CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the study

Technological advancement in communication technologies has continued to eulogize

television as a powerful medium of mass communication. Interestingly television

programme span around the circuits of human endeavour including politics culture and

education.

Udeajah (2004 p.7) affirm this when he notes that:

We all know in truth broadcasting has become an indispensable form

for the practice of politics and governance in all modern nation states.

The reasons are quite simple. No other medium can deliver as large

and instantaneous an audience to the politicians or government as

broadcasting can. It is also the belief all over the world that

broadcasting is an eminently persuasive medium; omnipresent in

people‟s homes working places even in transit. It is akin to a second

skin through which most people stay in touch with their immediate

environment and the world at large.

It is therefore in recognition of this that the federal government in 1992 deregulates

the broadcasting industry. What hitherto was the exclusive of the government become open

for all Nigerians; this marked a turning point in the history of television broadcasting in

Nigeria.

The first television station in Nigeria was (WNTV) in 1959 this was followed by the

Eastern Nigerian Broadcasting Service in 1960 and the Broadcasting Corporation of Northern

Nigeria (BCNN) and then to the era of deregulation.

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Supposedly private television stations emerged. They includes: African Independent

Television (AIT) MINAJSystem Station Obosi Silver bird Communications Unity TV

Communication Chrone TV Choffaan Communication etc.

Commending the federal government DecreeN0. 38 of 1992 on the deregulation

broadcasting sector Okenwa (2000 p.53) stated thus:

The year 1992 marked a critical turning point in the development of

the broadcast media Nigeria. It came with policies that were to

revolutionalize the media industry through allowing private

participation in ownership of the electronic media.

The deregulation of broadcasting in Nigeria widened the scope of programming

performance scheduling as well as scope of competition in the sector. Both old and new

television stations began to compete with each other so as to remain in the business and make

profit.

Duru and Okafor (2003 p.136) supported this statement thus:

The advertiser perceives the broadcast deregulation because the

resultant effects of their advert messages in audience are encouraging.

Similarly research shows that privatization has resulted in more job

mobility creativity challenge and healthy competition which make for

the exploitation of hidden creative talents.

Indeed private participation in the ownership and operation of television stations

increased qualitative competition. This has resulted in the packaging of quality programmes

for audience viewership. Such competition has arguably spurred government television

stations out of their seeming compliancy. They have now risen up to the occasion in order to

sustain themselves in businesses in line with the capitalist orientation of our economy.

It is surprising therefore that station like Anambra Broadcasting Service (ABS).

Enugu State Broadcasting Service (ESBS) and Broadcasting Corporation of Abia State

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(BCA) have continued to package local and foreign programmes for the viewership of the

target audience.

Interestingly too most of these foreign television programmes are specifically

packaged and transmitted for the viewership of Nigerian students. This implies that there is

something about education which such foreign television programmes intend to impact on the

psyche of the Nigerian student it is assumed there must be a corollary between such foreign

programmes and the social behaviours of the students.

These foreign films are specifically aired to impact some measures of social tenets on the

behaviours of the students. They are not transmitted for the purpose of transmission but to

influence the social behaviour of these students. The problem therefore is whether students

actually expose themselves to the viewership of such programmes and if they do is the

exposure minimal or maximal and to what extent such foreign television programs impact on

their social behaviours.

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1.2 Statement of the problem

There is no doubt that foreign film such as „‟Second Chance‟‟ has offered a lot of

meaning and purpose to the social lives of Nigerian students. Some students see them as a

way to shake up and release tensions. Some others value their entertainment functions and

some see them as away to keep in touch with the so called latest fashion trend.

Whichever way the youths perceive foreign films is an indication of their bias against local

movies. Such bias is an indication of their disorientation to cultural orientation and values. It

is generally assumed in many quarters that there are gross violations of moral issues in most

of these foreign films.

The question this research seeks to answer therefore is: what is the influence of „‟ Second

Chance‟‟ a popularly broadcast foreign film on the social behaviour of the undergraduate

students of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka.

1.3 Research objectives

The study had the following objectives:

1. To find out if the students of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka are aware of the

foreign film „‟Second Chance‟‟.

2. To find out how often the students of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka watch

“Second Chance”.

3. To find out at which extent the students of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka prefer

watching Second Chance to local films.

4. To find out the reasons they watch Second Chance.

5. To determine if the film has any influence on their social lives.

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1.4 Research questions

This research effort will centre on the following research question.

1. Are the students of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka aware of the foreign film „‟

Second Chance‟‟?

2. How often do the students of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka watch “Second

Chance”?

3. To what extent do the students of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka prefer watching

“Second Chance” to local films?

4. What are the reasons why UNIZIK students watch Second Chance?

5. Does Second Chance film have any influence on the social lives of Nnamdi Azikiwe

student?

1.5 Scope of the study

This study is delimited to regular students of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka. The

researcher shall however study subset of student‟s population. Hence final year students of

English and Literature department faculty of Art and final year students of Mass

Communication department and Sociology department faculty of Social Sciences and final

year students of Educational Psychology and Educational Foundation faculty of Education

would be studied for the purpose of this study.

The researcher‟s choice of the above departments derives from the relationship

between television foreign programmes contents and their courses. They are therefore in a

better position to provide relevant/correct answers to the questions raised in the

questionnaire.

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The researcher would therefore study SECOND CHANCE foreign television programme

transmitted every Monday and Friday by 10:pm by ABSTV. On the selected students from

these departments for the purpose of the study.

1.6 Significance of the study

This is significance in the following ways:

1. It would help ABSTV Awka in particular and other television stations in general to

note if Nnamdi Azikiwe University students are aware of the film“Second Chance”.

2. It will enable such TV station to note how often Nnamdi Azikiwe University students

Awka watch “Second Chance”.

3. It will enable such TV station to check if UNIZIK students prefer “Second Chance to

local films.

4. It will help the TV station to find out the reason UNIZIK student watch Second

Chance.

5. It will help to determine if the film has any influence on their lives.

1.7 Limitation of study

The study of Second Chance TV foreign programme could limit the generalizability of

this work. Moreover the researcher experienced initial apathy on the part of the students. It

however took consistent persuasion by the researcher to gain the respondents interest and

participation as evidence in the high return rate of distributed questionnaire.

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1.8 Assumptions

During the course of this study the following assumptions will be made:

1. My respondents are undergraduate students of Nnamdi Azikiwe University. Awka.

2. My respondents have access to “Second Chance”; Foreign TV programme.

3. There has been an increasing influence of second chance on the social behaviour of

these students.

1.9 Operational definition of terms

1. Influence: The effect of programme content on the audience.

2. Programme: The arrangement and packaging of message content to an identified

mass audience group. Or list of programme which a particular broadcast station

(ABSTV) offers daily.

3. Television: This is an electronic medium through which pictorial message are passed

or transmitted to the audience.

4. Second Chance: A foreign TV programme aired on ABSTV every Monday and

Friday at 10: pm.

5. Social Behaviour: Connected with activities in which people meet eaqch other for

pleasure.

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