AN ASSESSMENT OF AKBC RADIO HEALTH PROGRAMMES’ IMPACT ON UYO BUSINESS WOMEN PROJECT TOPIC

AN ASSESSMENT OF AKBC RADIO HEALTH PROGRAMMES’ IMPACT ON UYO BUSINESS WOMEN

INTRODUCTION

1.1    Background of the Study

Over the years radio has been adjudged to be the most effective medium of mass communication when it comes to reaching a large of audience at the same time. When compared to television, it has been the oldest medium with its history traced back to 1932 when its first operation was rooted “in England and relaying the British Empire service from Daventory, England”. Okunna (1999:71).

Because of its availability to all levels of individuals it is better capable of entertaining, informing, educating and influencing the thought and habits of millions of listeners. This is why Okunna (1999:68) said “radio is portable and transistor radio is widely owned all over the third word even in remote rural areas. In most developing countries, radio is by far the most widely used medium”.

The radio is an important agent of opinion formation and change and is widely acknowledged as a powerful medium to reach audience in the remotest sections of the society.  Among contemporary media, the radio has presented man with opportunity to keep abreast with information at less cost. It does not required electricity to function and is affordable to everybody.

To prove the important of radio, Okigbo (1990:57) said “the attraction radio has for rural dwellers is derived from its cheap price and cost of operation. Again, the (radio sets) are portable and can be used by both the educated and illiterate”. The radio is an important and powerful force in today’s world and enlarges experiences from the circumcised to the infinite. It is a convenient alternative to news consumption even without electricity which is an indispensable factor to other media like the television. It plays a powerful and significant role in developing human society and can impart guidance to those utilizing it and benefit those that require it. Broadcast like other media programmes aims to entertain, educate and inform its target audience.

In addition to the general media functions, broadcast programmes like other media seek to influence audience behaviours, perceptions and in some cases, elicit some physical reaction from them. The radio as mass medium of development has been widely used in such areas as agriculture, literacy, health and political campaigns. However to practitioners, not every event is news worthy as those considered to be benefiting to the public is given much attention and the less beneficiary censored through the concept of gate-keeping. This power of gate keeping operates in all types of mass media and can be understood from what Hiebert and his colleagues have said about the gate keeper concept.

“All mass media have a large number of gate keepers. They perform a variety of functions. And play several roles. They can delete a message or they can modify a message. They can delete a message or they can modify a message .They can stop a message by refusing to open the gate. The broadcast standard department of a TV network can do this by simply refusing a proposed script. Local stations can also delete content or refuse to clear a network programme. All these gatekeeper decision affect the ability of an audience to receive specific media experiences, therefore, deleting or stopping a message is the gatekeepers most powerful role”.

In general, this concerns itself with roles played by AKBC Radio in creating awareness to business women health issues to reduce some health problem in Uyo Local Government Area. It is assumed that the media failed in carrying out their responsibility in enlightening business women more on the aspect of health.

Ndimele (1999:139) quoted Akpan (1987:3) states, “If we had no communication, our lives will be static, there will be no growth no transformation, would not be worth living without communication, human become impoverished, less strong something less human and we lose the ability to extend ourselves to change”. It is therefore pertinent the AKBC radio has a role to play in terms of adequate transmission of information on health issues, according to Oxford Learners Dictionary, “Health is the state of being free from illness”

1.1.1 Background of AKBC

AKBC came about as a result of creation of Akwa Ibom State in 1987. At creation of the state, one of the task before government of the new state was the establishment of the radio and television stations so as to give to it the channel of reaching out to the people.

According to Otu (2006:28) broadcasting was one of the ways of expressing and maintaining the new station and broadcasting the “Spokesman” and symbol of the new political identity. AKBC was established under edit No. 4 of 1998 by the military administrator Colonel Tunde Ogbieha.

The station was commissioned by former Head of State, General Ibrahim Babangida when he visited Akwa Ibom State in 1991. The case of radio was somewhat different. The new station operating on the frequency modulation (FM) Band was added to the existing Amplitude Modulation (AM) station.

1.2    Statement of the Problem

It is assumed that many of the health problems in our society can be reduced if business women will fully subscribe to government health programmes. Considering the role the media, especially the radio, play in enlightening and educating audience on importance of health issues, the question is: To what extent do health programmes impact on business women in Uyo?

1.3    Objectives of the Study

This study sought to achieve the following objectives were to:

1. find the nature of health programmes presented on AKBC Radio;