Public Spectrum and Individual Voices: A Critical Appraisal of the Philosophy of Public Broadcasting in Nigeria

Abstract This paper looks at the increasing malleability of the concept of public broadcasting. It examines the fact that commercial interests and other not too public interests now dominate the philosophy of public broadcasting. It notes that ownership and funding have affected the publicnees of public broadcasting. The paper further emphasizes the need for Nigerian public broadcasting to focus on the developmental challenges facing the Nigerian state. It notes that majority of Nigerians live in abject poverty and that their access to the media is abysmally low. It also stresses the need for the citizens to be part of the democratic process through active involvement in public broadcasting. It is the view of the author that for public broadcasting to truly reflect its public philosophy there ought to be among others a change of existing laws and regulations which have made government and commercial stations only the voice of the owners and not that of the public who truly own the spectrum. Key Words: Public Broadcasting, Commercial Broadcasting, Public Spectrum. JCMRJournal of Communication and Media Research, Vol. 3, No. 2, October 2011, 29 – 35. © Delmas Communications Ltd. About the author *Dr. Aduku Armstrong Idachaba is a Senior Lecturer with Nassarawa State University, Keffi, Nigeria Full Article Words: 3,455; Pages: 7