The Political Economy of Broadcast Programming and Influencing Agencies in Nigeria

Abstract

This paper traces the political economy behind broadcast programming which shapes and influences broadcast content production, distribution and consumption. It rings to fore, four factors: ownership, advertising, regulation and audience (OARA) which influence programming largely for power consolidation, resource contrel and profit, simply because, broadcast ownership in Nigeria is largely by people in government or those that are close to power. Variables were adopted from which selected broadcast content was examined to unravel the political economy behind broadcast programming, These variables are; character of broadcast programming, quality of programming, character of media contents and spread of broadcasters, consumers and polities of consumer-content choice: diversity and multiculturalism in action, These variables have clearly helped in examining how economic and political motives shape programming in Nigeria in support of status quo. The paper is anchored on Critical Political Economy (CPE) which falls under cultural theorists whose proposition of media centers on the way social elites operate media to earn profit and exercise influence on society. The paper concludes that most broadcast stations in Nigeria schedule programs to support the status quo and reinforce domination of the airwaves through usage of powerful indigenous and colonial languages in their daily programming, It, therefore, recommends that there is need to overhaul the Nigeria's communication policy with a view to addressing ownership and regulation lapses, especially ship of broadcast stations is solely government and wealthy individuals affairs.