ASSESSMENT OF FEEDBACK IN BROADCASTING MEDIA IN THE PRESENT INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION ERA (A case study of Osun State Broadcast Corporation, Osogbo)

CHAPTER ONE

 1.0    Introduction 
1.1    Background to the Study

Communication is man most ubiquitous and life-long activity. It is also the most significant. This cannot be controverted. It has added to its transactional value a nexus of communal and group cohesion. The world has shrunken into a global village because of communication’s immense power and constantly evolving technologies says Marshall McLuhan.
The origin of communication has been traced to the ancient Homosapiens i.e. (Neanderthal man) and it has remained ubiquitous activity which enables us to relate with others anywhere. For instance, numerous studies have confirmed that an individual, in his entire life spends 75percent of each day communicating. One of such studies cited by Berlo (1960) says “each of us spends 10 or II hours a day, everyday performing verbal communication behaviour. We must all communicate, we simply cannot afford not to, Americans say “Man cannot communicate”.
This project therefore look at the roles played by feedback in communication particularly in broadcasting form of communication which appears to be the most important in society.

The term feedback’ was coined Nobert Wiener 1948 from the science of cybernetics in physics, to refer to the method by which output energy is returned to a system as input It simply means now information from Inc system is feedback to it and how the system to it
This is easily illustrated with the electric iron which heats up to a pres et temperature (may be for a nylon shirt The heats cut off when the iron reaches this temperature indicated by the red light which goes off. When the temperature drops, the bulb light up again and heating resumes. This is behaviour adjustment as a result of the new information supplied by the temperature level. Such adjustment ensures the stability of the system i.e. homeostasis.

Definitions of Feedback

Communication is give-and-take. This means that a speaker will invariably also be a listener, since his interlocutor is not a dummy. Whatever the listener says or does in response to the speaker’s communication and to listeners says or does in response to the speaker’s communication and to which the speaker responds is called feedback.

This response could be verbal or non-verbal. Feedback that is not perceived and to which the speaker cannot, therefore, respond is not a feedback, since it constitutes a waste. However, feedback is only one element of interpersonal communication, the other being feedforward. Because no definition in communication is ever encapsulating to enjoy universal acceptance, some definitions as given by scholars are discuss here under Obilade’s (1989) sees feedback as:
Messages sent to the source of the message consciously or unconsciously and perceived by the speaker, causing him to react…. If the speaker is unaware of the persistent signals of the listeners, then feedback cannot be said to exist. In other words, the concept of feedback involves perception by the sender of the message and the only measure of the perception is a direct response and accurate interpretation of the audiences’ response.

1.2    Statements of the Problems

This research work is very essential at this point time because in spite of the importance of feedback in communication process, communication researchers have refused to show interest in studying the concept of feedback, however, this research will examine the important of feedback on the audience of OSBC especially how effective has the use of mobile phone and social media has been adopted in achieving a two way interaction.

Similarly, with the advancement in technology, this project will as well xray the problem and prospect of new technology in fast-tracking audience feedback.

1.3    Purpose of the Study.

1.         i.   To xray the importance of feedback in an electronic media
2.        ii.   To know the type of devices been adopted in OSBC in getting their feedback.
3.      iii.   To examine the benefit of mobile phone in sending and receiving feedback in OSBC station.
4.       iv.   To find out, if OSBC has adopted the use of e-mail, yahoo messager, G-mail, facebook, twitter, e. t. c as a mean of
5.               feedback.
6.        v.   To highlight {if any}the problem been faced by OSBC in getting feedback from their audience.
7.       vi.   To know if OSBC audience really care to express their views on any issue or matter broadcast by OSBC.
8.     vii.   To study how OSBC treat or reacted to audience responses

1.4    Research Questions

          The following questions will be asked by the researcher:

i.   To what extent do audience of OSBC care to express their feelings about the contents of OSBC news and programmes?

ii.   Do responses receive by OSBC influence the station contents?

iii.   To what extent can mobile phone be used in achieving immediate and effective feedback?

iv.   Does socio media such as : facebook, twitter, e. t. c can enhance OSBC feedback?

v.   Does OSBC management provide means to receive feedback during the programme?

vi.   To what extent do management of OSBC care about audience faceback in the daily broadcast.

1.5    Significance of the Study

The significant of the study aiming at revealing to the entire world especially the media practitioners and the audience of mass media particularly audience of OSBC, how essential feedback is in promoting and strengthen the station.

The study will help to bring to the attention of audience and media practitioners the need to adopt mobile phone and social media network such as: facebook and twitter as an instrument of getting and sending feedback respectively.

Lastly, the research is expected to drew the attention of other researchers, the need to focus attention on issues concerning audience and media interaction.

1.6    Scope of the Study

This study has been narrowed down to OSBC with the view to represent all other electronic media since it is difficult to reach all broadcast media in Nigeria.

Although, the primary aims and objectives of the project is to examine the impact of feedback on broadcasting media especially in this ICT age, this can not be effectively talked without considering the demographic factor of OSBC staffs and sample number of the respondents that respond to the questionnaires of this study. Experience, education background, professional training, age, sex e. t. c must be visiting before the distribution of research instruments.

 1.7    Limitations of the Study

i.       Time constraint has posed a lot of limitations to this work.

1. Inadequate finance of this project is another hindrance.
2. This project is also limited to OSBC where all finding would be generalized.