INFLUENCE OF TELEVISION IN CREATING AWARENESS OF VOTERS IN OSHIMILI SOUTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, DELTA STATE, NIGERIA.

his study looked at how television helps to create voter awareness in Oshimili South Local Government Area of Delta
State. A survey design was used, and data were used to collected with an online questionnaire with set questions. The
planned sample size was 399 respondents using Yamane formula, and this was rounded up to 400 for the online survey.
However, because people were free to take part or not, 220 complete and usable responses were finally used for analysis.
The data were analysed with Python through frequencies, percentages, means, standard deviations, and percentage
mean scores. The results showed that respondents had a moderate level of television exposure, with an exposure index
of 48.95 percent. News bulletins, political talk shows, and debates were the political programmes watched most.
Television helped respondents at a moderate level to know candidates, political parties, and main election issues, with a
mean score of 3.16 out of 5, or 63.2 percent. It also helped them understand voting procedures at a moderate level, with
a mean score of 3.06 out of 5, or 61.2 percent. Still, respondents did not have strong trust in television political messages
because many felt that some stations were biased. The study concluded that television creates voter awareness in Oshimili
South, although the effect is moderate and depends on message quality, trust, clearness, and access. It recommendes that
television stations and election bodies should give more practical, fair, and repeated voter education messages.