ABSTRACT: The study investigated the influence of programme department on operations of broadcast media. The study was anchored on Situational Management Theory and System Management Theory. A survey research method was adopted in which questionnaire were administered to the respondents to elicit responses from respondents. Descriptive statistics (frequency and percentage) was used to analyze the data that were collected. The study find out that programme department of OSBC highly impacted on the operations of station. Also, Programme department of OSBC highly corporate with other departments for effective operations of OSBC. Equally, majority of respondents (35.8%) said ownership influence is most challenge that hampering programme department of OSBC in discharging its operational functions. Thus, large number of respondents (48.3%) noted that the challenge (ownership influence) really hampering program department operation to a high extent. The study recommended that more new programs should be developed and showcase, so that their audience will have fresh contain regularly. Audience research need to be carried out in order for them to be able to know which program is doing well and which one need to be improved. Programme department need to always showcase interesting programme that is attractive enough so that more sponsors and advertisers will fall in love with it.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
The hallmark of a television station is the ability to have programmes that will endear it to its viewers; this is because good programmes are what distinguishes one station from another, whenever a station is mentioned, what engages the mind is ‘programmes’ because what the large chunk of viewers understand is that a television station is established to beam out good programmes, news inclusive. Where such programmes are coming from is immaterial (Ogunsola and Olayinka, 2021).
According to Ogunsola and Olayinka (2021), programmes department is the unit of the station that oversees the content creation for the station. Programme department takes control over various programmes that feature on the station, be it in-house programme, commercial programme or syndicated ones, either on live mode or recorded format.
Zeepedia (n.d) writes television programme or simply television show is a segment of programming in television broadcasting. It may be a one-off broadcast or, more usually, part of a periodically returning television series.
It should be noted that programme department, in conjunction with the production and news departments, acquires and schedules programmes that the audience consumes, which in turn allows the sales department to create revenue, which in turn allows the general administration department to facilitate station operations (Encyclopedia, 2019). The programme department is responsible for filling the entire broadcast day with programming and is therefore saddled with arguably the most challenging job in television.
According to Encyclopedia (2019), programming is second only to general administration in terms of operating expenses. The department, if its station is affiliated with a network, needs almost 25 percent of the total budget of the station to function. However, an independent station may give as much as half of its total operating budget to the acquisition of programmes.
Encyclopedia (2019) equally noted that programmes department may consist of a programmes director, a videotape librarian, a ratings researcher, an acquisitions staff, a continuity standards staff, and on-camera personalities for use in locally originated programmes. The programmes director, helped by the acquisitions personnel, may obtain the majority of the programmes of a station from syndicators and other programmes suppliers. If a station is affiliated with a major television network, then programming will have the luxury of choosing how much programmes it will schedule from the network. In a larger market, viewership research may be conducted to help the programmes director select a programmes plan that will attract a substantial audience.
Community feedback also aids in planning decisions. However, all decisions concerning programmes acquisition are ultimately controlled by the amount of revenue gained from sales and the resulting budget allotted the programmes division. Another responsibility of programmes besides programmes acquisition is programmes creation. Many stations produce public-affairs programmes in order to meet their public-interest obligations. The programme department is usually given the job of preparing and producing these programmes.
According to Zeepedia (n.d) noted that there are varieties of programmes which includes but not limited to Animated series, Awards shows, Celebrity Shows, Children’s television shows, Comedies, Comedies without laugh tracks, Cooking shows, Comedy-drama television series, Fantasy programmes, Game shows, News programmes, Reality programmes, Satirical news programmes, Science fiction sitcoms, Sketch comedy shows, Soap operas, Talk shows and Musical shows. It is against this background that the study investigated the impact of programmes department on operations of Osun State Broadcasting Corporation (OSBC).
1.2 Problem Statement
One of the most important departments in every broadcast media is programme department because it generates and fill the airtime with contents except news and current affairs programmes. Thus, the success of every broadcast media station lies in the passionate power of programme department. It is against this backdrop that the study investigated the impact of programme department on operations of Osun State Broadcasting Corporation (OSBC).
1.3 Objectives of the Study
- To investigate the impact of programme department on the operations of OSBC.
- To ascertain the extent at which programme department of OSBC corporate with other departments especially news and current affairs department for effective operations of OSBC.
1.4 Research Questions
- To what extent has programme department of OSBC impacted on the operations of station?
- To what extent has programme department of OSBC corporate with other departments especially news and current affairs department for effective operations of OSBC.
1.5 Scope of the Study
The research which investigated the impact of programme department on the operations of Broadcast media was narrowed in scope to Osun State Broadcasting corporation (OSBC). OSBC is selected due to the fact that all program department of every broadcast media have similar functions. Thus, it will be impossible to study all broadcast media houses in Nigeria due to limited time, resources and other logistics.
1.6 Significance of the Study
This study is essential to serve stakeholders in broadcast media sector with the needed insight on the relevant and important of program department to the entire operation of broadcast media.
The findings of this study will also serve as an addition to existing literature on the topic for students and researchers who like to carry out similar research while, the material formed bulk literature that exist in the field of mass communication, journalism and media studies, etc that students and researchers can lay hands on when carrying out research related or similar study like this.
Apart from contributing to research literature on the subject matter, this study among other things may also provide empirical information on the extent to which programme department is hallmark in broadcast media.
1.7 Operational Definition of Terms
Impact: This to the overall contributions of program department on Osbc operations.
Programme department: This is a department that is responsible for all other programmes aside news and current affairs Contents of broadcast media operation.
Operations of Osun State Broadcasting corporation: This refers to the running of OSBC channel with varieties of programmes activities within it broadcast hours.