AN EVALUATION OF LISTENERS RATING OF AKBC RADIO PROGRAMME “STUDENT’S PARLIAMENT” (A STUDY OF UYO CITY POLYTECHNIC)

AN EVALUATION OF LISTENERS RATING OF AKBC RADIO PROGRAMME “STUDENT’S PARLIAMENT” (A STUDY OF UYO CITY POLYTECHNIC)

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

• Background of the Study

Programmes are the product of broadcast stations. It is what they offer to the public or the people they serve. It is the product they “sell” to the people. And the acceptability of a station or the respect it commands depends on public perception and rating of the programmes. The most important aspect of programming is the understanding the audience, especially what appeals to them.

Basically, they want to be entertained and informed (Ferguson and Eastman 2009:6) there are different type of programmes produced and aired for the people by the broadcast media. Akwa Ibom Broadcasting Corporation (AKBC) Radio Uyo provides a good example of a network. Presently AKBC Radio station is owned by Akwa Ibom State Government and situated at 85 Udo Udoma Avenue, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. AKBC radio station is not to generate independent programmes but to ensure wider reach of network programmes. Therefore the functions of radio go beyond information, education and entertainment it is equally used for shaping and influencing the behaviour and opinion of people as well as serve as a business in itself. It is also used for achieving laid down national objectives like integrating all part of our communities and the transmission of the second heritage from one generation to other. For radio to be able to achieve these objectives, it must fulfill the needs, urges and desires of its target audience.

Furthermore, radio is being used in the society as an important tool by which a nation’s identity, characteristics, image, culture, aspirations and developmental needs are being protected on the popular minds of people within the nation, across the nation and throughout the world. In essence, the issue of selectivity and individual differences should be considered in any radio production because radio as the fastest means of communication is said to have varying levels of impact children youth and elderly. Thus, this serves a guide to radio producers in designing programmes for audience comprising children, youth and elderly. It helps them to be sensitive in the selection of the program contents and matching them with their set objectives. In view of this, it is necessary to evaluate the program “Students’ Parliament” on AKBC radio Uyo from time to tie so as to be able to measure how audience set objectives have been realized.

In Nigeria, seminar and workshops are continually held, aimed at improving the quality of produced programmes. Yet “student’s parliament” radio programming has not received adequate attention in this country like the western countries especially the United States of America. Another factor to be considered include age range, interests of the audience especially the youths spend much time doing other things. Audience from various ethnic backgrounds needs educative and positive exposure, balanced physical environment. Meanwhile audience information acquisitions are derived from so many sources VIZ, through what they see, hear, read from parents, family, friends, churches, club meetings and from peers. They also acquire information from radio as they society relies on the radio medium to help socialize, inform and educate them because of its obvious advantage of audio literary. Radio has the ability to capture and to sustain audience interest and attention for a reasonable period. It also influences their attitude, beliefs, speech mannerism, etc. the program “students’ parliament” aired by the AKBC radio Uyo is educational cum entertaining designed to influence the listening audience positively in character and habit formation. It is therefore necessary to find out how audience reacts to “students’ parliament” if it appeals to them or not. The focus of the study therefore is to determine the level of appreciation of “ students parliament” with regards to the artistic elements of time of broadcast, content and duration of program on air. To determine if they are properly coordinated as to make the target audience perceive the depth and feel the significance of the program.