INFLUENCE OF TELEVISION PROGRAMMES CONTRIBUTION TO FOOTBALL DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA
ABSTRACT
The study examined the influence of television programmes and its contribution to football development in Nigeria, a study of National Television Authority, Osun State and Channels Television, Lagos State. The study examined the following sub variables of football development (coverage of football events, active participation of football, improving football facilities and challenges) in Nigeria. This research work adopted the descriptive survey design. The population of the study comprises 132 employees. The purposive sampling technique was adopted to select 100 employees at junior, senior and management cadres, 50 employees from National Television Authority, Osun State and 50 employees from Channels Television, Lagos State were selected for convenience purpose. The retrieved copies of questionnaire was analyzed using simple percentage and frequency count with the aid of the software SPSS version 20. Descriptive statistics and t-test was performed using SPSS. The results revealed that: Television programmes has a significant influence on the coverage of football events in Nigeria. (p-value 0.01>0.000). Football television programmes has a significant contribution to the active participation of football by Nigerians. (p-value 0.01>0.000). Football television programmes is significant in improving football facilities in Nigeria. (p-value 0.05>0.000). There is a significant effect of challenges on television programmes towards football events coverage in Nigeria. (p-value 0.01>0.000). The study concluded that television’s programmes contributed a lot to the performance and development of football and sports in Nigeria. The study recommended that; Sections should be encouraged to cover football events for the development of grassroots football; Football managers and administrators should accept the mass media as partners in progress; Government and sport administrators should address the issues highlighted that are affecting football facilities in Nigeria; There is need for corporate sponsors, football promoters and government to come to the aid of financing football leagues for development; Nigerian television should endeavor to adequately broadcast football league matches to show their own style of football to the world.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
A first step has to be made in terms of the developments on the technological front and the ways in which these developments are making inroads into the understanding of football and sports. Technology is the force of today‘s ever-evolving world, and television is at the heart of it. While experiencing its own evolution and advancement, Television has maintained a constant presence. Postman (2015) wrote that television is our culture‘s principal model of knowing about itself. Therefore, he continues that, how television stages the world becomes the model for how the world is properly to be staged. Television is an electronic device which transmits picture and sound. It is used for entertainment, information and commercials. With the advent of satellite and digital technologies, it has contributed to the development of football in Nigeria. Thus there are football viewing centers, bars, hotels etc. in Nigeria showing football to customers and these has really built up the interest of Nigerians in football. For instance, there are programmes on sports and a plethora of both good quality and inappropriate contents (Santrock, 2015). Television combines the appealing features of the movies and radio and it is one of the most popular amusement devices during the youthful years.
Generally, football and sports has become an important aspect of African culture (Holt, 2012) so much so that the interest in and popularity of football have affected the political, social, economic and educational fabric of the nation; television stations both local and foreign channels showing football has unified Nigerians several times. Football is all forms of usually competitive physical activities or games aiming to use, maintain or improve physical abilities and skills of people. Usually the contest or game is realized between two sides, each attempting to excel the other. Football allows a tie game; also provide tie-breaking methods, to ensure one winner and one loser (Holt, 2012). A number of such two-sided contests may be arranged in a tournament producing a champion. Many football leagues make an annual champion by arranging games in a regular football season, followed in some cases by playoffs. Hundreds of sports exist though and are also shown on television, from those between single contestants, through to those with hundreds of simultaneous participants, either in teams or competing as individuals. In certain sports such as racing, many contestants may compete, each against all with one winner (Dorsey, 2012).
Football and sports being part of the universal culture is an important instrument for combining different people in Nigeria, Africa and the World. It is an activity that contributes to world peace. It can be defined as a summation of activities designed to affect positively social and moral benefits as well as physical benefits. Maguire (2015) stated that sport is probably the most effective means of communication in the modern world, bypassing both verbal and written communication and reaching directly out to billions of people world-wide. There is no doubt that sports are a viable and legitimate way of building friendship between nations. This has been demonstrated quite a number of times.
Ordinarily, television programmes and football development should have much in common. However, it is commonly known that Nigerian politics influences sports and football in specific, and also, football events can sometimes catalyze political ones. It was not always like that until television programmes was introduced to Nigeria and Africa, however. It is important to state that football as a social phenomenon, is relatively new. Although its origins can be dated back to ancient times to the sports of ancient Greece, modern football appeared in the middle of the nineteenth century. Initially it had a very amateur character and was not popular, so its significance for Nigeria and Africa relations was rather marginal. That situation changed radically in the first half of the twentieth century, mainly due to the first world cup, International Olympic Committee and the Olympic Football Games, which transformed football to a higher level (Anuchie, 2015). The growing popularity of Nigeria football through Nigeria television programmes during this time can be easily illustrated by the number of footballer participating in the Nigeria Leagues,