ABSTRACT
The role of information communication
technologies cannot be over emphasized. This is because information and
communication technologies have made it possible for dissemination of
information evenly and to a wide range of audience. The study therefore seeks to find out the level of application
of ICTs in FRCN Bauchi and BRC Bauchi respectively. The study is anchored on the technological determinism and
diffusion of innovation theory. The study adopted survey research design and
Questionnaire was the basic instrument used for the study The findings of this
study shows that the level of application of new information and communication
technology in the two radio stations studied was not impressive because of the
following reasons: the two radio stations are still operating on analogue,
also the staffers of the two radio
stations do not have enough access to new communication technologies and cannot
operate same and where they do; they only have access to and operate computer
and internet. Although, the findings show that respondents agree to the
importance of new information and communication technologies but they do not
use the internet every day. The study recommends that in order to completely
eliminate ICT illiteracy among broadcasters, the government of Bauchi State
should make Information Technology literacy training a mandatory course in
every media houses.
TABLE OF CONTENT
Title Page i
Certification ii
Dedication iii
Acknowledgments iv
Table
of Contents v
List
of Tables vi
Abstract
vii
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODCUTION
1.1 Background
to the Study 1
1.2
Statement of Problem 3
1.3
Objectives of the Study 5
1.4
Research Questions 5
1.5
Significance of the Stud 6
1.6
Scope of the Study 6
1.7
Operational Definitions of Term 7
CHAPTER
TWO: THEORETICAL FRAME WORK
AND LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Theoretical Framework 9
2.1.1 The Technological Determinism Theory 9
2.1.2 Diffusion of Innovations Theory 9
2.2.
Conceptual Review 13
2.2.1 Concepts of Information and Communication
Technologies (ICTs) 13
2.2.2 Development of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs)
16
2.2.3 Radio Broadcasting 19
2.2.4 The Evolution of Broadcasting in Nigeria 21
2.2.5 Challenges of New Media Technologies in the
Nigerian Broadcast Industry 23
2.2.6 History of Electronic Media in Nigeria 25
2.2.7 Brief History of FRCN and BRC Bauchi 26
2.2.7.1 History of FRCN 26
2.2.7.2 History of BRC 28
2.3
Empirical Review 28
CHAPTER
THREE: METHODS OF THE STUDY
3.1
Research Method 32
3.2
Population of the Study 32
3.3
Sample size and sampling techniques 32
3.4 Research instrument 33
3.5 Validity of research instruments 33
3.6
Reliability of the instrument 34
3.7
Method of Administration of Research Instrument 34
3.8
Method of Data Analysis 35
CHAPTER FOUR:
DATA ANALYSIS AND RESULTS
4.1 Discussion of Findings 36
CHAPTER FIVE:
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
5.1 Limitation 49
5.2 Summary 49
5.3 Conclusion 50
5.4 Recommendation 51
References 52
LIST OF TABLES
TABLE 1: Which of the new media technology do you
have access to in your office 37
TABLE 2: how many of the new media technology can
you operate efficiently 37
TABLE 3: how has the use of new media technology
contributed to the success of your job 38
TABLE 4: what type of studio does your station
operate with 39
TABLE 5: How often do you make use of the internet
in your office 39
TABLE 6: What are staff attitude to the use of these
new media technologies 40
TABLE 7: What are the factors responsible for the
station level of ICT application
41
TABLE 8: What are the implications of the present
level of ICT 42
TABLE 9: What measures have been put in place by
your organization to expose members of staff to advancements in new media
technologies in order to meet the challenges of modern broadcasting 43
TABLE 10: Gender distribution of respondents
44
TABLE11: Age distribution of respondents 44
TABLE 12: Educational qualification distribution of
respondents 45
TABLE 13: Marital status distribution of respondents 45
TABLE 14: Name of radio station 46
TABLE 15: Length of service with your organization 46
CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1.
Background of Study
Human existence
would have been meaningless without Information and Communication. Ideas,
values, policies and every aspect of socio-cultural, political and economic
obligation within the human environments would have been difficult to achieve
without adequate dose of information and communication, Daramola (2003). As a
result, information acts as grease for lubricating the entire society. However,
the invention of modern means of communication with the help of civilization
made possible with the advancement of science and technology, the world has
gradually become a ‘global village’.
Ekwelie and
Okonkwo (1983) in Ukonu (2008) recorded that “at one time, man depended on iron
and wooden gong, the town crier for the exchange, transmission and
dissemination of information and vital news,” but after the second world war, a
great leap was made from this tasking mode of information dissemination to a
more advanced, mechanized method of transmitting message or news.
Broadcasting came
to Nigeria in stages, one of which was the introduction of wired broadcasting
more popularly known as radio distribution or re-diffusion in 1939 by the
colonial government of British Broadcast Co-operation (BBC) to redistribute its
programme by means of wires connected to loudspeakers installed in various
homes of subscribers, Ukonu (2008). It was developed in the United Kingdom (UK)
in the 1920’s and exported to their colonies. However, its introduction to
Nigeria was on the initiative of the engineers of the post of telegraph
department in Lagos who had been involved in monitoring the transmission of the
BBC on short wave, Ukonu (2008). Since then, the Nigerian mass media industry
has witnessed a phenomenal growth since the establishment of Nigeria
Broadcasting Service in 1957 and the country’s first television station, set up
by the then government of the former western region in 1959, (Daramola, 2003). He
explained further that the establishment of western Nigerian Broadcasting
Service combined Radio and African first Television service triggered a race by
the other two regions to setup theirs. The information and Communication as a
loose term in describing ways in which people, machines and communication
system can work together to make jobs quicker, more efficient and more accurate,
(Mbam: 2002).
