The Nigerian Television Authority: Simply Not Our Television By Aliyu A. Ammani
It was the 29th of Sha’aban. I
sat in my sitting room awaiting news on the sighting of the Holy Moon of
Ramadan. NTA Kaduna was hooked to the network service of the NTA. Each
time I tuned the TV to Nigerian Television Authority, NTA Kaduna, I
either saw some Nigerian musicians idiotically aping the black American
50cent or something worst. The significance of that particular moment
and time to me and other Muslims was apparently lost on the NTA.
So, wallowing in nostalgia, I recollected
our days as boys growing up in Kaduna. That was presumably the Golden
Era of television in Kaduna. Those are the days of Radio Television
Kaduna [RTK] through the Nigerian Television Kaduna [NTV]; to the first
version of NTA Kaduna. Television programmes then, despite their
relatively fewer hours of airtime and wide variety: Nigerian, American,
English, and even Indian; had good local contents that reflects the
socio-cultural norms and values of the environment. When it is time for
religious events and festivities: Sallah, Babba and Karama;
Christmas, Easter or even Children’s Day; the contents of local TV
programmes always reflected that fully.
Series of local drama and entertainment
programmes kept us glued to ours or our neighbours’ TV sets: Sahoro
da Sahorama; Karambana; Gidan Kashe Ahu; Kasagi; Tambari; Tumbin Giwa;
Case File etcetera. Educational Programmes: Sesame Street, Hausa by
TV, Yaki da Jahilci, and etcetera. Exchange/Network programmes: the
Village Headmaster, Cock Crow at Dawn, etcetera. Then the National TV
was alive to its social responsibilities: the culture and interest of
its host community was at the forefront, never neglected.
The NTA today is no doubt basking in the
glory that emanates from its taking full advantage of the 21st
Century state of the art technology in television broadcasting. The
studios of the NTA across the nation have never been so integrated
technologically: from each of the several network centres spread in the
geopolitical zones of the country, national programmes are transmitted
to the nooks and crannies of the nation. The NTA International is now a
reality. The thrust of this write-up is that, by accident or design, the
dominance of the network service’s so-called national programmes at the
expense of local ones alienates several Nigerian cultures from the the
Nigerian Television Authority's screen.
The power of television to influence
people’s behavior, beliefs and culture cannot be overemphasized. The NTA
is failing, if it is attempting to pattern a vibrant national culture
for Nigeria. National culture, according to experts, aims at cultivating
national identity so that the individual will feel in his or her heart
the beauty and warmth of the nation. In this way, the members will come
to share a common devotion to the nation, and become united in their
collective goals.
How the NTA come about its version of
national culture, which it set out to project in its non-news network
service programmes is not clear. Is NTA’s national culture supposed to
be a melting pot or a bowl of salad of the numerous
Nigerian cultures? It appears more like a bowl of salad, and a
closer look at the component-ingredients revealed a strong bias in
favour of the cultures, norms and values of southern Nigeria: the drama,
one-off plays, series and serials; musicals and even perspectives on
issues. Perhaps it is commercialization that determines what programme
get aired on the network service: the highest bidder gets to fill the
slot. The invisible hand of Adam Smith is allowed to be the
determinant of what programme to run on the network service of our NTA.
Otherwise how does one explain the advertisement of alcoholic drinks on
the network service of our NTA, or cases where breweries sponsor
programmes that are apparently counter-culture to most Nigerian
communities on the network service of our very own NTA. This is sad for
a public owned television.
I am a Nigerian who feels hoodwinked by
the architects of programming on the network service of the NTA. I feel
my culture; norms and values are repressed or suppressed in the network
service programmes of the NTA. I wish to make the following suggestions
to the management of the NTA. First, the NTA should allow it state
stations to have more local programmes input, that will reflect the
cultures, norms and values of their environment. Second, from time to
time, exchange of programmes between state stations should be encouraged
to infuse variety. Third, network service programmes should be
minimized, to comprise essentially of news and current affairs. This way
the NTA can make all Nigerians have a sense of belonging in the Nigerian
Television Authority project.
I look forward to a time in the very near
future, when I will sit down with my family, to watch programmes of
interest that have direct relevance to our culture, our norms and our
values on the NTA.
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