Sunday, 13 November 2016

Mass Comm Project: Students Perception of Western Television Programmes(Part Five)



2.3       The concept of TV programming
Programming is the basis of TV messages transmission. TV message content is packaged disseminated in the form of programmes. The act of TV programming according to Duru (2002,p.134): “Is a segmental activity that presumes organization materials into a coherent programme service suitable to the target audience”.
Every TV programmes must be thus be packaged to carry out the functions of the press. Explaining these functions, Nwosu (2004, p.31-34) noted the following:
Importance in the discussion and debate, importance on social control, importance in social change, importance in industrial complex.
Analyzing the advantages of TV at carry out the afore stated functions Nwaeze and Nkoli noted
thus: Television by its nature appeals to be too powerful at the same time (audio- visual). This therefore enhance the credibility and acceptability of what is been broadcast, the  important element of timeliness in the delivery of news and information attribute to radio, broadcasting is also present in television, which means, it is equally capable of broadcasting  live event to the audience. Television like radio is not hindered by language as it can communicate in any language of the viewing audience; television broadcasting is not hindered by artificial, geographical and political boundaries of countries.
            TV programmes are therefore not limited by time. Just as “lives” programmes are transmitted so also are programmes recorded for future transmission. Suffice it therefore to argue these foreign TV programmes are recorded program later transmitted to the viewing audience, much thanks to the use of English as the language of transmission. This makes it easy for student viewers to understand the message content of such TV foreign programmes for the purpose of gratification impact. Obviously lending credence to Nwosu‟s view on the importance of mass media Nworgu (2010, p.21) itemize such functions as: 
Information function, education function, entertainment function, stimulation, relaxation, emotional release, surveillance function, status conferral function, transmission of cultural values (socialization).
On her own part, Duru (2002, p.133) stated thus:
Broadcasting by its very nature is the signature most powerful universal means of instant public communication through the conveying of information, entertainment, education and persuasion in the form of programmes. 
Such foreign TV programmes are therefore transmitted to the above mentioned benefits to the viewing audience. However, since different students have different family, religious orientation amongst other differing characteristics, they are bound to derive different benefits from the same programme. 
Suffice it therefore to state that a programme that offers entertainment to one can offer education to another. Media audience members therefore expose themselves to the same programme for different reasons, since they have different make up (individual differences).  As interesting as the above may sound, scholars have continued to criticize the constant transmission of foreign TV programmes on the ground that it affects our cultural values.
Nworgu (2010, p.25) noted thus:
The cultural values transmission function has led to accusation of the media of cultural imperialism especially, with the importation of the western culture on the other parts of the world using western media.
Heavy exposure of foreign TV programmes has been accused of being responsible for the deadline in our hitherto cherished cultural values and norms. It therefore stirs no surprise the university students wear skimpy dressing that reveal their private body hence seduce men in the name of western culture. This has continued to conflict within social values and norms, hence paving ways for high rate of immorality, prostitution that have bedeviled our universities.
Nwammuo (2002, p.211) obviously bemoaned this when she noted thus:
One of the persistent problems facing developing nations of the world is the loss of cherished values to the make-belief western ways of life. All developing nations are plagued with seeking out ways of using the modern media system in the true characteristics of their reality and ways of life. African tribal youngster wear medial T-shirt, Thai teen’s dance of techno music.
Angered by such “anti-cultural” TV programmes, Agba (2002, p.264) stated thus:
The media of the developing nation’s precisely African media have been described as Trogon house for the dissemination of western values of media and cultural imperialism.
It is against this back drop therefore that Ansah (1989, p.17) recommended that:
The media of African nations can sustain African cherished values and cultures if they will go into the production of programme materials themselves.

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