Siegfried Mandel
(1962) stated that the world crossed into “information superhighway”, and it is
this information superhighway that has tremendously changed the role of
communication and information dissemination in the society. Today, with the
help of great innovation and scientific inventions, mass communication has been
revolutionized with the help of Information and Communication Technologies
(ICTs), (Mbam: 2002). Now we talk about satellite transmission and
communication, computer communication, digital broadcasting system, computer,
internet information and Communication, digital cellular phones (like GSM),
fibre optics, microwave technologies, radio visual systems, robots enterprise
software among others.
When Marshal
McLuhan talked about the global village many years ago, people at that time
thought he was a joker. The new communication technologies have made people
become increasingly involved in one another’s life. As Baran, (2009) observes,
technologies is not itself a medium but a social force that brings changes to
the media world. Therefore, communication is any artifacts manipulated by man
to aid him communicate interpersonally or massively, Baran (2009).
The impact of the
information and communication technology on media industry has improved as information
can reach people around the world within seconds, for instance, digital
technology has placed us at a point of a new significant way of development in
the history of human communication often called “the Information society” and
has transformed the way many men and women work in the media industry, Baran,
(2009). Also, information can be sent all around the world within seconds with
the new technologies, and news can reach people when it happens.
Information and
Communication Technologies have made it possible for dissemination of
information evenly and to a wide range of audience especially with the advent
of GSM in Nigeria, both the literate, illiterate, urban and rural dwellers
alike are kept abreast of vital issues, thereby closing up communication gap or
information, (Mbam: 2002). Therefore, in realization of this view, it interests
the researchers to assess the application of Information and Communication
Technologies in the Globe FM Bauchi Broadcasting Service (GFMB) station and
Bauchi Radio Corporation (BRC).
1.2.
Statement of the Research Problem.
The new
information and communication technologies have been acknowledged by some scholars
as the threshold of globalizing the world. Information Technology acts as a
great facilitator in globalizing, uniting the disintegrated world and enabling
people to gain access to knowledge and services, Baran, (2009). There is no
doubt that the world is becoming homogenous and differences between people are
distinguishing. So, there is need for the Nigeria media to live up to the
challenges.
There are many
opinions that Globe FM Bauchi and Bauchi Radio Corporation station cannot
compete well with the rest of its counterparts in Nigeria because of so many
teething problems such as lack of facilities, obsolete equipment, inadequate
training, poor finance and government interference. As a result, this research
will investigate these assertions to ascertain the truth of the matter.
Moreover, it will go further to find out whether the application of information
and communication technologies has impacted on or enhanced the operation of Broadcast
media organizations in Nigeria with respect to Globe FM and Bauchi Radio
Corporation.
1.3. Objectives of Study
1.
To ascertain the level of application of
ICTs in FRCNBauchi and BRC Bauchi.
2. To
identify the factors responsible for that level of ICTs application in FRCN and
BRC Bauchi.
3. To
assess the implication of the present level of ICTs application in FRCN and BRC
Bauchi.
4. To
recommend ways of improving the adoption and enhanced application of ICTs in
FRCN and BRC Bauchi
1.4
Research Questions
1.
What is the level of application of ICTs
in FRCN and BRC Bauchi?
2.
What are the factors responsible for FRCN
and BRC Bauchi level of ICTs application?
3.
What is the implication of the present
level of ICTs application on FRCN and BRC Bauchi?
4.
What practical measures could be taken to
enhance the application of ICTs in FRCN and BRC Bauchi?
1.5
Significance of the Study
The findings of this study will be of
benefit to media outfits that adopt and make use of ICT in their operations. It is hoped that the findings of this work will
not only add to the knowledge in the area of human communication system, but
also provoke further research in this very interesting area of ICT. The study will
also solve the riddle of how far the technological knowhow has improved the
power of communication in Bauchi and Nigeria at large. The research work would
also serve as a source of reference for media practitioner as it will help
improve the standards of media house through new communication technology. The
study will also be of benefits for scholars as it is a material for academic
exercise. Also, to the information technologists by providing better ways of
broadcasting through the available new media and to the researcher of mass
communication as it will serve as reference material for them.
1.6
Scope of the Study
The scope of this study is limited to
Bauchi city in Bauchi state. The coverage is also limited to Federal Radio
Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) Bauchi and Bauchi Radio Corporation (BRC) Bauchi.
The study respondents are staffs of both radio stations and not other radio
stations in the country.
1.7 Operational Definitions
of Terms
New Media as
used in the study is defined as any
tools comprising online applications primarily developed to foster
user-centered social interaction
Media Technologies: as
used in the study refers to any special device or medium that helps in the
procession, distribution, storage, display and reception of information.
Broadcast: as
used in the study means is the act
of sending out radio and television signals over a distance, to a large
heterogeneous audience by means of airwaves.
Broadcast Media: as
used in the study are electronic media or channel that uses the airwaves to
transmit to a large and diverse audience.
Information
and Communication Technology (ICT): as used in the study
refers to forms of technology that are used to transmit, store, create, share
or exchange information.
Media
convergence: as used in the study is the merging of mass communication outlets –
print, television, radio, the Internet along with portable and interactive
technologies through various digital media platforms
Radio:
as used in the study is the
transmission and reception of electromagnetic waves of radio frequency,
especially those carrying sound messages.
Globalization: as
used in the study is the process by
which people of the world are unified into a single society through
communication.
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