A Comparative Assessment of Student’s Perception of Campus Radio Programming in

Nigeria. A study of Hope89.1 and Diamond FM Stations

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

Radio broadcasting in Nigeria has come a long way since its inception. According to ‘Wiki

Answers’ on the question ‘History of Radio Broadcasting in Nigeria?’ radio broadcasting was

introduced to Nigeria by the British in 1932, when BBC signals were relayed to receivers

through the rediffusion system. In 1952, the Nigerian Broadcasting Service (NBS) was

inaugurated mainly to relay the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) programmes. According

to Onabajo (2000) the programmes were a result of efforts made to produce programmes that the

local population could relate to. However, over time, NBS soon came under criticism because of

its dominance by BBC programmes and its programming that was generally regarded as lacking

the Nigerian orientation. Hence the NBS which was regarded as mere megaphone of the colonial

government was converted into what was later known as the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation

NBC

The administration of Chief Obafemi Awolowo, of the then Western Region of Nigeria, in 1959,

flagged off the Western Nigeria Television (WNTV) and the Western Nigeria Broadcasting

Service (WNBS) in 1960. Starting the stations was as a result of the war of words that regional

governments had with the NBC officials because of their partisanship tendencies. Onabajo

(2000) affirms that the new stations had the mandate to serve as teachers, entertainers and stimuli

to all and to transform Nigeria into a modern and prosperous nation.

This move revolutionized radio broadcasting in the country, as the other two regions, the East

and the North followed suit creating their own regional broadcasting stations. Since then there
has been no stopping the progressive tilt of radio broadcasting in Nigeria. Radio broadcasting

went from the three regions to zoning of the FRCN, and then the twelve states, to nineteen and

presently thirty six states plus the introduction of private radio ownership and campus radio

stations in tertiary institutions.

Campus radio stations in Nigeria at its inception were a delight and welcome development.

According to University World News (UWN), (2003),

In April 2002, the government granted a radio licence to the University of Lagos. This opened

the door for more tertiary institutions to seek radio stations and in 2007 a set of licences was

approved by President Shehu Musa Yar'Adua for private, public and regional tertiary institutions

Since then, the list of campus radio stations has grown for two basic reasons, which UNW

regarded as:

First, the government was satisfied with the way the University of Lagos made use of its radio

licence. Second, there was a pressing need to provide a communication infrastructure for the

newly founded National Open University whose role is to provide university education to

school-leavers who could not gain admission to limited slots in universities.

Campus radios were licensed in Nigeria principally to allow for training of University students

especially those in broadcasting and other related fields like engineering, information

technology, creative arts, use of English and drama thereby providing opportunities for practical

experience and social well-being of the campus’ community in general (NBC Code).
Campus radio according to Salihu (2009) was regarded as experimental community broadcasting

stations, since campuses are actually communities in their own rights. Cheatman (2008) citing

Brant (1981) affirms this stating that campus radio’s purpose can be two-fold - its dedication to

both the campus and its surrounding communities. This is typical of community radio stations

which according to Wikipedia comprise of two distinct philosophical approaches one, service or

community-mindedness, a focus on what the station can do for the community and two

involvement and participation by the listener. Campus radio essentially is supposed to be campus

minded and involve its immediate community in participating in the programme processing and

production. This directly and indirectly helps to influence the training that the NBC states that

campus radios must render to tertiary institution student.

Campus radios in Nigeria however operate and function just like other campus radios in other

countries like United States of America (USA) for example. According to UWN (2003), it was to

be used for teaching, research and entertainment. Cheatman (2008) corroborates this stating that

college radio plays an integral role in providing campuses across America with news, music, and

announcements, while acting as a voice that represents the student body.

Cheatman (2008) citing Sauls (2000) further argued that a large part of the college audience,

college radio is not just something people listen to; the station embodies the essence of the

student and faculty population.

This is in line with NBC’s expectations of campus radios who are to among other things, devote

about 70% of its entire daily programming to dissemination of educational/instructional

programmes on campus and other related programmes like news, current affairs, events and

much more for the benefit of the listening community. (NBC Codes)
Oluteye, (2010) asserts campus radio could transmit programmes that will make the issue of

development sustainability a reality. It has capacity to spur its listening community into the

world of inventions, innovations, creativity and change agents in the society

Essentially, campus radio is to serve its immediate constituency (the campus community) by way

of making programmes that will then serve the educational, informational and entertainment

yearnings of the community. The listeners (students, faculty and staff) in turn draw and dispense

knowledge from these stations depending on how well they use it by way of tuning in or

mounting programmes on it.

Typical of regular commercial and public radio programming activities, campus radio also

patterns its programmes after its listener’s yearnings which are determined to a large extent by

their preferences which ultimately determine the audience’s decision to patronize the station or

not. Generally speaking if the programming is well built, the patronage that the station gets

makes it what Akintayo (2013) referred to as the ‘mainstay of human’s everyday life’. In this

case it becomes the mainstay of campus community’s everyday life. Students and lecturers alike

will all be hooked to it. Be it in the car, at home or dormitories, while walking or working. In

short, the station keeps turning out programmes so long as its audiences are listening.

It will not be out of place for example that programmes that will be lined up for a campus radio

station will be such that will have a lot of tilt towards students interest, both musicals or other

genres of programmes. Since programmes can be said to a large extent be the essence of

running a radio station or the reason audiences tune in to any station then it will not be wrong to

say that the programming style of a station will go a long way to determine whether or not its

audience will take it seriously by patronizing or contributing to its growth.

