Description
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 Introduction
The media in whatever statues, either private or government owned, play a very significant role in the economic, political, and social development of a nation.
This role the media performs by proving a platform for sharing information on various topical issues, which can serve as a force and catalyst to the development of any state such as health, agriculture, oil and gas, tourism, education. ?Recent survey by international organization has shown that private owned organization, especially the broadcast media, plays a very vital role by their policy on providing alternative views and caring into a critical analysis of issues that impact positively on any state. Besides, broadcast media have a large capacity and have ability to attract the professionals, who offer critical and alternative opinion on those things that will speed up the development of the state??(KELLY Elisha?s literature unpublished).
Under reference in this research is Africa Independent Television (AIT), which by every stretch of estimation has made tremendous contributions, since its inception to the development of the health sector in Lagos station AIT as a station has a well-researched and articulated program me schedule, which is designed to cater for the developmental needs f the society, the people, and by extension, the state- Lagos. It is however worthy of note, that it would be difficult for broadcast media to thrive without society and that level of isolation and back awareness of human race would suffer without the broadcast media will be unimaginable.
In this project we shall focus on how Africa Independent Television (AIT) as a station plays a very vital role in the development of the health sector in Lagos state.
1.2 Background of the Study
Electricity was first discovered in the mid-19th century, when Michael faraday observed that electric current flows in a circuit and returns to the source of the energy once the circuit is broken. This could be seen as the birth of electric appliances in the world, couples with his discoveries that a magnetic field is formed around an electric circuit while the electric circuit lasts and disappears once the electric current returns to the source of energy.
The prediction of James Clark Maxwell the professor of experimental physics at Cambridge University in 1864, those electrical charges with their magnetic fields could be exploited to transmit information. Also boost discovery of Michael Faraday and seems to be an eyes opener to the development of Radio as a broadcast medium.
It was later in 1890 that Heinrich Hertz tested out Maxwell?s prediction in a series of experiments and found them to be true, so Gurgler Marconi successfully carried out experiment that confirmed Hertz?s findings, after that in 1901 Marconi succeeded in transmitting letters across the Atlantic by wireless using kite antenna and a crude spark gap receiving system. He later patented the invention and established several wireless telegraph companies. Sir John Ambrose Hemming professor of Electric Engineering at Impact College, London patented a special two-element receiving tube which controlled the flow of electricity, thus amplifying the radio signal thus the invention of electric transmission by professor Reginald Fessenden of Pittsburgh University with the help of electrical engineer Ernest Alexanderson of General electricity succeeded in broadcasting a Christmas Carol to ships at sea between the coast of Massachusetts and the west Indians , thus adding voice to Marconi?s wireless telegraph transmission for the first time.
Also, KDKA generally regarded as the first radio broadcast station was set up in East Perrysburg Pennsylvanian in the 1920 and it signed on with the return of the Harding Cox presidential contest with its first radio broadcast made in England, BBC was formed as a limited liability company in 1922 while so many developments began to show forth. However, Broadcasting came to Nigeria in stages. In pursuit of its colonial interest Britain established an experimental radio receiving station in Lagos in December 1932 to pick the short wave transmission of the BBC Empire service. Three years later, the receiving station became a radio distribution station i.e. a reddifussion centre extending beyond many rural centres in the country. Broadcasting however flourished in 1949 and this led to the inauguration of the Nigerian Broadcasting Service in 1951 between 1959 (when the Western Nigeria Television Service {WNTV}) became the first TV station in Africa south of the Sahara excluding south Africa and 1980 when political opponents started looking elsewhere for self-interest propagation television reporting in Nigeria lacked the excitement it could have accomplished due to two major reason, which is lack of competition and lack of motivation.( Dotun Oyelade- The broadcast journalist, 1993) Though it became the first television station, broadcasting became a concurrent legislative matter in Nigeria in 1954, while its act was enacted in 1956, giving birth to Nigeria Broadcasting corporation 1957. After Tuner Byron?s report was submitted in 1950, on the need for radio distribution station with short cultural programs featuring Nigerian artistes was set up in 1939. After NBC was inaugurated, Tayo Akpata committee?s report was submitted in 190 and it?s recommended that AM/FM stereo be inaugurated as second station. Also after Western Nigerian Television (WNTV) established in October 1959, which was followed Eastern Nigerian Television and broadcasting Service in 1960, several television began to show forth prominent among them were Kaduna Radio and Television established in 1962, B.P.T.V in Jos , T.S.T.V in port Harcourt , which were established in 1974 . It was in 1976 when the Federal Government took over television Authority. The third phase was set in motion by the return of broadcasting to the concurrent Legislature list in the 1979 constitution and continued till the early 1990’s when the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission was created. REF- Babatunde Folarin 1999 foundation of broadcasting link publication Abeokuta
? Dotun Oyelade , 1939 the broadcast journalist , current incorporated Ibadan
? Oufemi Onabanjo 2002, Element of Rural Broadcasting , Gabi Concept Ltd, Lagos
1.3 African Independent Television AIT Historical Overview
Before 1992 there had been a general clamor for the broadcast media industry to be opened up and demonopolised. The protagonist of this position drew their experience from developed countries and some African countries that were already deregulating the broadcast industry to private industry individuals.
