A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF THE CHALLENGES FACED BY TELEVISION BROADCASTING IN A DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY: The role of television as a mass medium in the democratization process is understood in the context of the public sphere, which is defined by Habermas stated  in 2012 as "organs of information and political debates such as newspapers, journals, and institutions of political discussion such as parliament, political clubs, literary salons, public assemblies, pubs, coffee houses, meeting halls, and other public space where socio-political discussion took place." Television, like other forms of mass communication, is meant to serve as a bridge between civil society and the domain of power in a democratic environment. As a result, television provides a platform for free debate of all topics of public concern, using discursive reasoning to guarantee the public benefit (Isola, 2010). This assumes that television in a democratic society operates under the freedom of speech and expression concept. This gives individuals the freedom to engage freely in political debate and decision-making, which is essential to democracy. Several study results in political communication support the notion that freedom of speech and the press are essential for political involvement in a democracy (Becker, McCombs & McLeod, 2016: Entman, 2012; Van Belle 2013). Civil society, which includes the mass media, of which television is a component, is one of the three pillars that maintain democracy, according to Diamond (2014). Political culture and political institutions are the other two. Television, with its unique advantages of impact (audible like radio and visual like print), selectivity, and flexibility among the mass media, has a huge effect on the democratic process, for better or worse. Former French President Charles de Gaulle reportedly questioned former US President John F. Kennedy, "How can you govern your nation if you don't control television?" (cited in Agbanu & Nwammuo, 2009). Television, in a similar spirit, is probably one of the most widely utilized forms of communication in a democracy. While democracy's success or failure cannot be reduced to television, Rajagopal (2016) contends that concern for democracy requires care for television. As a result, television is expected to play a number of roles in the democratization process, including (1) surveillance of current events that are likely to have a positive impact on citizens, (2) identification of key socio-political issues, (3) provision of platforms for advocacy for causes and interests, and (4) transmission of diverse content across multiple platforms, according to Isola (2010). These roles indicate that television in a democracy is supposed to be a diligent watchdog of public interest, and that it should not, under any circumstances, be reduced to serving as establishment lapdogs. It should not only be a mirror that shows the face of democracy, its flaws and beauty spots (Dukor, 2015), but also a voice of advocacy for the society's common welfare. In this regard, television in an emerging democracy like Nigeria should, as noted by Pate (2011), be accountable to the various constituencies that rely on it for information, education, and direction on the functioning of the democratic system; it should strengthen its mediating role through increased interactions among the various parties and stakeholders in the democratization process; it should ensure that the conduct of each of the stakeholders is in accordance with the law; and it should ensure that the conduct of each of the stakeholders is in accordance with the law. Television broadcasting in Nigeria arose as a result of democratic endeavor and was intended to aid the country's democratization process. The function of television broadcasting in Nigeria's effort at democracy is examined in this article. The study looks at how television broadcasting has performed under military and civilian administrations, highlighting areas of success and challenges, and proposing a path ahead with the hope of having television broadcasting contribute significantly to Nigeria's democracy process. The goal is to contribute to the current brainstorming process of taking stock of television's role in Nigeria's political growth 50 years after its founding. It is anticipated that the brainstorming session would lead to some kind of solution to Nigeria's and Africa's political issues. It is also anticipated that the exercise would provide valuable insight into television broadcasting operations for the development of democratic government and culture.

1.2. STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

Television has maintained a high degree of popularity as a medium of mass communication in the evolution of society and social relations. Because of its benefit of integrating auditory and visual effects, studies show that more people utilize television as a source of news than any other media nowadays (Moemeka, 1973; Okigbo 2009). In Nigeria, the government and single proprietorships of great wealth control the ownership of broadcast stations, which have partisan political and economic agendas and interests (Golding, 1977). In certain instances, the managers are just front-men for the actual owners, who may include foreigners (Oyovbaire 2016). The station here fulfills not just the professional function and mandate given to it by the constitution and society, but also the owners' political agenda, goals, and motives. Such proprietors view their medium as a political extension of their economic power, as well as a potential stepping stone to political power. Unlike the press, broadcasting reaches out to rural regions, provides news, information, and messages in the vernacular, and is not reliant on literacy. Broadcasting, particularly public broadcasting, can deepen and strengthen democratization by making information widely accessible, educating and enlightening citizens about the value of participation, as well as keeping citizens informed and engaged in political and governance processes, and facilitating the holding of political leaders and governments accountable. Broadcasting can assist foster democratic re-awakening by promoting democratic ideals. Broadcasting, on the other hand, may be hijacked and exploited by entrenched interests to undermine and subvert the democratic process if it is managed badly. Under liberal democracy, vested interests may use their power to "shape news and information before it is distributed to the public," and make it run "contrary to the democratic ideals of a free press," as Sherman and Chomsky have observed (2011). The extent to which public service broadcasting plays a positive public role in a country's democratization process is determined by the following factors: how deeply ingrained the philosophy and values of public service broadcasting are; how insulated it is from commercial and other vested interests; how diverse and plural it is; and how transparently regulated it is, using a clear and popular/public oriented legal framework. According to Akinfeleye (1987), the Nigerian government still controls the media. The Nigerian constitution lacks a freedom of information legislation. Section 21 of the 2013 constitution requires the Nigerian press to monitor administration and hold the government responsible to the public in order to achieve the basic goals and principles of state policy. The importance of broadcast media in Nigerian democracy cannot be overstated. There are certain difficulties that television broadcasting faces in this democratic era that will be investigated.