Dr Femi Adefila, an ace broadcaster and Founder of the Osogbo-based broadcasting company, Rave FM has decried how power outage and increasing fuel pump price have continued to kill the broadcast industry.
Adefila, who also owns Western Springs TV, said the challenges have not only affected the productivity of broadcast companies, it has also become life-threatening.
He also called on management of broadcast organizations to use their platforms to air their challenges and set agenda for public discourse.
Read his full piece here
The Nigerian broadcast industry is in turmoil, with the challenges becoming increasingly life-threatening. Many broadcast outfits have either shut down or are operating sporadically. When I ventured into broadcast entrepreneurship in 2015, I had high hopes, energy, and conviction. I aimed to redefine the broadcast landscape in my space and contribute to the GDP. However, it seems that Nigerian policies are thwarting my efforts.
I never imagined that a liter of diesel would cost close to 1,600 naira in a country plagued by power shortages. With a population of over 220 million people generating less than 5 MW of power, it costs an average of 400,000 naira to stay on air for twelve hours for a small 2kW transmitter powered radio station operating on a 100kVA generator. How can such stations be profitable or sustainable?
I understand that this crisis isn’t unique to the broadcast industry; it affects all sectors of the economy. However, as storytellers, we often neglect to share our own struggles. We are like the butcher’s son who feeds on bones.
I expect the Broadcasting Organization of Nigeria (BON) to defend our industry. I see representatives from other sectors addressing their challenges daily. We provide them platforms for advocacy and help set agendas that spark public discourse. Other sectors benefit from our platforms, yet we remain silent and pretend to be strong.
The broadcast space is youth-centric and youth-driven. If the government continues to undermine the sector, more young people will join the already overcrowded job market.
Politicians may see the broadcast industry as meddlesome and disruptive, but it’s our responsibility as practitioners to defend our space before they suffocate it. We must act before they stifle our industry and deprive it of oxygen. –
FEMI ADEFILA PhD.