As a result of incessant coup-di-tat, government expressed the fear that private station s could easily be used by coup-plotters but when general Babangida upstage the regime of Buhari, he brought the idea of opening up The broadcast industry by his deregulation policy of 1992 and the promulgation of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) decree of that same year as licenses to operate a radio station, that license to operate on 12th August 1994. But they started operating on the 6th of December 1996. The operators of AIT go by a corporate business name of DAAR Communication PLC, launched a 24-hour global Television service with the call signal , Africa Independent Television (AIT) with thematic philosophy that is geared towards the promotion of Africa values and the traditions of black people across the world.
1.4 Statement of Research Problem
The broadcast media, which is the medium of disseminating information, values and norms, to a large heterogeneous audience has become the sole educator, informer, and enlightener of the masses. It is however obvious that many people do complain that the media which is the fourth estate of the realm is in no way performing their role in upholding health issues in their various programmers. This now calls for a quest to know the impact of the broadcast media in the development of the health sector using AIT as a case study.
1.5 Objective of the Study
? To know the impact of the broadcast media in the development health sector
? To know if the broadcast media has really enhanced effectively health issues in Lagos state through its various health?s programmes.
? To know how effective and efficient the broadcast media is, through its capacity to influence the growth of the health sector in Lagos state, using AIT as a case of reference.
1.6 Scope of the Study
This research is saddled with the responsibility of carrying out findings on ?the impact of the broadcast media in the development of the health sector in Lagos state? this hereby limits its scope of study to Africa Independent Television (AIT) and, Lagos state University teaching hospital, (LASUTH). The reason being that little is required for the fulfillment of our National Diploma (ND), financial constraints and time factor.
1.7 Significant of the Research
This study will make the readers of this research to know the impact of broadcast media contribution to the development and growth of the health sector in Lagos state.
1.8 Operational Definition of the Terms
In attempting to let people understand the relevant of the Broadcast media in the development of the health sector, it is imperative that that the meaning of the under listed terms be made known: hence the attempt definition is given.
1. IMPACT: This refers to the powerful effect or the force with which the presence and absent of something is felt.
2. BROADCAST: It is a prompt delivery of information through medium such as television or Radio in telling a lot of people about something.
3. MEDIA: This refers to the channel/medium, through which messages or information are transmitted to a mass audience, who were not at the scene of the event.
4. SECTOR: Sector has to do with a part of whole e.g. a sector of the economy, it could be a distinct part or an area marked out.
5. DEVELOPMENT: This has to do with the level of intellectual capacity of a State/Country through the standard of living of the masses, political and economic advancement.
6. RESEARCH: This refers to a careful study of a subject, especially in order to discover new facts or information about it.
7. HEALTH: This simply means the state of being free from illness or injury or a person?s mental or physical condition.
8. REF: Babatunde Folarin, 1999, Foundation of Broadcasting link publication Abeokuta Dotun Oyelade, 1993, the broadcast Jornalist, current incorporated Ibadan Olufemi Onabanjo 2002, Elements of Ruler Broadcasting, Gabi Concept Ltd, Lagos.