Broadcasting in nigeria

project study. We shall proceed, hereunder, to look at the requirements under the engineering design of system.

The engineering design of a broadcasting system can only be done by a well trained and experienced engineer in that aspect of engineering, that is, electronics engineering. Thus, an applicant should employ the services of a good engineer to do the job. Currently, what appears to be the practice in certain quarters is what is called "arm-chair engineering"; by this is meant a situation where, for instance, an applicant seeking broadcast license for a station to be located in say Ibusa, Delta State, commissions an engineer residing and doing business in Maiduguri, Borno State, (who has never been to the South East in his life) to design the engineering system of the station. Usually the arm chair engineer would simply pick up a comprehensive map of Nigeria and locate the area on the map. He then proceeds to look at available literature on state-of-the-arts broadcasting technology and then goes on to design accordingly. This is not how it should be. The ideal thing to do is for the engineer designing the system of a broadcasting station to pay a visit to the proposed location of the station, travel around the proposed radius of coverage of the station, with a view to studying the geographical and topographical peculiarities of the area and then, based on his findings, design an effective engineering system that will suit the area, and proceed further to recommend the equipment that would most effectively meet with the peculiarities of the area.

The problems that could result from 'arm chair" designing of the engineering system of a station could be very serious. It is possible that poor reception problems facing so many broadcasting stations in the country today are not unconnected with this. Some broadcasting stations are not clearly received in their radius of coverage; some are not even able to effectively cover the city where they are located. We therefore advise that engineers commissioned to design the system of a broadcasting station should study the peculiar geographical and topographical make-up of the area and then base their designs and equipment recommendation on their careful study. In every case, there should be a visit to and around the proposed location of the station.

After compiling the information required in the project study, and designing the engineering system, the applicant should neatly type and bind them together into one booklet, and submit (along with the filled application forms) to the office of the Director General of the National Broadcasting Commission.

The Commission, after a careful study of the information submitted to it by the applicant, considers whether or not to grant the desired license. Where the Commission is satisfied that the applicant deserves to be granted the broadcast license desired; and the applicant having, in the Commission's opinion, fulfilled all statutory requirements with particular reference to section 9 of the Decree, the 178