AUDIENCE PERCEPTION OF NTA UYO NEWS PRESENTATION – SURVEY OF UYO L.G.A

AUDIENCE PERCEPTION OF NTA UYO NEWS PRESENTATION – SURVEY  OF UYO L.G.A

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1       Background of the study

Media audiences are no doubt the major factor which determines the media content. This is because they are by the day becoming increasingly powerful; giving their critical manner with which they consume meditated messages. One can make gold to say that it is only a mass medium which is heading for an extinction that can afford to ignoreaudience views, opinions, attitudes towards message consumption.

Over the years, perceptual effective studies have shown that there is a close relationship between viewers perception of any given media content and their level of acceptance or consumption of such programmes. This is to say that the extent to which a media programme or news will be popular or unpopular with an audience group is directly dependent on the subjective understanding the group have of the programme idea, philosophy, knowing, or its general packaging. Television programme are not exceptive here. Infact, because of the ubiquitous nature of the TV medium, television programme are most exposed to serious audience critiquing (Sandman, 1996, p.229).

In conceptualizing television as a medium, the BBC English dictionary refers to it as “all the programmes that are broadcast and that you can societies story given clearly pictures of what exists, what is important, what is related to what and what is might”. Its capacity to pose on knowledge in a high effortless manner is one of the high points to television, (Cecil 1998, p. 4). TV sound and sight combination ability endears it to its viewers (Ebong, 1999).

Television, as a medium of mass communication, has not only affected lives drastically, but has come to stay.

Once exposure to television tends to make one violent prone. Movies, drama, soap opera, advertisements, etc. portray violence in addition to its other negative themes like aggressiveness, crime murder affluence and materialism indifference to social justice and lawlessness.

But television news, as shown by research, portray little or no violence and other negative themes, rather it has the positivity conscientizing the audience to imbibe accepted social values and contributed positively to national development.

Since mass communication is such a vital link in the coverage of news broadcast, this study will focus on how news broadcast in English language is perceived by Uyo residents.

There are about seventy six television stations in Nigeria of which the government own of various levels about sixty two and the private investors own fourteen. Among the government own television stations is the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) which was inaugurated in 1977.

In line with Federal Government policy to establish NTA stations in all the state capitals, NTA channel 12 Uyo was established in 1987, and the station broadcast among its programmes, news.

It is important to know that NTA Uyo also broadcast news in Ibibio, which is the major language used by Akwa Ibom people.

 

1.2       Statement of the Problem

Every 6 am and 7 pm respectively, each day, NTA Uyo broadcast News. There is so probably because English Language is generally acceptable language and is understood by the generality of the people.

The action may seem good to the station hence it’s practice but does it meet the general acceptance of Uyo residents whose backgrounds vary?

This study then seeks to find out the perception of Uyo residents of NTA Uyo News broadcast.

 

1.3       Objectives of the Study

            The following are the objectives of the study.

  • To find out if Uyo residents watch NTA Uyo News.
  • To find out the frequency of Uyo resident exposure in NTA Uyo News.
  • To determine the more convenient time Uyo resident watch NTA Uyo News broadcast.
  • To find out the level of motivation of Uyo residents over NTA Uyo news broadcast.

 

1.4       Research Questions

  1. Do Uyo residents view or watch NTA Uyo News?
  2. How frequent do Uyo residents listen to NTA Uyo News?
  3. What time is the most convenient for audience of Uyo to watch NTA Uyo News?
  4. What is the level of motivation of audience of Uyo over NTA Uyo news?

 

1.5       Significance of the Study

The mass media perform much function in the society. However, difference individual have difference views about these functions and performance. There are no doubt that NTA news reports are usually designed to be educative as well as informative but how these objectives are attained is the main thrust of this study. The study is significance for the following reasons.

This study should help to focus the minds of audience in Uyo on all information NTA Uyo news report in English Language and as well as lead to carefully balance news report presentation.

The study will also contribute to knowledge in the sense that first hand information will be given on the perception of NTA Uyo news by the audience of Uyo. Finally, this research work will serve as a document and future reference material for researchers on the subject.

 

1.6       Limitations of the Study

The scope of the study was necessitated by inadequate financial resources for an extensive work. Beside, the time factor was very crucial at the period of this academic work and did not allow a wider opportunity to cover beyond these boundaries. The drawback did not in any way affect the findings of the study or any generalization about the exposure of audience in Uyo.

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