CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Television is an important tool for most people, young or old, as today most information are delivered to the public via this technology. It can now be assessed easily via cables or satellite, which could provide consumers with every type of information that they need, either for work, leisure, interest, and so forth. With the emergence of this media and the production of various programmes, television has caught the attention of most people. Comparable to other media, television is the most accessible media to most people, including young children, where television is their most favourite form of media (Burton).
Television broadcasting, began in Nigeria in October 1959, when government of the former Western Region started the first television service in both Nigeria, and Africa the Western Nigeria Television (WNTV) in Ibadan, other Television stations established included, the Eastern Nigeria broadcasting service (ENBC) - Radio / TV which was created on October 1, 1960, also Radio / Television Kaduna (RTK) in 1961.
Today, Nigeria has broad of several radio and television stations. Most of which are owned and operated by the state and Federal government with the numerous television stations in the country, it is necessary to find out what impact this system of communication has on children. Television is widely acknowledged as “a powerful medium of our age” (TV journal, 1985:3) The power of television in shaping our lives is astounding; its visual immediacy gives its audience a feeling of participation more than any other medium. What children see and hear influence their attitudes, manners, speech and often their daily habits. Television has uniqueness in its intimacy, immoderacy and mass communication qualities. In Nigeria, its development is viewed in the height of a multiplicity of personal, social cultural and political needs.
The use of television by young children particularly has raise debates and concerns to many organization and researchers (e.g. Anderson & Pempek, 2005; Griffiths & Machin, 2003) due to the boundless access to various types of information which could affect their development, behaviour, health and learning.
Wibur Schramm (1971) reacting to this, put it that for some children, under some conditions, some television programmes are harmful, for other children, under the same conditions, It may be beneficial, while for most children, under most conditions, Most television programmes are probably neither harmful nor beneficial.
Therefore, it would not be out of place to suggest that children learn behaviours, norms, and attitudes through film and television presentations or programmes. Television has served the masses in its entailment aspect. It has been a more convenient alternative to social custom of going out cinema. A point to be born in mind in any discussion of the television impact is that it gives different physical environments, personal prejudices, group attitudes, social norms and psychological needs, the same programme can act as a positive reinforcement for one person and a negative one for another.
Wilbur Scramm, an American researcher, on the way children use television, has suggested one view point. We are talking a needless chance with our children’s welfare by permitting them to see such a parade of violence across our picture tubes. It is a danger to which we need expose to tetanus or bacteria from unpasturised Milk. From the above standard schramum is trying to caution not only parents but also producers who handle entertainment programmes in television industries.
Television entertainment programmes for children is one of the areas of great problems seem to arise primary from lack of knowledge about the target, the potentials of broadcast media communication theory and the objective of broadcastings. Nevertheless, the viewers’ interpretation of his own experience after watching a programme may be reinterpreted when he funds the programme in which he watch and discussed by friends, radio commentators and newspaper commentates. If the significance of the event is magnified, even casual viewer assumes importance. The fact of having been there is remembered not so much because the event itself has left an impression, but because the event has been recorded by others. Although television is a new medium that is the third medium to arrive after the inception of newspaper and radio in Nigeria it as obtained to fulfil the function of educating informing the children as well as the public target through cultural, economic and entertainment programmes. The Nigerian television should always aim at presenting the types of programmes that would help create awareness, especially to the children.
According to Akpan (1987) ‘” Television is an ubiquitous medium “although it is a view of communication medium yet in Nigeria no one can dispute the fact that television is the greatest theatre of the air. Television differs from host of the other theatres. The sketches of the television image require the viewing audience to full in the picture. Consequently, the medium becomes an extension of touch for it is the sense of touch that controls the interplay of the sense. The secret of television tactile power is that the video image is one of low intensity and definition and thus, unlike either the photography film, offers no detailed information about specific object but instead involves the active participation of the viewers.
A group in 1969 (sponsored by the United States government) that studied the impact of television entertainment programmes on children suggested that “television violence might influence children who have violent tendencies to act violently”, they however did not reach a definite conclusion about the impact of television violence on the majority of children.
