The Activities of Imo Broadcasting Corporation in Rural Education Development
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the study
The mass media perform a number of functions in every society. In performing its functions they do not work in isolation of their own but work hand in hand with other social institutions like family, religions institutions, educational institutions, economic institutions and cultural institutions. This work is on the role that Imo Broadcasting Corporation (Television) play in the educational development of Emekuku in Imo State.
The Mass Media beyond being a socializing agency, Umechukwu, (200,p.21) made us to understand that the mass media with their incalculable potentials, derived fundamentally from their transitional roles of education, entertainment, cultural transmission and surveillance of the society.
Okunna (1999, p.108) in her reflections on the social functions of the mass media maintains that mass media as a socializing, agency work closely with other socializing agencies like family, church, school and the peer groups through the process of socialization, the individual is made aware of the value, norms, and acceptable behavioural patterns of the society, they provide a common body of knowledge, the internalization of which enables people to operate as effective members of the society.
The invention of television had a very good influence as a medium towards information, dissemination, education and entertainment; that is why scholars like Gebner (2000, p.21) went into intense study to find out its effect on the viewers, Murrow, (1998, p. 90) states that this instrument can teach, it can illuminate, it can even inspire, but to the extent that human beings are determined to use it to those ends otherwise it is merely wires and lights in a box, this tells us that though television is powerful, we can only harness its powers through effective use.
Another role which the television play especially in rural development is on influencing and shaping our behavioural patterns. Virtually no aspect of our habits, desires and relationships both as individuals and as groups escape examinations in our public media, getting along with neighbours, personal problems and our taste in popular music, social and religious tensions, athletics and trends in fashion among others are constantly reported and discussed in the press, book, television and radio programmes.
It is known that rural communication in Nigeria have always been a beacon of hope throughout history in Nigeria and has always sustained the urban communities but yet the hope of the rural communities is yet increasing everyday as regard to Emekuku, in Owerri, Imo state, 80% of people in Emekuku uses television and this constitutes more to rural educational development.
In spite of this, the contribution of rural communities have not received the adequate attention which they deserve although the government is doing everything within its power to see that this situation is uplifted, government has also realized that it has not been making effective use of the television as a means of reaching out to the rural community education development even with regards to Emekuku, in Owerri, Imo State.
This has invariably constituted a serious impediment to systematic development in the nation because rural education development remains the springboard for state and national development in the education sector.
Again, Nwosu (1990, p.2) maintain that communication is central to rural and national development and that is a catalytic effect to the development of other sectors of the economy and it should never be neglected, this means that Imo Broadcasting Corporation Television (IBC TV) should be concerned with the education development of the people of Emekuku rural community and should realize the ubiquitous nature of communication media of the television and employ them all in their Television educational programmes both during conception, planning and execution and they should involve the community concerned.
It is important therefore to investigate the affairs of the Imo Broadcasting Corporation Television (IBC TV) and the role it plays in enhancing the educational development of the people in Emekuku, Owerri, Imo State.
1.2 Statement of the problem
In this information age that sees communication as a vital instrument, the relevance which Television has been playing has not been encouraging in the context of rural development in Nigeria. Even in a rural community like Emekuku area of Imo State where Television is partially unavailable, information cannot be shared among the people who cannot understand English but through only viewing the Television and yet they maintain a stable system of living.
