The Challenges and Prospects of a Campus Radio (FM) Station
Chapter One
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 concerning the factors that influenced the establishment of the station as a campus community radio, bringing out its challenges and prospects. Thus, the researcher hopes to achieve the following:
- To find out the factors responsible for the establishment of Bayero University Kano campus community radio.
- To find out the operational nature of the radio station.
- To find out the administrative structure of the radio station.
- To find out if there are existing gaps between the aims of establishing the radio station and its current operational function.
- To find out the challenges affecting the effectiveness of the radio station (if any).
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
INTRODUCTION
For several decades now, radio has been one of the most appealing tools for participatory communication and development in communities (Mtimde, 2000, p.6). Radio being a simple medium, has always served as a tools for reaching the masses easily and frequently. According to Bosch (2007, p.5), Community radio in particular has become the most potentially participatory medium with its roots in the community which guarantees that communication processes takes the central reality as a starting point in the development of communities. As such, a number of literary works have been written about its activities, albeit in both convergent and conflicting perspectives. In that view, this chapter presents an overview of community radio with regard to its functions and place in the broad global media environment. Furthermore, this chapter provides a description of the nature and character of community radio with respect to how it is perceived in relation to other media. Considerable detail is provided discussing community radio’s conceptual definition, function, relevance, features or characteristics, its aims, historical development and its activities in different parts of the world.
DEFINITION OF COMMUNITY RADIO
Although the definition of community radio may seems generally less complex, because of its simplicity, there are almost as many models as there are stations. Each community radio station is a hybrid and unique communication process shaped by several over-arching characteristics underpinned by the distinct culture, history, and reality of the community it serves (Girard, 2007). Nevertheless, there are some characteristics that all community radio stations have in common, among others, they are community-based; community owned and controlled; independent; not-for-profit; pro-community; and participatory (Fraser &Estrada, 2001; and Girard, 2007). To further support this, Fraser and Estrada (2001) are of the opinion that, Community radio is a social process in which members of the community come together to design and produce programmes and air them, thus taking on the primary role of actors in their own destiny. Whatsoever community initiative are, the emphasis within the concept of community radio should be on the ownership of democratic and development efforts by the members of the community themselves in relation to the use of media to achieve this. In essence, this is participatory communication which is above all a process, not a technology, nor merely a means. It is about the community speaking to each other and acting together for common goals.
In Girard (2007)’s view, community radio means radio in the community, for the community, about the community and by the community. There should be a wide participation regularly from community members with respect to management and production of programmes of community radio stations. This involvement of community members differentiate community radio, from the dominant commercial media that are operated for profit, propaganda, power, politics, privilege, et cetera. Over and above these conditions (above mentioned condition ascribed to commercial media), serving the people or the public becomes a token gesture mainly to justify existence in the government bureaucratic licensing procedures. On the contrary, community radio stations should be collectively operated by the community, dedicated to development, education and people empowerment. They should adhere to the principles of democracy and participation (Jordan, 2006).
Community radio as defined by Wikipedia, a free online encyclopedia (2011), is a type of radio service, that offer’s the third model of broadcasting beyond commercial and public services. Community stations can serve geographic communities and communities of interest. They broadcast content that is popular and relevant to a local/specific audience but which may often be overlooked by commercial or mass media broadcasters. Community radio stations are operated, owned, and driven by the communities they serve. It is not profit oriented and it provides a mechanism for facilitating individuals, groups and communities to tell their own diverse stories, to share experiences, and in a media rich world to become active creators and contributors of media. According to Wikipedia (2009) Community and campus radio stations – irrespective of financial support received from government, audiences, donations, advertising or other means – are almost always dependent on volunteers, i.e. the unpaid labour and expertise of local residents who are committed to their local community or campus station. This commitment is demonstrated in the hundreds of thousands of voluntary hours that represent the global core of community media development and sustainability.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
INTRODUCTION
This chapter focused primarily on the methods used in the collection of relevant data for this research work. It dealt with the methodology adopted for the research; the chapter discusses the research design used; justification for the choice of the research method and instrument; population of the study; as well as the limitations of the research method and the instrument used in gathering and analysing the data obtained from the population.
A quantitative research approach was decided as the most tenable means of securing constructive and valuable data for this study; and survey was selected as the research method for gathering relevant information for this study as it was considered the most appropriate method that can be used for the target population in view of the research topic. But first, what is research and what is methodology?
RESEARCH METHOD
According to Kerlinger (1973), “research is a systematic, controlled, empirical and critical investigation of hypothetical prepositions about presumed relations among natural phenomena.” In another definition provided by Bennet (1983) in Agbonifoh & Yomere (1999), research is a systematic, careful inquiry or examination to discover new information or relationship and to expand/verify existing knowledge for some specified purpose. Agbonifoh &Yomere (1999), view research as something that always involves data gathering, data analysis and answering certain questions of interest to the researcher.