According to the American Academy of Pediatric (2001), as much as 10% to 20% of real life violence may be attributable to media violence. The recently completed 3-year National Television Violence Study found that nearly two thirds of all programming contains violence, with children’s programmes contain the most violence, portrayals of violence are usually glamorized and perpetrators often goes unpunished (AAP 2001; Federman,1998). Besides that, a recent comprehensive analysis of music videos found that nearly one fourth of all Music Television (MTV) videos portray overt violence and depict weapon carrying (AAP, 2001; Durant, Rich, Pmans, Rome & Alfred, 1997). Additional to that, along with the main course of programmes, commercials are showed, promoting various types of children items. It is reported that the commercials in prime time programming has steadily increased so that today at least 16 minutes of an hour-long show are devoted to the advertisements, with the average of more than 40,000 television commercials per year (Christakis, 2006). Many previous and recent researches have reported more negative outcomes rather than positive outcomes, which is a worrying scenario for parents and professionals. Therefore, it is important for parents to teach their children to be media literate, as young children are particularly vulnerable to the message conveyed through television, which could influence their perception and behaviours (AAP, 2001).
The objective of any television station is not only to communicate to the target audience but also to receive favourable responses. The realization of this objective will depend primarily on the performance of the communication media, their types of programmes and view patronage level most on the entertainment aspects rather than informative aspects. In this study, I assessed the impact of television entertainment programmes on children in Agbara Ogun State using NTA Channel 10 as a case study.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE RESEARCH PROBLEM
It will be discovered that some children that watch television programmes may engage in negative way and other activities which may be as a result of the exposures to violent films where they tend to imitate the behaviour of the characters.
Very often the critics suspect that parents uplect of the youths are responsible for their aggressive behaviours rather than violent television programmes this of course, has to be looked into because before the advent of television, children used to be under the influenced and the dance of their parents so they obtain much of their information from them.
Whenever television is used it affects the lives of the people in definite ways. This could be positively like the areas of knowledge and civil acquisition of relatively which is a cue to anti – social activities. Some television programmes exposed to children have a way of stimulating them to copy certain practices and actions they see on the tube. They will even try to see if it works at home or elsewhere in the neighbourhood. So, the values of television can make an impact if they touch idea or value for which the viewer is emotionally ready.
Therefore in this research study, efforts have been made to assess the impact of television entertainment programme on children in Agbara Ogun State using NTA Channel 10 as a case study. That is if television entertainment programmes of NTA Channel 10 have impacted either positively or negatively into the lives of children in Agbara Ogun State.
The problem is framed in this question format
“To what extent had NTA Channel 10 impacted in the lives of children in Agbara Ogun State?
1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The aim of this academic exercise is to eviscerate the impact television entertainment programmes on children in Agbara Ogun State.
The study has the following objectives:
1. The study aims at ascertaining the impact of television entertainment programmes in making attitudinal changes in children in Agbara Ogun State.
2. To let people know the indirect contributions made by entertainment programmes on children development in Agbara Ogun state.
3. To find out whether NTA Channel 10 entertainment programmes contributes negatively or positively to children behaviour changes in Agbara Ogun State.
4. To make recommendations where necessary and to see if these programmes can be repackaged when its objectives are not achieved.
1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The intellectual quotient of the children may not be improved or be more developed and enhanced without the advent of technology which television is one of it. The introduction of television entertainment programme as part of the activities of telecommunication companies has played a better role in being an eye-opener to children in learning faster in life. Though it has made this tremendous positive impacts on children but the negative side of it will not be left out which this research work will endeavour to explore the two coins; because as the saying that ‘anything that has advantage must have disadvantage’. Thus, this study will be of great significance to the following areas:
This study will be of benefit to the society because it exposes to the government, parents, children and the entire citizens the positive and negative impacts of television entertainment programmes on the children and the society at large.
This study will also be of benefit to owners and managers of telecommunication companies because it will bring to their knowledge the major factors that makes their programmes to have negative impact on the public target and also suggesting the ways with which these problems can be solved towards attaining the set goals of the organization as well as enhancing the already made positive impacts.
Furthermore, the study will help the government to validate the main causes of negative television programmes given to the citizens especially the children in Nigeria and also suggest ways of improving the existing laws governing the children television entertainment programmes, if need be.
The output of this study will serve as a blueprint and reference to students and organizations that might carry out further research within this domain in future.
1.5 RESEARCHER QUESTIONS
1. Is television as a medium of communicating messages capable of making attitudinal changes in children in Agbara Ogun State?
2. What indirect contributions have entertainment programmes made on children development in Agbara Ogun State?
3. Does NTA Channel 10 entertainment programmes contribute negatively or positively to children behavioural changes in Agbara Ogun State?
4. Are the public especially the children pleased with the entertainment programmes of NTA Channel 10 network centre?
5. What measures can be taken in order to make television entertainment programme beneficial to the entire society?
1.6 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
As a part of human endeavour, this work has its own attendant hitches and limitations, thus its findings may be limited in the following ways:
Finance is one of the major factors that played a devastating role in preventing the researcher to use certain approaches and methods in the course of the study.
