History of Broadcasting in Nigeria
The relay of the British empire service broadcast from Daventry, England by Lagos in 1932, marked the inception of Broadcasting in Nigeria. In 1936, the first Radio distribution service (RDS) ; Rediffusion was opened in Lagos. The Radio service distributed British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC London) programmes.
The Federal Government established the Nigeria
Broadcasting Service (NBS) On April 1, 1951. In 1952, the existing Radio Distribution Service formed the foundation of the new NBS, with its headquarters in Lagos. A motion was introduced in the parliament on August 23, 1954 calling for the establishment of a corporation to take over activities of the Nigeria Broadcasting Service due to the spate of criticism from the press and the public that NBS was a government mouthpiece.
After about two years of debates, the Nigeria Broadcasting Service (NBS) was converted into Nigeria Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) on April 1, 1957 by the 1956 Act of parliament.
The corporation was supposed to be built on the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) traditions of autonomy and Impartiality. The Law made NBC an independent statutory corporation but it was not allowed to function independently without government interference. its major function are namely:
* provision of services of uniting the nation and uplifting the people by giving adequate expression to the culture, current affairs and opinions of the people of each region.
* Engaging in unbiased presentation of ministerial speeches from various political parties that seek to illuminate the views and policies of various political parties.
* Provision of educative programme to the myriad of masses.
Apart from the Lagos headquarters, the NBC also had three regional headquarters or stations it had a federal as well as regional board.
The establishment of f NBC regional radio stations was supposed to give the region a voice but a regions were of contrary opinion that NBC did not satisfy their aspirations and yearning. therefore in May 1960, the former Western Region established its own Radio Station, having set up the first TV in the whole Africa earlier in 1959.
The Former Eastern Region followed suit it's Radio and TV signals went on air on October 1, 1960. In 1962, the northern region started its own Broadcasting Services on August 28 ,1961. A bill was passed which gave Federal Government complete control over the Nigeria Broadcasting Corporation. consequently, the Federal Government took over NBC completely.
In the First Republic, Radio Stations were also part of the political Intrigues of the republic. just as the Newspaper went Regional, the Radio Stations also went Regional supporting the Government in power in their region of operation.
They became the traditional organ or mouthpiece of the regional government.
In May 1978, the Federal military government, under the leadership of General Olusegun Obasanjo, re-organised the NBC with a new name Federal Radio Corporation Of Nigeria (FRCN) and four zonal offices were created in Lagos, Ibadan, Kaduna and Enugu; they are all in existence today.
The decree that set up FRCN forbid the Federal Government from establishing radio stations outside the four national Stations.
it also stipulates that states owned Radio station transmitter should not above 10 kilowatts.
However, booty the Federal and state government violated these provision during second republic. The Federal Government on it's part set up many radio stations outside the four national Stations while some state government acquired powerful transmitter, which signal "could be picked up at a distance of 800 kilometers."
In addition, some state government established " multiple Radio stations, especially FM stereo stations.
The Babaginda Administration reverted Radio Broadcasting to the
1978 FRCN decree structure. All FRCN Stations apart from the four national Stations and Abuja were shut down. The Administration (August 27, 1993) effected major restructuring of the FRCN zonal set up.
The Administration also promulgated the Next Broadcasting Commission Decree 3 of 1992, which gives room for private ownership of the broadcast media. Before then, Ownership of the Broadcasting media was limited to Federal and state governments. The Decree established the National Broadcasting Commission. the commission was charged with the responsibility of regulating and controlling Broadcasting in nigeria.it Also issues licence to broadcast stations in the country.
By 1993, the first set of private broadcast stations was lincensed. In 1994, Raypower 100.5 FM started Broadcasting as the first private Radio Station in Nigeria. As at today, there are raft of radio in the country.
The performance of these private Broadcasting houses has been a bag of mixed blessings for Nigeria and Nigerians.
Gone are those days of FRCN and state- owned station aired boring and unexciting programmes.
However, the private Stations have been accused of relying heavily "on the mostly foreign music for the retention of the covered audience" to the neglect and detriment of local programmes, though their are some that promote indigenous culture and heritage.
Now that we are in technology era, Nigeria Radio Stations too are also making the presence felt on the internet. Eko FM blazed the trail in online Broadcasting in the country.
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