be gestureral, pictorial, plastic, verbal or any other symbols which operate as stimuli to behaviour which would be evoked by the symbol itself in the absence of special conditions of the person who responds”
Communication is at the heart of all social intercourse. It maintains and animates life. It is the motor and civilization. It leads from instinct to inspiration through variegated processes and systems of enquiry, command and control. It creates a common pool of ideas strength thens the feeling of togetherness through exchange of massages and translation thought into action reflecting every emotion and need from the humblest test of human survival to supreme manifestation of creativity or destruction.
The process of communication with mass of people is known as mass communication directed at a large audience. That hundreds, thousand or millions of people at the same time. Radio is one of the way by which information can be sent to a mass audience.
Broadcast (or Radio broadcasting) is primarily a medium for prompt delivery of designed and selected programmes converting mass, music advertisement etc. entertain, to project culture and breakdown barriers.
Emery (1980: 13) defined broadcasting as the transmission through of signals capable of being receive either orally or both orally and visually by the general public. He further said that, broadcasting is the transmission by means of radio waves of a programme of sound vision for general reception.
According to Emery, community development radio is very effective for mobilizing the people. Hence it posses illiteracy and appeals to the individual person. Radio is a medium of mass communication which almost all experts agree, is the most appropriate for rural emancipation progrmmes.
The reasons for this confidence in radio are many. In other words, Radio beats distance and thus has immediacy effect. It beats all literally barriers. One does not need to know how to read and write before one can learn from the radio. Radio also helps in community development because it is individualistic and so has the personal touch which leads support to attitude and opinion change. On the other hands, the radio is a populist medium. Thus, it massages across to a very wide segment of the population. More importantly, the radio is the only medium of mass communication with which the rural population is very familiar. This is because it is used widely in the rural areas.
The underling principle of community development according to Garvery (1982: 42) is really economic and social “essential” Men, the author stated, require certain essential, for good existence. Those essentials must be occasionally reviewed and define.” At present, the average Nigerian would be happy of he wave guaranteed life. Security, food and water, good shelter enough clothing fair communication, health service for the family and education available at least to the secondary level.
Towards community development and government programmes which are, intended to improve the lots of the rural dwellers and the country at large. These programmes are channeled through various media of communication. Some of these programmes are operation find the nation, mass mobilization, programme (MAMSER).

1.2 A BREIF HISTROY OF RIVER 2FM STATION (RSBC PORT HARCOURT)
What is today known as the federal in Radio corporation of Nigeria, FRCN stand in 1932, when British launched its Empire broadcasting experiment. Lagos was selected as one of the centers for the reception and local re-broadcasts of the British Broadcasting corperation (BBC) programme. In 1937, the posts and Telecommunications Department Established a wireless station in Lagos to achieve the objective. Loud speaker boxes wave distributed to subscribing listeners in the Lagos area and its environment.
The success of this experiment saw the extension in Nigeria, of such services, to some other towns in the provinces. This set up known as Radio Distribution Service (RDS) continued until 1951 – when in collaboration with the BBC, the Nigerian Broadcasting service was launched. The launching, heralded the birth of indignate and broadcast their own programmes throughout the country.
Subsequently, in April 1957, the Nigerian Broadcasting service was transformed into a statutory corporation and become known as the Nigeria Broadcasting cooperation or Radio Nigeria and by passed development, it has extended its services to cover most of the state of Nigeria.
By the early sixties, Nigeria added to its major radio station the Western Nigerian Broadcasting Service (WWBS). T Eestern Nigeria Broadcasting Services (ENBS) which later changed to the East Central State Broadcasting Service (ECBS) and the Northern Nigeria Broadcasting Company (NNBC).
On its part, the River state Broadcasting Corporation (RSBC) was known as NBC before 1976. In 1977 the state were empowered to establish state owned Broadcasting Stations, and the Rivers State minister of information established a Radio Port-Harcourt. In 1978 then military government of the state. Navy captain saidu, changed the name of the station from Radio Port Harcourt, to Radio Rivers. In April 1979, the NBC was officially merged with the Rivers state broadcasting corporation.
In May 2, 1981, the state Broadcasting Corporation gave birth to a new baby, its FM services which was established during the civilian administration by Chief Melford Okilo. In 1984, the newly born baby, the FM service of the corporation started broadcasting to its audience both news and commentary in special/ English (Pidgin English). Two news slots out of 14 slots ran daily by the station were allocated to the programme.
According to the producer cum presenter and origination of the programme, Mr. Boma Evekosima “The management of RSBC went to the grass root since it would be impossible for them to hire news translators for over 200 vernacular dialects in the state”. According to Boma, on interview granted to him on 8th July, 2006.