Also, the researcher had a time problem because the available time was share between academic work, domestic responsibilities etc. it was not easy to attain a perfect balance among these activities as such very little time was available for the conduct of this study.
Academic pressure and availability of material were among the limitations encountered by the researcher due to the combination of both classroom lectures and assignment hence the bulk of materials used were limited to the ones available.
1.7 DELIMITATION OF THE STUDY
The scope of this work covered the overview of television in Nigeria, the history of Nigerian Television Authority, their objectives and functions and NTA Channel 10. It also included some of the NTA branches in Nigeria, s well as the merged stations. The positive and negative impact of television entertainment programmes, factors that cause the negative impact and ways of improving the positive impacts on children in Agbara Ogun State of Nigeria were not left out in this research work.
1.8 OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF TERMS
Five operative words employed in this study are defined in their context of use.
• IMPACT: It means a significant or strong influence or effect on something.
• PROGRAMME: It means a presentation that is broadcast on radio or television.
• TELEVISION: This is the audio – visual electronic medium used to transmit programmes by bribing to us the scene as it happens or as it is recorded.
• CHILDREN: It means more than one young son or daughter.
• ENTERTAINMENT: It means an activity designed to give pleasure or relaxation to an audience, no matter whether the audience participates passively as in watching opera, or a movie, or actively as in games.
TABLE OF CONTENT
PAGE
TITLE PAGE i
CERTIFICATION ii
DEDICATION iii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iv
ABSTRACT v
TABLE OF CONTENTS vi-viii
LIST OF TABLES viii-ix
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study 1-4
1.2 Statement of the Research Problem 5
1.3 Objectives of the Study 6
1.4 Significance of the Study 6-7
1.5 Researcher Questions 7-8
1.6 Limitations of the Study 8
1.7 Delimitation of the Study 8
1.8 Operational Definition of Terms 9
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Historical Background of Television in Nigeria and the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) 10-13
2.2 Empirical Background of the Study 14-17
2.3 Review of Concepts 17
2.3.1 The Concept of Television Programmes and Programming 17-21
2.3.2 The Concept of Children Development 22-28
2.3.3 The Concept of Human Behaviour 28-31
2.4 Positive Impact of Television Entertainment Programmes
on Children 31-34
2.5 Negative Impact of Television Entertainment Programmes
on Children 34-39
2.6 Measures to be take in order to make Television
Entertainment Programmes Beneficial to the Children
and the Entire Society 40-42
2.7 Theoretical Framework 42-44
CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1 Introduction 45
3.2 Research Design 45-46
3.3 Area of Study 46
3.4 Population of the Study 46-47
3.5 Sample Size and Sampling Technique 47
3.6 Instrument of Data Collection 48
3.7 Method of Data Collection 48
3.8 Method of Data Analysis 48
CHAPTER FOUR: DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION
4.1 Introduction 49
4.2 Data Presentation and Analysis 50-57
4.3 Discussion of Findings 58-60
CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
5.1 Introduction 61
5.2 Summary 61
5.3 Conclusion 62
5.4 Recommendations 62
5.5 Suggestion for Further Studies 63
Bibliography 64-67
Appendixes 68-70
LIST OF TABLES:
Table 1: Gender of Respondents 50
Table 2: Age Bracket of Respondents 50
Table 3: Marital Status of Respondents 51
Table 4: Educational Qualification of Respondents 51
Table 5: Occupation of Respondents 52
Table 6: Religion of Respondents 52
Table 7: Respondents that Watch Television Programme 53
Table 8: Respondents on Television Messages having the
Capacity to Influence Children’s Attitude 53
Table 9: Respondents that Watch NTA Channel 10
Entertainment Programmes. 54
Table 10: Respondents on the Indirect Contribution of Entertainment
Programmes on Children Development 54
Table 11: Respondents on the Positive Contribution of NTA
Channel 10 Entertainment Programmes on the Behavioural
Changes of Children in Agbara Ogun State. 55
Table 12: Respondents on the Negative Contribution of NTA
Channel 10 Entertainment Programmes on the Behavioural
Changes in Children in Agbara Ogun State. 56
Table 13: Respondents on Being Pleased with all the
Entertainment Programmes Shown on NTA Channel 10
Network Centre. 56
Table 14: Respondents on Areas that Needs Improvement. 57
Table 15: Respondents on the Exact Areas that Need
Improvement. 57