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History and Social Responsibilities
Radio broadcasting was first introduced by
the colonial masters in 1932. It was called
Radio Distribution Service. It was a system
of re-transmitting programmes from the
external service of BBC as well as
programmes from the home government.
In. 1951, a proper broadcasting system was
set up and T.W. Chalmers was seconded from
the BBC as Director of Broadcasting in
Nigeria. His appointment came with the
establishment of the Nigerian Broadcasting
Service (NBS) which was under a Department
of Broadcasting formally established in June
1952. This was to be further modified to
accommodate the political structure of the
day which is the three regional structures,
constitutionally sanctioned in 1946.
Following the famous motion for 'Self
Government in 1956' which was moved in 1953
by Chief Anthony Enahoro, an action Group
member to the House of Representatives but
which was opposed by members from Northern
Nigeria who constituted half the membership,
there was an extreme tension between the
North and the South. This culminated in the
Action Group members walking out on the
house and their ministers resigning from the
Federal Cabinet.
The Governor General, Sir James Robertson
however, made a broadcast to the country on
the network of the Nigerian Broadcasting
Service condemning the action of the Action
Group (although without directly referring
to the group).
The leader of the Action Group, Chief
Obafemi Awolowo asked to be allowed to reply
so that the audience could hear the two
sides in disputes. A directive from the
Secretary to the Nigerian Government however
compelled the Director of the Nigerian
Broadcasting Service not to allow such a
broadcast although he was personally willing
to allow Chief Awolowo make the broadcast.
Chief Awolowo was naturally angered by this
and accused the Nigerian Broadcasting
Service of being a Government tool being
manipulated by the Governor and his
officials.
The crisis that followed precipitated a
constitutional conference in London in July
1953.
Consequent upon the deliberations of that
conference, a new constitution for Nigeria
emerged in 1954. In it, Broadcasting ceased
to be federal exclusive, meaning that the
regions could set up broadcasting services
of their own. With this provision, the
Western Region set up its own broadcasting
Service in 1959 by establishing the Western
Nigeria Government Broadcasting Corporation,
WNGBC, in partnership with a foreign firm,
the Overseas Rediffusion Service Limited.
The Western Nigeria Services Limited,
responsible for actual broadcasting was then
set up. 'Radio-vision' meant that both Radio
and Television services would be made
available.
In spite of criticisms which were based on
the level of development of the Western
Region at the time, and the cost of setting
up a television station, the Government went
ahead to establish it. The decision was
based on the fact that it was part of the
social services which Government owed the
people. It was also meant to bring
programmes on health, agriculture arid
school broadcasting to the people as a
direct advantage as well as projecting the
culture of the people of the region. As for
cost, both radio and television were to be
commercially oriented, generating a
substantial part of their revenue through
advertisement while government provided
annual subventions.
History was thus made on the 31 October,
1959, the first Television Station in black
Africa was born - Western Nigerian
Television (WNTV). The Western Nigeria
Broadcasting Service which is the radio arm
took off on 1st May 1960 as Nigeria's first
commercial radio station as different from
the Federal Government owned NBC.
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