Survey Method
For the purpose of this study, survey research method was adopted. According to Sobowale (2008), the survey technique is the most commonly used by behavioural scientists. This is because this approach involves drawing up a set of questions (known as questionnaires) on various subjects or on various aspects of a subject to which selected members of a population (called a sample) are requested to react.
Various scholars have put forward different definitions for survey and according to Cherry, (2009) a survey is a data collection tool used to gather information about individuals. In other words, survey research may focus on factual information about individuals, or it may aim to collect the opinion of the survey takers.
AREA OF STUDY
The study area for the research is Bayero University Kano otherwise known as B.U.K 98.9 FM situated in Kano, North-western part of the country. Noting that the university and its communities being served by the station is cosmopolitan and Federal in the nature, the population becomes less homogenous, with an increasing number of diverse ethnic groups in the universe of the study area.
POPULATION OF STUDY
Asika (1991) defined study population as a census of all items or subject that possesses the characteristics or that has knowledge of the phenomenon being studied. Subject or elements are individual items that make up population. In this regard, the population or universe of this study is BUK 98.9 FM (Bayero University, Kano community campus radio).
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
INTRODUCTION
This chapter is based on presentation and analysis of data collected while trying to find out the challenges and prospects of a community campus radio with emphasis on “what it should be and what it is” in the case study of the research, which is 98.9 BUK FM in Bayero University, Kano.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Introduction
This chapter is the concluding chapter of this research work. In it, chapter by chapter summary of the entire project is provided as well as the general conclusion of the study. Based on this conclusion, recommendations on the study and for further studies on this topic or related ones are proffered.
The effort to put community radio as a sector of the vibrant media landscape in Nigeria have gained not only the support of the government but the academic community, and the resilience which continue to propel the advocacy and accommodation for this globally acclaimed voice of the grassroots. Community radio issues have moved up to top priority on the agenda of media development in Nigeria necessitating a research of this nature, to investigate the prospect and challenges of operating community radio station in Nigeria with a special focus on the current operational nature of BUK FM as against the objectives of its establishment. This chapter is aimed at summarizing all the preceding chapters and brings out the conclusion based on the findings of the research work as well as the recommendations and suggestions for further research.
Summary
Chapter One of this study provided the background of the study into community radio broadcast in the world as well as in Nigeria, it further stated the statement of the problem which hinges on the challenges and prospects of a community campus radio: what it should be and what it is: a study of Bayero University, Kano FM. More so, the chapter one presented the background of the study, the research questions as well as the objectives of the research, significance of the study, scope, a brief history of the case study as well as the operational term used in the study.
Chapter Two is a review of relevant literatures that were considered related to the topic of this research work, as well as the postulation of a theory within which the study was situated theoretically.In chapter two, available literatures were explored on community radio broadcast. These literatures were able to explain what is meant by community radio broadcasting; the brief world historical account of community radio; international approach of community radio funding, functions as well as the importance of community radio. Other variable reviewed were the role of community radio in educational development. Furthermore, the NBC code on community radio licensing was presented.
McQuail’s Development Media theory was chosen to serve as the theoretical framework because the theory helps this work to analyze the factor that influence the effectiveness of private radio broadcast in North West zone of Nigeria and a key justification provided for the choice of this theory was lies in the fact that Nigeria is a developing country that needs her media more for participation toward development and social change as already achieved in western countries. And this is bored out of one of the basic assumptions of the theory which stated that media should adopt and carry out development task, and part of the ways this can be achieved is through involvement in the process of development and through community radio broadcasting developmental issues can be brought closer to the people to propel national development.
Chapter Three focused primarily on the methods used in the collection of relevant data for this research work. It dealt with the methodology adopted for the research; the chapter discusses the research design used; justification for the choice of the research method and instrument; population of the study; as well as the limitations of the research method and the instrument used in gathering and analysing the data obtained from the population.
This study employed the quantitative and qualitative method in analysing the data collected through the research instrument which are questionnaire and interview as the most tenable means of securing constructive and valuable data for this study; and survey was selected as the research method for gathering relevant information for this study as it was considered the most appropriate method that can be used for the target population in view of the research topic.
Correspondingly, Chapter Four was based on presentation and analysis of data collected while trying to find out the challenges and prospects of a community campus radio with emphasis on what it should be and what it is in the case study of the research, which is BUK FM in Bayero University, Kano. Also in the chapter, the findings to be discussed were brought out and then fully discussed in line with the objective sets for the research.
Chapter Five is the concluding chapter of this study and it provides a chapter by chapter summary of the four preceding chapters as well as the major findings of the research. This chapter also concludes the research work by making general and specific conclusions based on the findings of the study. From these conclusions, the researcher makes recommendations based on the study and recommendations for further research.
MAJOR FINDINGS
The investigation into the challenges and prospects of community campus radio: what it should be and what it is in Bayero University, Kano (BUK FM) primarily found the following;
- Findings show that the station was established to serve it host community and also to serve as training centre for students of the university undertaking journalism courses.
- The establishment of the radio station is seen as a good development for the university community by the members of the community.
