CABLE TELEVISION SERVICES AND CULTURAL IMPERIALISM:
A STUDY OF VIEWERSHIP PATTERNS IN PORT HARCOURT
ABSTRACT
This survey seeks to examine the influex of foreign opinions into our society via cable television, the imperialistic implications or cultural invasion arising there from.
The topic: cable television and cultural imperialism a study of viewership pattern in Port Harcourt is the therefore aimed at drawing the attention of National Broadcasting commission NBC among others to ensure compliance of 40% local programme content by cable forms and broadcast media.
This may chocksPeres of cultural invasion as contained in Decree 38 of 1992 which governs establishment of NBC.
The research used a survey method and divided Port Harcourt into zones and they are.
| ZONES
A |
COMPOSITION OF ZONES Port Harcourt township | ACTUAL VIEWING CENTERS information center, Niger street, |
|
B |
Diobu | UST viewing center |
| C | Old GRA | NUJ press center |
| D | Rumuokuta/Uzuoba/Rumuodamaya | Rumoukuta/chopa Road, PIN PLACE |
| E | T/Amadi/Rumuomasi | Pigot Restaurant |
The study has a simple size of 250 respondents but questionnaires were distributed to 300.
While the study reveals that there exist a clustered (mixture) of viewer ship pattern, it also shows that:
- Many people now have cable TV in their houses compound, offices or viewing centers.
- Many prefer listening to news/talk show, watch fashion, comedy, sports(football) on cable to local TV.
- Agree to imbibe actions and Portrays on cable TV
- Accept that America/Europe is better than Africa/Nigeria.
Calls for check by NBC by ensuring 40% local programme content.
TABLE OF CONTENT
COVER PAGE I
TITLE PAGE II
APPROVAL PAGE III
DEDICATION IV
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT V
ABSTRACT VI
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION –BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY 1
STATEMENT OF THE RESEARCH PROBLEM 9
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY 10
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY 11
RESEARCH QUESTION 12
RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS 12
CONCEPTUAL AND OPERATIONAL DEFINITION 13
ASSUMPTIONS 14
LIMITATION OF THE STUDY 16
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF LITERATURE 17
SOURCES OF LITERATURE 17
THE REVIEW 17
SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW 22
CHAPTER THREE
METHODOLOGY 25
RESEARCH METHOD 25
RESEARCH DESIGN 26
RESEARCH SAMPLE 26
DATA COLLECTION 27
DATA ANALYSIS 29
EXPECTED RESULTS 30
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA ANALYSIS AND RESULTS 31
DATA ANALYSIS 33
DISCUSSION 49
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FURTHER STUDIES
SUMMARY 51
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FURTHER STUDIES 51
BIBLIOGRAPHY 58
APPENDIXES (QUESTIONNAIRE) 60
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
- BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Cable television and culture as well as imperialism mean marry things to different people.
However, this research project may be likened to what the watch tower magazine of April 15, 1988 call “when children have children” while writing on teenage pregnancy.
What this means by implication is that among the traditional press system in which newspapers, books, magazines, television and radio belong, television is the youngest.
Despite its age, television has given birth to yet another broadcast VIRU-the cable television services.
Ordinarily, television has an added advantage over radio by combining sound (audio) with video (visuals) to give impact.
This gives birth to one since arithmetic statement which could be stated as: sound plus visuals equal IMPACT ie stv=1
Above all, broadcasting whether radio or television enyoys messges through electro-magnetic wave to a leferogneous audience and simultaneously (ie at the same time too)
Cable television itself carries an additional benefit in that it relays or transmits distant signals via communication satellite.
The signal are being down-linked by a microwave transmitter via dishes, basket net and cable to a receiver, in this case TV set.
The end-result being a quality distant signals or programmes requiring, as usual little or no LITERACY to assimilate its content. Consequently, because these quality signals are alien and designed and created according to the psychographic and demographics of a far away producing countries, the by-product has been devastating such that calls for a check.
It is at this point that cultural imperialism sets in. it is however pertinent to accentuate that from the cradle, it was not originally slated or invented as imperialistic medium.
The imperialistic role is ONLY a rediscovered one. Cable television is a calculated technological device at clear reception of distant signals.
