Revisiting Media Imperialism A Review O

Volume 5, September 2010
The International Journal of Research and Review

Revisiting Media Imperialism: A Review of the Nigerian
Television Experience
Osakue Stevenson Omoera

Ambrose Alli Universoty, Ekpoma, Nigeria
Elo Ibagere

Delta State University, Abraka, Nigeria
Abstract

This paper examines media imperialism as it affects television broadcasting in Nigeria. To achieve the set task, it adopts the historical approach to trace the evolvement of imperialistic tendencies in the Nigerian broadcast environment to the evolution of television in Nigeria. It contends that apart from putting the Nigerian broadcaster in a dilemma of some sort, the various forms of the phenomenon do not help in any significant way to integrate the rural populace into the mainstream of socio-cultural and socio-economic growth and development of Nigeria and thus the prognosis of the situation is precarious for the Nigerian television media. It further argues that as a phenomenon, media imperialism will continue to recur in the foreseeable future because an enabling ambience needed for its displacement by local television broadcasting is yet faltering. Therefore, it suggests that a deliberate and concerted effort should be made to change the situation. Such effort should include better funding, investment in the development of home-grown media technologies, investment in high manpower development, innovative programmes and more specialized programming with indigenous flavours by both the public and private television outfits operating in the
Nigerian broadcast clime.
Key words: deregulated broadcasting, globalization, world media culture, mediascape, cultural imperialism, NBC.

Introduction
Although many scholars are wont to say that media imperialism is an unfashionable area of research in a 21st century world media culture, it is important to note that the issue is still very germane to Africans, particularly
Nigerians because there is limited research and academic writing coming
from

References: Adeseye, O. B. (1991). Independent drama productions and the Nigerian television medium: An appraisal Aihe, O. (2000, November 29). NTA, CMPP resolve domestic issues of Sithengi Aihe, O. (2006, November 15). DSTV power about to change hands. Aihe, O. (2007, January 3). For broadcasting, over a decade problem solved and more action expected in 2007 Anibeze, O. (2006, June 28). DSTV owners must hear this. Vanguard, p. 30. Boyd-Barrett, O. (1977). Media imperialism: Towards an international framework for the analysis of media systems Boyd-Barrett, O., & Thussu, D.K. (1993). NWIO strategies and media imperialism: The case of regional news exchange Brown, I. Z. (1999). Culture and customs of the Dominican Republic. Cowen, T. (2002). Creative destruction: How globalisation is changing the world’s cultures Dunn, H. S. (Ed). (1995). Globalization, communications and Caribbean identity Ekwuazi, H. (1991). Film in Nigeria. Jos: National Film Corporation. Eregare, E, A., & Afolabi, A.O. (2009). The effects of globalization and deregulation on Nigerian culture industries Fejes, F. (1981). Media imperialism: An assessment. Media, Culture and Society, 3(3), 286-292. Galtung, J. (1979). A structural theory of imperialism. In G. Modelski (Ed.), Transnational corporations and world order: Readings in international Golding, P. (1977). Media professionalism in the third world: The transfer of an ideology Hamelink, C. J. (1983). Cultural autonomy in global communication. New York: Longman. Hjort, M., & Petrie, D. (2007). Introduction. In M. Hjort & D. Petrie (Eds.), The cinema of small nations (pp.1-19) Ibagere, E. (2002). Communication and rural development. Humanities Review Journal, 4, 57-67. Ibagere, E., & Edosa, E. (2006). Broadcast deregulation and Nigerian television drama Jameson, F. (2000). Globalisation and political strategy. New Left Review, 4, 49-68. Link, J. H. (1984). Test of the cultural dependency hypothesis. In R. Mattleart, A. (1994). Mapping world communication. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. McPhail, T. L. (1987). Electronic colonialism: The future of international broadcasting and communication Mohammadi, A. (1995). Cultural imperialism and cultural identity. In J. Ojo, B. (2009, July 3). Kokomansion: What does it stand for? The Guardian, p Okhakhu, M. A. (2001). Television drama and the politics of ethnicity: The Nigerian experience Omoera, O. S. (2006). Community radio in Africa: An imperative for grassroots development Omoera, O. S. (2008). Public relations in a growing democracy: A study of the Nigerian situation Pertierra, A. C. (2009). Private pleasures: Watching videos in post-Soviet Cuba Pertierra, A. C., & Horst H. A. (2009). Introduction: Thinking about Caribbean media worlds Sinclair, J. (1999). Latin American television: A global view. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Senge, M. (2007 November 23). Ofunneka: Sour thumb in Big Brother Africa 2