EFFICIENT MAREKTING OF TELEVISION SERVICES
(A CASE STUDY OF NIGERIA TELEVISION AUTHORITY (NTA)
ABSTRACT
            This project is a case study of Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) Enugu, to evaluate the efficiency of its television service marketing.
            The specific objectives addressed in the study includes:
-                      To determine whether this television house is giving better services to customers or viewers.
-                      To find out if viewers and advertisers are actually satisfied with the services given by Nigeria Television Authority (NTA).
-                      To ascertain the reasons why advertisers prefer to patronize Nigeria Television Authority (NTA).
-                      To determine the factor limiting the performance of the television house in offering better service to its customers.
-                      To attain the objectives, the researcher collected both primary and secondary data by the use of questionnaire and oral interview.  To present and analyze the data, tables, frequencies and percentages were used.  The 2 score was used to test hypothesis since this is test for difference of means.
After analyzing data and testing hypothesis the research came up with the following findings.
-                      Viewers agreed that NTA offers better programmes because of its network strategy.
-                      Advertisers prefer using NTA because of its wide reach
-                      The problem of in sufficient find and lack of equipment and facilities affect the NTA.
-                      Relatively, the personnel in NTA are not better motivated.
-                      The political interferences also affect the quality of services offered by NTA.
Based on the above findings the researcher recommends the following for the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA).
-                      The federal government should provide enough fund for renovating and purchasing new facilities and equipment.
-                      More variety programmes should be added.
-                      The salaries and allowances of its personnel should be further enhanced to keep them from quitting the television house.
-                      New films and documentaries should be purchased in order to attract the customers attention.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE
1.0       Introduction
1.1              Background of the Study
1.2              Statement of the Study
1.3              Objectives of the Study
1.4              Research Hypothesis
1.5              Scope of Delimitation of the Study
1.6              Significance of the Study
1.7              Definition of Terms
CHAPTER TWO
2.0       Literature Review
2.1              Meaning and Characteristics of Services and their Marketing Implication
2.2              Background and Establishment of Television Service in Nigeria
2.3              Types of Television Programmes and the Benefits of Television House
2.4              Strategies for Service Marketing
CHAPTER THREE
3.0       Research Methodology
3.1              Area of Study
3.2              Population of the Study
3.3              Sample and Sampling Procedure
3.4              Instrument for Data Collection
3.5              Validity of Research Instrument
3.6              Method of Administration of the Research Instrument
3.7              Method of Data Analysis
CHAPTER FOUR
4.0       Data Presentation and Results
4.1              Presentation and Analysis of Data
4.2              Hypothesis Testing
CHAPTER FIVE
5.0       Discussion of Findings, Recommendation and Conclusion
5.1              Discussion of Findings
5.2              Recommendation
5.3              Conclusion
5.4              Limitation of the Study
REFERENCES
APPENDICES
LIST OF TABLE AND FIGURES
A.        Respondents agreement as to whether they tune to NTA channel 8 or not.
B.        Viewers indication as to whether they tune to NTA often than not
C.        Viewers Indication of the quality of service offered by NTA
D.        Agreement of consumers as to whether NTA offer better service.
E.         Advertisers preference for television house
F.         Advertisers rating of the reach of the television house.
G.        Opinion of television personnel as to whether the government has provided adequate funds to run NTA.
H.        Agreement of respondents as to whether personnel in NTA are well motivated to reach high quality service.
I.          Respondents agreement as to whether political consideration or interference by the government negatively affects the quality of service by NTA.
CHAPTER ONE
1.0       INTRODUCTION
            The success of any organization depends on whether such an organization recognizes the most important aspect of business, and that is customer or consumer satisfaction.  Consumer satisfaction should be the first thing to think about before one thinks of profitability.  That is why professional marketers always say that the consumer is at the center of all marketing effort.
            Consumer satisfaction therefore makes it necessary for an organization to be marketing oriented.  The organization must not only practice marketing but it must be efficient in its practice of marketing.  That it must use the right strategies and marketing must to offer total product benefits and satisfaction to consumers.  This is very necessary if the organization must survive, from and remain competitive.
            The practice of efficient marketing is considered to be very crucial in all establishments, not just a selected few.  A television house should practice efficient marketing in order to attract viewers and advertisers important today in Nigeria where viewers and advertisers have become very sophisticated and selective in the channel they patronize.  The recent promulgation of the media ownership decree, allowing private individuals to own and operate broadcast media (Radio and Television) has introduced another dimension in media competition.  It now becomes imperative that Nigeria Television Authority house should undertake efficient marketing of its service or else it will lose its viewers and customers.
            Coming to Enugu State, where we have the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), which is owned and managed by the Federal Government of Nigeria.   This research is a comparative study of the organization to evaluate how efficient the organization is in the marketing of its service, how it stands on consumers rating scale, could it be said to be practicing efficient marketing and is its viewers or customers satisfied of its services?