- The station allows for community participation.
- Source of funding of the radio station is mainly from the management of the university.
- The favorable rating of the station by its public is considerably good.
- The perception of its public towards its contents and programming quality is relatively good, however, with a need to augment on this.
- Also, there is the need to augment on the broadcast timing/duration for the sake of students of the university who make up majority of the audience of the radio station.
- The researcher discovered some loopholes in the present operational nature of the radio station compared the objectives of its establishment.
Conclusions
Good governance and genuine development can be achieved if all sections of society are integrated into appropriate communication processes. For the grassroots to be part of this lofty process, they must be provided empowerment and space to participate. The situation in Nigeria is that 70 percent of the population live in the rural areas, but are denied access to modern communication channels and thus shut away from credible information on issues which affect their lives and communities. Most of them live and die, never having an appreciation of development and the possibility that they could participate in a meaningful building of their country.
The grassroots is home to bulk of the country’s population and the source of her wealth and strength, remain largely, marginalized and voiceless. Painfully, mainstream media, including those in the broadcasting sector, have been unable to provide adequate coverage and engagement for grassroots governance and development.
The emergence of community radio in Nigeria will help to address the above mentioned and other challenges in various ways, including; fostering true broadcasting pluralism; providing access and voice for marginalized or underrepresented communities; empowering the grassroots to participate in search for solutions to issues affecting them and the country at large; building the capacities of communities to hold political office holders transparent and accountable; helping to preserve language and cultures across the country; and for those community radio stations in the academic environment, help academic debate; train future radio producer as well as journalists and radio education programme for the overall benefit of the community.
It is no longer gainsaying that community radio broadcast has come to stay in Nigeria mostly in our tertiary institution as there is a steady increase in the number of campus community radio stations in the Nigeria vigorously spearheaded by the tertiary institution. This novel intention, as bringing radio broadcast nearer to the people is however successful to some extent as well as facing several challenges in other areas.
The problem facing their establishment and effective operation is now what is posing serious challenges to the prospect of bringing broadcasting closer to its immediate community. This research has been able to uncover that the future of campus community radio stations is very bright even though a lot is still needed to make it serve the purpose for which they are established.
More so, the place of participatory developmental journalism or communication that forms the prima facie or tenets of community broadcast entirely must not be neglected but upheld in order to make the establishment of campus radio which is embedded on the premise of community broadcast principle a success. So far so good, the journey towards the establishment of this station has been good because the station has started full operation since its commissioning.
Recommendations
From the study as well as the primary findings, this research recommends that;
The society must understand the rules and regulations guiding the establishment and operation of a community station before seeking for license from relevant authorities to establish a station. The community must be ready to start, operate and manage as well as fund the community radio station adequately to avoid inefficient and ineffectiveness of the radio stations.The management of the community especially those within the university community should approach already established radio outfit either publicly or privately for the transfer of expertise in radio programming and broadcasting.
The community must seek for a significant proportion of its contents and programming input from the community in order for the station to start broadcasting to the community’s needs.For training purpose, the management of the station should liaise with the Departments of Mass Communication and Theatre Arts, and established radio stations as well as employ the services of professional hands or retired journalists in the profession for training of undergraduates in radio journalism and production. The Nigeria Broadcast Commission must be up and doing in order to ensure that the requirements for this nature of radio broadcast are met and they should monitor their programming frequency and content such that it meets the need and aspiration of the community.
Lastly, the study recommends that further study should be carried out on how campus community radio represents the community they operate, using another geopolitical zone as unit of study. Another methodological approach like qualitative content analysis should also be considered.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
- Adeyanju M. A., and Okwori, J, Z. (2006). African Media Development Initiatives: Nigeria. London: BBC World Service Trust
- Aidan .K. (2006).“Clustersampling” in V. Juppthe sage dictionary of social research methods.Retrieved from http://:dx.doi.org
- Akingulu, A. (2010). Public Broadcasting in Africa Series: Nigeria. South Africa : Open Society Initiative for West Africa
- AMARC (1998) A Declaration of Principle. South Africa: WorldAssociation of Community Broadcasters.
- AMARC (1998) what is Community Radio? : A Resource Guide. South Africa: AMARC Africa and Panos Southern Africa
- Asika, N. (1991). Research Method for Nigeria Tertiary Institution.Second edition. Lagos: Kotlebpublishers
- Baran, S. J. (2003) Mass Communication : An Introduction. 3thedition.NewYork: McGrawHillPublishers.
- BECIL (2002): Setting up of Community Radio Station. NewDelhi: BroadcastEngineeringConsultantsIndiaLimitedaccessedfromhttp://www.becil.com
- Blackson, I A. (2005) Negotiating the UN of Native Languages in Emerging Pluralistic and Independent Broadcast System in Africa,” Africa Media Review, Volume 13, Number 1pp.1-22
- Bosch, T. E. 2007. Sustaining Community Radio. UNESCO Community Radio South Africa.