What gave birth to this scenerio was that dwellers in large cities where TV stations were established enjoyed a good reception while viewers living far away did not.
All they received were blured, distorted signals or visuals, placement of additional wire or cables on the roof tops in an attempt to get interference free pictures.
For instance, the signals of RSTV in Edo state may not be as clear as in Port Harcourt.
In the late 1940(s) a positive breakthrough was made by getting a clear interference- free TV signals from distant stations How?
A large antenna was placed on hill top high above the average terrain from which the distant signals would be carried by wire known as cable directly into home TV receivers.
This automatically marked the advent of cable TV development otherwise known as community antenna TV –(ATV
Dwellers would pay per view and thus marked the birth of SUBSCRIPTION.
Understandably, it was therefore imperative that to receive TV signals and wide CHANNELS was link unto the local cable system.
RIVERS STATE EXPERIENCE;
While, the first television signal in Nigeria was sent from a transmitter sited at MAPO HALL Ibadan, Nigeria in 1959, it was also the first in the continent of Africa.
Alhaji Bawa Garuba, ABG, started the cable TV satellite Industry in Kaduna in 1984.
Bawa Garuba who came to Rivers state in 1991 incidentally became the first person or company also in Rivers state.
Its primary role was to down-link satellite television signals for transmission.
The signals include cable News Network-CNN, canal france International (EFI), Eurosport, ASPEN and channel zero internallia.
Thus ABG now CTL is the pioneer name in cable TV business in River state.
Satnet now Ultima came in 1993, multi-choice in in 19914 and so awas Disc engineering.
It was common knowledge that signals at inception of cable TV in the state were OPEN giving room to faking, piracy and operated by quacks.
More so, the real firm ABG involved did not generate enough revenue when compared to a made of satellite antennas scattered over roof-tops in the state.
To control, signals and make enough money, signals were controlled, giving birth to the adoption of DECODER.
A decoder is a mechanism or device that controls and stablizes channels so that clients with if enjoy stable, select channels as well as interpreted signals.
This study reveals that until today, one can still get signal by were erection of pole with basket net but distortion is men table except with decoder.
This faking provides persons for the sparodic proliferation of cable TV even at unexpected places.
But private individuals and corporate consumers can enjoy the alt interesting benefit of cable service the cable satellite TV representative or agent itself eg CTL has to install basic technological facilities to enable transmission to take place.
Such major operational facilities include a microwave transmitter which is necessary before transmission can take place.
Some other basic but minor facilities required at the consumer end include:
A Basket net/reflection. It is a mini dish comprising a micro-processor, adaptor and modulator.
- Dish: a basin-like curature that fathers or concentrates signal at a point for redistribution.
It is mostly found with corporate consumer wishing to redistribute signals to different points, (e.g offices) under one umbrella.
- co-axial cable: which carries signals to home receiver-TV sets.
Culture deals with the way of life of a people by way of the food they eat, manner of dressing, language, songs dancers and technology.
Against this backdrop, different governments of the world have found TV (and radio) as a veritable medium to effect the way of life otherwise called culture.
They act out, television people who are taking part in different events, talking eating, dancing as well as engaging in learning, discoveries and even taking part in WAR. If these are done, then culture is at play.
Imperialism is simply a policy or practice of extending power or dominion of one nation by direct territorial acquisition or by INDIRECT control over the political, cultural, social and economic lives of others.
Portrayals on cable television have beamed Africa in bad light and Europe better such that today, Nigerians prefer hoisting American flags to Nigeria.
They prefer English language in village meeting to native dialects.
Why? We have been taught that Africa’s past is darkness and darkness cannot be a subject for historical investigation- 1963 professor Trevo-Roper.
Cable television, diplomacy colonialism, neo-colonialism and imperialism have been carefully employed by first and second world to the detriment of the third world
1.1 STATEMENT OF THE RESEARCH PROBLEMS
It has been observed that the rich cultural heritage of Africa, particularly Nigeria ahs been eroded destroyed and replaced by the western culture through the influx of western TV signals and worthy of note is the cable TV syndrome.
This observation has caused many to question the content and quality of their signals visa vis the benefit derived therefrom.
For instance, the National Broadcasting Commission NBC has insited and requested cable satellite firms to ensure the telecast of 40% of local programme content as a regulatory rules against the assimilation of foreign opinions.