1.1       BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
            The researcher evaluated the marketing efficiency of the Nigeria Television Authority with respect to the services it renders to consumers.
            With reference to NTA Enugu, the Federal Government solely owns all the television stations under NTA.  Almost all the states in Nigeria, except the recently created ones have either NTA or state owned television station.
            Until recently, ownership of television stations in Nigeria was open to government only.  Before the formal take over of all television stations by the Federal Government in 1976, some states in the federation owned and managed television stations.  The Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) act of 1976 entrusted ownership of television station in the Federal Government.  The NTA broadcasting was subsequently inaugurated to run all the then existing stations.  By the time of military government, 17 television stations were in operation and they were commercially operational.  There was then plan to have television station in each state capital. This has been achieved except for the recently created states.  So, we have the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) channel 8 Enugu, operating in Enugu St ate.  UHF channels were allocated to state governments while the Federal Government has the monopoly of VHF.
1.2       STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
            We have entered an important era in television broadcasting. This is as a result of the approval given by the Federal Government to private persons to own and operate broadcast media.  Licenses have already been given to some and now we have some private media already established such as “MINAJ” television house in Obosi, Anambra State, Igbinedion Television house in Benin City, Edo State (ITV) and African Independent Television (AIT) Lagos.
            With this current development, it is clear that there will be intensive competition between the federally owned NTA, state owned TV House and Privately owned T.V. outfits.  To survive and stay afloat, each of these television houses has to practice strategic and efficient marketing.  Viewers and advertisers are now very selective and will only patronize the channel that offers them satisfaction.
            To what extent then is the NTA house in Enugu conscious of this competitive situation in the marketing of its services? Is it efficient in the marketing of its service to viewers and advertisers? Is it customers satisfied?
1.3       OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
            The researcher aims at carrying out a study on Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) with a view to finding out how efficient the television house is in the marketing of its service.
            The following objectives guide the researcher in carrying out the research:
1.                  To determine whether the NTA house is giving better services to its customers or viewers.
2.                  To find out how efficient the organization is marketing its services.
3.                  To find out if viewers and advertisers are actually satisfied with the services given by the NTA.
4.                  To determine the factors limiting the efficient marketing of services in the television house (NTA)
1.5       RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS
            The following hypothesis were tested in order to establish the efficiency of television marketing by NTA.
H0:       Customers are not satisfied with the quality of NTA programmes
H1:       Customers are satisfied with the quality of NTA programmes
H0:       Customers (viewers) are highly aware of NTA television services
H1:       Customers (viewers) are not highly aware of NTA television services.
1.5       SCOPE OF THE STUDY
In carrying out the study, the researcher limited himself to Enugu Metropolis using the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) in Enugu.  The researcher tried to disclose the efficiency of television services marketing of NTA from the point of view of the management, employee, viewers and advertisers.
1.6              SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The result of this study will be of immense help to the Federal Government and Nigerian Television Authority in Enugu in particular.  It is aimed at ascertaining the efficiency of the television outfits – how do consumers rate the services of Nigerian Television Authority.
The findings of the research will help to establish whether Nigerian Television Authority is efficient in marketing television services.  This is necessary in order to ensure that consumers will continue to patronize its channels.
Television is a powerful media for reaching the citizenry.  In the government development programme, the citizens have to be carried along.  They are to be informed, enlightened and educated on government policies and programmes.  And this can only be done if viewers tune to channel 8, where the quality of programmes offered by the channel is not satisfactory to the viewers, they are likely to ignore watching programmes, especially those who have video sets may take to watching films and other recorded documentaries.
At this time, when the of “cabee” has been introduced, there is the danger that consumers will prefer tunning to only “CNN” Via MINAJ.  Hence, this study will help the government to make improvement on the quality of television services offered to consumers in order to retain their patronage.
The recommendation of the study if implemented will equally to ensure that government owned television houses remain competitive in this era when private television houses are springing up in the country and aspiring to gain viewership and customer.
1.7       DEFINITION OF TERMS
PROMULGATION:            To make known to the public or general populace.  Oxford Minreference dictionary compiled by Joyce M. Hawkins.
DATA:                                   This refers to a collection of unprocessed items which on their own do not convert any meaning.
                                                Fundamentals of Data Processing by Nnenna B. Ani.
MONOPOLY:                       This means the right to supply something to the public by a particular body.
                                                International Economics by Adam Smith.
CITIZENRY:                        Refers to the group of people who live in a particular city, town, area or country.
International dictionary of English by Cambridge University Press (1995).
SATISFACTION:                This simply means benefit one derived from a product.  Principles of Marketing Practice Hall International Inc.
Eaglewood Cliff, Ed. By Kotler Philip and Armstrong (1989)
INAUGURATE:                   Admit to Office ceremonially, begin (an undertaking), Open (a building etc) formally.
Oxford Minireference Dictionary.  Compiled by Joyce M. Hawkins.
RESPONDENT:                   This is a person who answers a request for information.
International dictionary of English by Cambridge University Press (1995).