1.3 AREA OF STUDY
This research work is carried out in Rivers state of Nigeria which is the primary coverage area of River State Radio. The state is made up of about 4.2 million people.

1.4 STATEMENT OF RESEARCH PROBLEMS
There had not been much community Radio Broadcasting in Nigeria and third world countries without problems. But the cast of Rivers Radio 2 FM station may be different, hence money is not their problem. Of course, River State is one of the richest states in Nigeria. But one major problems among them is that, government is still influencing the news items through censorship (either by pre – censorship or by post – censorship). Based on this, they don’t report freely against its government.
Another vital problem is that, among all the employees, there are mainly people that will dance to the tune of the government. And therefore, it became imperative that, the aims will not all be fruitful.

1.5 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
Revelations from the studies shown that mass research is very important for the achievement and sustenance of effectiveness in mass media massages.
Radio is increasingly assuring a leading role in the communication of information to mass audience in Nigeria because of its ability to transcend illiteracy and other traditional barriers associated with print media.
Little therefore is known about the influence and the impact of Radio broadcasting on rural dwellers with special reference to the people of River State.
This work seeks to treat analysis and critically evaluate the impact and degree of influence of Radio broadcasting community development in Rivers State.
The aim is to find out what extent radio broadcasting can influence community development in rural areas in River state regarding their thought actions and behaviours.

1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY
This study will make some valuable contributions to the radio broadcasting in the area of community development namely:-
a. To create pictures of events and influence people by what they broadcast.
b. This study will be helpful to the government to know how their various community development programmes through radio broadcasting, have been or are permeating their target audience.
c. This study will also help the rural communities to be attentive and obedient to the message of the programme on radio as it has great impact, on them.
d. This study will determine the role of using radio with particular reference to broadcasting service of Rivers state in specific campaign. It will also examine if communication through radio has succeeded in stimulating developments in raising the political, economical and social consciousness of the people of River state.
This study which is based on the broadcasting services of Rivers state as its model in especially relevant in view of the radios language of communication which is English, Igbo, Pidgin English and Rivers dialect as effective tool of mobilization of listeners.

1.7 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
This study on the role of community radio broadcasting in Nigeria posed many questions and of which are as follows:
1. How does economic situation in Nigeria influences the role of community radio broadcasting in Nigeria.
2. How does the role of community radio broadcasting reflect on the media content.
3. How does they mobilize their people with their programme.
4. Does every body in the state carried along.
5. How does the cream of the reporters that producers effect the role of community radio broadcasting in Nigeria.

1.8 RESEARCH HYPOSTHESIS
H1 Radio enhances the chances of getting development massages across to a very wide segment of the population especially in the rural areas.
Ho Radio does not enhace the chances of getting development messages across to a very width segment of the population especially in the rural areas.
H2 Radio is a medium of mass communication which is the most appropriate for mobilization programmes.
Ho Radio is not a medium of mass communication which is the mass communication which is the most appropriate for mobilization progremme.
H3 The rural dwellers do have greater confidence in the radio than in other media.
Ho The rural dwellers does not have greater confidence in the radio than in other media.

1.9 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
This study is designed to critically examine and analyze the role of community Radio Broadcasting in Nigeria.
The writer attention is focused on how various community in River State have been mobilized towards community development through the radio broadcasting.

1.10 CONCEPTUAL AND OPERATIONAL DEFINITION
Five main concept are worthy of definition in this write-up. They are as follows: Role, Community, Radio, Broadcasting, and Corporation.
Role: The word “Role” can be seen as a function that a person or thin typically has or expected to have.
Community: This can be defined as a group of people of the same religion, race, occupation, etc or with shared interests. It can be further defined as the people living in one place, district or country, considered as a whole.
Radio: This is the process of sending and receiving massage through the air by electromagnetic waves. However, it can be further defined as the activity or industry of broadcasting programmes for the people to listen to. It is equally defined by Daramola (1997:100) it is apparatus for receiving programmes broadcast to the public by means of radio signals.
Broadcasting: This is the act of sending out of programmes on radio and television.
Corporation: A group of people having authority to operate as a single unit with a separate legal existance.

1.11 THEORITICAL FRAME WORK
The theoritical frame work of the research applied is the uses and gratification media theory.
This is because of its relevance to the topic the role of community radio broadcasting in Nigeria. The view of this theory is that the recipients of the mass media message influences the effect process. The study perception shows that people selectively choose, perceive and retain media massages on the basis of their needs, benefits and interest.
The important of this theory is that the uses and gratification theory did not do things to people rather people learnt things from the media and as such whatever massage the media have should be properly packaged to suit the cost of government and of the people.