Hence, the call for research in this direction to x-ray the assest and liability or lost and benefit, of cable TV system.
This study seeks to re cognize and attaches premium to any previous study in this regard and contribute a research based approach.
It calls for check and proscription if need be of cable television business as well as recognizing problems militating against effective performance of our local television industry 40 years of TV broadcasting and 15 years of cable TV satellite system.
- OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
It includes the under-listed
- To discover or find out whether the population within a framework of study are actually exposed to the mention signals.
- To identify the rationale behind the ever increasing interest in and dependence on foreign signals.
- To attempt to find out types and quality of programmes that attract attention.
- To seek to identify the common behavioural patterns imbibed following exposure to cable television.
1.3 SIGNIFICANE OF THE RESEARCH
The research project is relevant particularly when viewed against the backdrop of cultural implication of over assimilation of foreign opinions through cable satellite services.
It attempts to examine the erosion of rich cultural heritage of Africa, Nigeria and Rivers state in specific using the viewership patterns in Port Harcourt.
It calls for a renewed re-awakening or our regulatory bodies such as the National Broadcasting Commission, NBC to re-assess and control the content of broadcast programmes on channels receive by cable TV firms.
There is no doubt that this study would accentuate the need for the electronic organs to select and disseminate information that is an congruence with our culture.
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
This project makes concrete effort to prefer solution to the following questions:
- What programmes or event appeals to users of cable? What is the level at which viewers watch cable TV daily, weekly or yearly.
- Do the people (population) understudy actually adopt the characters portrayed?
- What in specific terms would you like to emulate or imbibe from music, news, fashion, talks, shows and sports.
- RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS
H1 cable television services has helped in projecting cultural imperialism
H0 cable television services has not helped in projecting cultural imperialism
H1 cable television is a significant factor in cultural imperialism.
H0 cable television is not a significant factor in cultural imperialism
- CONCEPTUAL AND OPERATIONAL DEFINITION
PSYCHOGRAPHIC: Thinking of value system of a people toward a particular people or thing.
DEMOGRAPHICS: Of population ages and sex of the involved in a particular pattern
BEHAVIOUR: An activity, or quality measured over a given period of time
TELEVISION: A terminal or home receiver providing and audio-visual communication
CABLE: A particular type of wire sending signals to a receiver
SMIULTANEOUS: Happening at the same time
BROADCASTING: As in radio and television where message sent through electro-magnetic wave
VIRUS: The speed or manner in which radio and TV spread messages as though they were virus
ANTENNA: Coverts electric currents into electro magnetic wave
DISH: A basin-like device that helps to receiver concentrates widespread signals
- ASSUMPTIONS
The press is recognized the world over as having the power to influence and shape the society.
The power or function is exhibited in the news function, music, advert and other literary roles.
Book publishing, newspapering, radio and television broadcasting are both business concern and cultural activities of a people be they Americans or Europeans.
The press has therefore been adopted by a race and government to project an idea, shape culture and render didatic functions.
Several scholars, school of though and theoretical frame work had long ago been expressed or, noted about the press covering newspapers, books, journals, cinemia, radio, television and cable TV itself.
These include modeling theory; Adopting behaviour, meaning construction theory, stereotype theory, modernization effect of the media inter-allia.
However, this research project seeks to bring bear on the modeling theory: adopting behaviour.
In it, thelvin Defeor and Everethe Dennis 1996 note” since drama and other kinds of portrayals commonly found in the movies or on television show many aspect of human life, the provide a rich source of depiction of behaviour that can be initiated by members of their audience.
They also went further to say that the word model can apply either to the person who portrays an action or to the depicted action itself.
In addition, Albert Bandura a psychologist said the term modeling theory has come into use to indicate the application of more general social learning to the case where people acquire behaviour patterns that they find modeled in the media.
- LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
One basic problem observed in carrying out the project is the issue of electricity concentration in city centres. As a result, I have chosen Port Harcourt the only major city of the state and also seat of government.
In doing this Port Harcourt is assumed to be a reflection of the indigenes and business community where cable television service is predominant.
Other constraints include time frame and shortage of fund which affected me I also limited myself to viewing centres and not individual premises where cable TV are owned for convenience.
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