THE ROLE OF RADIO AND TELEVISION IN RURAL DEVELOPMENT
ABSTRACT
Communication is central to all human activities. The claim that we cannot communicate receive scholarly applause.
However, there are people who seem to be neglected when we began to discuss communication and information flow. Those in the urban cities are always better informed to the detriment of the ruralities.
It is an irony that while the aim to reach out the grassroots and properly highlight the development problems of the people, remains the driving force for the rapid expansion of radio facilities, the medium has continued to be critized as being too urbanized in content and coverage.
According to Moemaka (1981:34),
The impact of radio diminishes as one gets away from the cities into the rural area, while the rural dwellers exist mainly as an eave – dropping audience.
Fortunately, one of the outcome of seem Mac Bride, Commission of Enquiry (1980) on information flow, is that rural people who produce bulk of the food, thereby enhancing the growth of the economy, should be given urgent attention in information dissemination.
Izuora (1993) notes that programmes have been designed and carried out to improve health conditions, promote non-informal education, ensure cultural promotion, civic education, and the improvement of agricultural production. According to him programme managers and policy makers admit that through single, drama, documentaries, news and talk programmes, radio is being effectively used to reach the grassroots.
Our concept of the rural man is that person who is confined to his little community, he does not know what happens around him and the outside world.
This researcher found out that an Nzam Man (In Anambra West L.G.A. Anambra State), is a typical rural man
