Between Democracy And Community Broadcasting

Democracy, the world over, has been adjudged the best form of government any society can have. This, in fact, stems from its features of being people oriented government.

As government of the people by the people and for the good of the people, it becomes essential to flower democracy through the distribution of democratic ideals that would enable the people to participate actively.

Democracy in any civilized society ensures the rule of law, justice, equity, even distribution of common wealth, development of human persons and adequate representation at all levels. Transparency, accountability, respect for human rights and their institutions are also some of the essential features of democracy. As one of the best forms of government, democracy is said to be people oriented when all shades of opinion are given attention in the formation of State policy and programmes. And these can be achieved when there is corresponding relationship between the government and the people.

In fact, a good relationship between the government and the people in a democratic society can easily be achieved when there is an overwhelming information flow between the government and the people.

It is in view of this all-important relationship that the relevance of community broadcasting cannot be overemphasized.

However, community broadcasting in a contemporary and democratic society like Nigeria promotes development, national unity, collective interest, national integration, economic prosperity and social upliftment at all levels of the society,

Community broadcasting is committed to reporting the news impartially and giving due attention and prominence to coverage of public affairs.

Not only that, it ensures that people are properly briefed to exercise their rights and obligations as citizens and contribute to the healthy functioning of the democratic system.

It is, in fact, a sad  commentary in a democratic society for the citizens to complain on various contents of news and programmes of both private and public owned broadcast stations.

Today, over ninety percent of the broadcast stations in Nigeria are located in the urban areas while majority of the population in the country reside in rural communities.

Their stay in the rural areas is as a result of their engagement in agriculture and informal trading to eke a living. This is necessitated by the need to preserve the cultural identity of the society. However, a survey on the problems of the rural communities has indicated that pervasive and endemic poverty, inaccessibility to social amenities, low economic opportunities, alienation from active political, economic and social activities and neglect by the governments are common characteristics pervading rural communities in Nigeria.

No wonder, rural communities depend heavily on broadcasting for the bulk of information outside their immediate social surroundings.

The fact that majority of the television and radio stations are located in the |State Capitals makes their signal difficult to be received by the rural communities that are far from the state capitals.

This apart, a high percentage of their programmes is elite oriented.

Their content, in most cases are hardly reflective of the wishes, aspiration and needs of the rural communities.

The language of broadcast is mostly English thus excluding the various smaller ethnic languages of the communities.

More worrisome is the commercialisation of broadcast services which in turn excludes a large part of the urban poor and rural communities from any possibility of positive and sustained coverage by the broadcast stations.

In view of the spirit of globalization and the currency of the Federal Government to rebrand the Nigerian society, it becomes imperative to liberalise the broadcasting system through the establishment of community broadcasting.

However, a functional community broadcasting would open up our rural communities and bring them closer to some of the new communication technologies like the internet and digital broadcasting.

It would also offer possibilities of other technologies coming up and link up the rural areas to the world.

Meanwhile, community broadcasting would prepare our rural communities in all respects, to be parts of the global trends of achieving democratization, expand human freedoms and the Millennium Development goals.

Omah is of  the Radio Rivers, Port Harcourt.

Obed Omah