This study reviews the evolution of Nigerian broadcasting from 1935 to 1979, with emphasis on the development of Nigerian television broadcasting. The problem was to discern how Nigeria's social and political structures have affected its radio and television system. The study concludes that both the heterogeneity of Nigerian society and the country's continued political unrest pose a threat to either private or government ownership of television stations. Today, approximately 1.5 million television sets serve over 80 million Nigerians, and this imbalance should be corrected before Nigerian television can be considered a mass medium. Nigeria's present administration maintains that its control of the country's television is necessary; critics feel, however, that federal control restrains television from developing its potential, especially in promoting national unity.