At 6am, you could hear my father’s radio blaring from his room. It was a daily ritual. From Radio Nigeria Network, you could hear the rich Hausa-accented English of a male newscaster that often left us hooked till the end.
On the drive back from school, it was all round gist delivered in crisp English, layered with music that made every story land just right.
Later in the day, it was radio drama. Baba and Mama Caro or Money Making Machine where I first heard Samanja and then his Pidgin-Hausa Barracks series. Radio was an experience.
Years later, albeit unplanned, when I stepped into radio myself, I understood why we loved it.
Nothing was accidental.
Presenters were intentional about what they brought on air. You could see the depth of research, clarity for thought, understanding of the subject, awareness of the audience and delivery that held your attention.
Some went as far as scripting entire conversations down to cues, tone, and transitions. You could clearly see that our output was a product of a well defined routine.
Today, radio is fast declining. Unfortunately, those who fell in love at a tender age and witnessed the real work before the collapse are partly culprits.
If you wonder why radio is on a decline, it’s not podcasts, it’s weak programming. In some outlets, there are no Programme reviews, topics are decided 15 minutes before going live and more concerning, people who don’t even understand their audience.
And then we say Radio is dying while we forget that it’s core elements of creativity, research and discipline is missing and consequently failing the platform.
If radio is structured the way it should be, with intention, discipline, and clarity, it will not just survive. It will dominate again.
