1.0 CHAPTER ONE

Introduction

1.1 background to the study

Many Nigerian universities and polytechnics across the nation have joined the effort to build institutional radio for their academic environment since the first campus radio station in Nigeria began broadcasting in 2002. The Since UNILAG 103.1 FM set the precedent, it has become customary for colleges and universities to submit applications for licences to own and run campus radio stations (Adesemoye & Acheme, 2021).

Campus radios are often found on the grounds of the host university, broadcasting signals and services to the immediate area. The studios are also created for the practical training of the host school's mass communication undergraduates.

In its initial form, campus radio was non-partisan and did not support any ideology other than that of the administration, which was to educate and instruct the students. In general, national governments licence and control campus radio stations, and these entities vary greatly from one nation to the next in terms of their qualities. Campus radio in Nigeria has grown from its modest beginnings to become a common practise where they now contend with other local radio stations surrounding.

Professor Ralph Akinfeleye, who teaches broadcasting at the University of Lagos, described the development of campus radio in Nigeria in one of his illustrious talks. From Nothing Broadcasting to Narrowcasting and Now Digital Broadcasting, Akinfeleye's presentation was given: The transformation of Campus Broadcasting in Nigeria' stated that "the origin of campus transmissions in Nigeria began in the 1970s but grew more strict in the 1980s (exactly 1980) while National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) was founded in 1992 after the Badagry National Conference on Communication Strategy - Powered by Prince Tony Momoh, the then the Minister of Information and Culture.

Other institutions, including but not limited to BUK, UNN, UNIMAID, LASU, and many others, joined the fight when it was launched by the UNILAG Initiative's mass communication department. He claimed that the narrowcasting era followed the nothing casting era. This time, the units of mass communication purchased mini box transmission, which they installed inside their media and communication buildings, including staff offices and lecture halls, with voice boxes made from small electrical connections to a studio-like arrangement. They were narrowcasting to themself. “Then came the era of digital broadcasting, in which most sections of mass communication today have digital studios from which they transmit in a professional manner. One of them, BUK 98.9FM, whose primary objective is to broadcast for innovation and growth, is the one we are commissioning today. The new era of digital broadcast on our campuses has benefited from it.

He claimed that Unilag Radio 103.1FM, the country's first university radio, was founded in 2004 despite receiving a broadcast licence from President Olusegun Obasanjo's government in 2002 (Mwantok & Aikulola, 2020).

Despite the fact that campus radio is popular worldwide and is run by numerous educational institutions in Nigeria, there are numerous difficulties the stations must overcome. Regarding the main difficulties faced by campus radio and television in Nigeria, Professor Akinfele pointed out that while it took Unilag 25 years to obtain a radio licence, other universities and polytechnics did not experience the same delay as a result of Unilag Radio's success..

The NCC waited two years to assign a frequency, which is why Unilag Radio didn't start broadcasting until 2004. Other difficulties, he stated, "include the issue of excessive regulation by NBC, the long delay before NBC gives authorization, which makes it look as if NBC is trying to be a "Media Trader" rather than a "Media Controller; not awarding permanent licences; huge cost of licencing fees (N1 million for campus radio), sustainable every five years with the same amount, lack of accessibility of broadcast spectrum in Lagos and so on.". The absence of adequate relationship management between the regulator NBC and campus radio stations is what they see campus radio stations to be competitors buying into their restricted advertising revenue in their locations.

For the practical instruction of students registered in media and mass communication areas at colleges and universities, campus radios are highly helpful in the school community. They are allowed to run campus radios thanks to NBC. Several regions of the country currently have Campus FM stations or Campus radio. Campus FM broadcasting is mostly used to broadcast educational, awareness, etc. programmes. Uni lag fm is seen as a platform that offers convenient access to school community and it environs.

Various courses are given when FM radio is being used. Additionally, it offers general information, keeps in touch with widely dispersed students of the institution, and provides the required assistance to close the contact gap between students and professors.. The main objective of setting up campus radios in educational institutions/universities is to provide students and the general public with spill-over benefits by providing them with awareness and general information. It is to this the study centers on impact of uni lag radio in school community

1.2 Statement Of The Problem

More than 40 college radio stations are currently active in Nigerian universities thanks to the growth of campus radio there. Even though none of these stations operate from the same campus, they all portray themselves as rivals to one another. Although this is a concern, there are numerous other public and private radio stations in the towns that are well-known and have a sizable following of listeners already.

Campus radio stations like Unilag FM have numerous difficulties and require high-caliber programming, qualified staff, and well-organized operations to draw substantial audiences. The primary and most important target audience for these campus radio stations is the students of these institutions. When they have a negative opinion of their local radio, they wouldn't be proud to promote the station at their institution. Therefore it has been seen that Unilag fm due to commercialization of News and censorship of programs do not adequately meet the standard and the needs of school community in dissemination of information. it is to this the study centers on impact of uni lag radio in school community

1.3 Objectives Of The Study

The general objective of this study is to impact of uni lag radio in school community. the specific objectives are to:

1 Examine brief history of Uni lag fm in the school community

2 examine the impact of campus radio in school community

3 outline the challenges faced by campus radio in broadcasting

4  recommend way forward in the effective functioning of campus radio in school community

1.4 Research Questions

1 what is the history of Uni lag fm in the school community?

2 what is the impact of campus radio in school community?

3 what are the challenges faced by campus radio in broadcasting?

4  what are the ways forward in the effective functioning of campus radio in school community?

1.5     Significance Of The Study

The data and information gathered in the course of this research would help the broadcast industry, media policy makers, the legislature, federal government regulatory agency in charge of broadcasting and university management/authorities to foster a more proactive, competitive and productive ways of developing community radio broadcasting in Nigerian universities. Wherever it will be established, this work would further provide information and additional literature on the nature, challenges and the prospect of campus community radio broadcast in Nigeria in particular, Africa and the rest of the developing world in general

1.6    scope and limitation of the study 

The study is based onimpact of uni lag radio in school community. The following are the limitations of the study;

1.     Uncooperative attitude of some of the respondents who refused to complete the questionnaires given to them or to be interviewed for fear of official reprisal. Their refusal to cooperate adversely affected the amount of data collected through primary sources.

2.     Financial Constraint: The study could have been very extensive if more organizations were included. But the researcher could not afford the cost involved. Thus, the study is restricted to only one corporate organization.

3.     Time Constraint: The researcher could not complete the study within a record time because of the pressure of other academic works on the researcher.

1.9 DEFINITION OF TERMS

RADIO: Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz and 300 gigahertz

CAMPUS RADIO: Campus radio is a type of radio station that is run by the students of a college, university or other educational institution. Programming may be exclusively created or produced by students, or may include program contributions from the local community in which the radio station is based.

UNILAG FM: Unilag FM is a radio station based in Lagos State .It servers as an educational and entertainment media for tertiary level students and the general public; its a radio station that provides educative programmes for its listeners. It is on a frequency of 103. MHz.

BROADCAST: Broadcasting is the distribution of audio or video content to a dispersed audience via any electronic mass communications medium, but typically one using the electromagnetic spectrum, in a one-to-many model