According to Eastman and Ferguson (2009:2), programming is the description of a group of

programmes on a radio station. Interestingly, though people have the free access to choose what

programmes they want from specific stations, there is still that tendency or expectation that the

audience expect someone to have set programmes up in the stations that they tune in to.

Eastman and Ferguson (2009:4) further exemplified programming as food. They argue

At its basic level, programming represents individual shows (programmes)

that people choose. … When people think about food, a seemingly endless
combination of choices is available, but food all come from a few groups;
meat, grains, vegetables, dairy and fruits. Similarly, programs originate in a
few types or genres. The prime examples are situation comedies (sitcoms),
dramas, news, talk, music reality sports and movies.
Quality or quantity or convenience – which does one want? If people want
good food without much wait, they can expect to pay more. If they want fast
food at a low cost, they can expect lower quality. It is the same with
programming.

The quality of programmes and the programming style of a station goes a long way to determine

the audience (students) perception of the station. What they perceive of the station determine

their patronage. While quality may be regarded as the content of the programme and the

presenter who delivers the content plus all the mix of it, like music added to it, programming has

to do with all the efforts put in by a station to build its programming even up to the decision on

when the programmes are aired. According to Onabajo (2002) planning has to do with

programming and how they are generated and transmitted on the air waves. It also involves

creating god image for the station, because the quality of programmes determines to a large

extent, the good image of the station. The image of the station as earlier stated can determine its

patronage.
Statement of Problem

Radio has definitely become a fixed point in the lives of humanity because it carries for all

different meanings, depending on the need of the individuals who listen. According to Kuewumi

(2009)

All men will use radio because not all might be comfortable with
television, and lack of knowledge and funds may bar many from
using other medium but there is no man who cant adapt to radio.
The only thing that is different is the type of programme that we all
may settle for… Imagine a world without radio; it will be like a
garden without flowers and trees.

The university campus is definitely a place where people from all walks of life converge.

Different groups with diverse needs. All, will at different times, feel the need to use their campus

radio station to meet their different needs on campus, depending on how the radio station tries to

attend to these needs.

In an age where the youths’ attention span is less than stable and keeps flipping, the question of

how their needs are met on a campus radio station becomes an issue that must be critically

examined. If radio stations are suppose to know their audience needs and then produce

programmes that will address these needs, and if the programmes produced and aired are the

yardstick with which a station is measured, that is, determining the listeners perception, then this

research work becomes a very important one. In the sense that, the campus community, is a place

where people of different backgrounds and vocations converge. Their callings determine their

needs and this in return determine their taste or choice of programmes. Therefore it becomes

necessary to look into how much of programmes are produced on campus radios in the first place

and how much of this are directed towards the student population.
Since the National Broadcasting Commission’s (NBC) expectation of campus radio station is

that the stations are supposed to first and foremost serve as training grounds for students in

broadcasting, engineering and other related fields, what manner of programmes can such a

station produce that will help a student listener perceive a campus radio station in good light,

making it their choice station?

This research work therefore seeks to find out what the perception of student’s of Babcock

University and the University of Ibadan is about their campus radio stations. What do they feel

about the programming style and content of programme mix on the stations? Who are these

programmes really directed at? Do students get the chance to actually participate in programmes

production, station management to the extent that the campus radio station is acceptable to them?

General Objective/ Specific Objectives

The general objectives of this study is to find out how much programming is done on campus

radio stations in institutions of higher learning in Nigeria to the extent that such a radio station is

of any relevance to the student community part it is suppose to serve to the extent that they can

perceive the station in good light.

Specific Objectives

1. To find out students’ perception of Hope 89.1 and Diamond FM stations

2. To assess what students feel about the programming style and programmes content of

their FM stations

3. To ascertain the percentage of programming directed at the student community as against

that of other listening audiences

4. To find out if students have a chance or say in the management of the campus radios to

the extent that they can influence programming.

Research Questions

1. What is the perception of the students of Babcock University and University of Ibadan

about Hope 89.1 and Diamond FM

2. How do students feel about the programming style (programmes line up) of Hope 89.1

and Diamond FM stations

3. What percentage of programming on Hope 89.1FM and Diamond FM are directed at the

student community as against that of other listening audiences

4. Do students have a say in the management of the campus radios to the extent that they

can influence programming on Hope 89.1 FM and Diamond FM.

Significance of the Study

Scope of the Study

Operational Definition of Terms

Onabajo’s Station management and operations Programming and

Chapter 2

Perception Theory

Cognitive Dissonance Theory

History of Campus Radio

Campus Radio as a Sub Set of Community Radio Nigeria

Campus Radio in Nigeria – (UNilag FM)

Hope 89.1 FM

Diamond FM

National Broadcasting Commission’s Stipulated Regulations of Campus Radio Operations

Campus Radio Management (NBC’s Stipulations on operations (Operation/ Funding/Political

Programming – This will be written from Eastman and Ferguson’s perspective.

Campus Radio Programming (taking into consideration its audiences which are largely youth,
although as a sub set of community radio, it is supposed to reach out to wider and varied
audiences than students.) (Also the aspect of E learning on radio for distant students and campus
based students for lectures – Educational/Instructional programmes. All of these from under
functions of Campus Broadcasting)