•The Chairman, Tells City People
Music star, Yinka Ayefele is in a happy mood right now. This is because of the take-off of his 6th FM Station in Lagos. Over the last few years, he has been able to combine his music career with his love for Radio. His plan is to run a radio network that covers the entire South West and other parts of the country.
Last week, City People Publisher, SEYE KEHINDE visited his new Lagos Station at Oregun, during which he spoke about his new Fresh FM Station and the other 5 Stations he runs. Below are excerpts of the interview.
Congratulations on the take-off of your Fresh FM Lagos Station. How does it make you feel?
I feel fulfilled. Before now, we have about 5 stations in different cities in the South-Western part of Nigeria. But coming to Lagos is like a homecoming. A lot of people have been telling me to come to Lagos. They have been saying until I come to Lagos, it is then I will realise that I am actually operating a media house. Since I came into Lagos to kick off Fresh FM Lagos, the acceptance and the atmosphere and the people have been encouraging and so wonderful.
So, coming to Lagos of Fresh FM is a great achievement for me as a person and for the entire members of staff of Fresh FM Nigeria.
How do you intend to link up all the 6 Stations that you have now?
Actually, if you are going to operate a network station, you have to obtain a Licence for it. At the moment, we are operating independently, like Fresh FM Ibadan is operating independently. Oshogbo Fresh FM is on its own. Abeokuta Fresh FM is on its own. Akure Fresh FM is on its own. Lagos is on its own. Ekiti Fresh FM is on its own. At the moment, we are operating independently.
Hopefully, we intend to apply for a network licence. I am working on that. But basically, I wish all stations can stand on their own. That is what I will rather prefer, instead of recycling the same content in about 7 States. I will prefer different content, on each of the different stations.
But what is the central content that you are projecting on all the stations?
The central content is Entertainment. We want to broadcast entertainment to help those that are depressed and people passing through one thing or the other. So, I want to majorly focus on Entertainment. Entertainment is really helping the situation of things in this country.
Then, the political part of it is there. I am particular about getting our political atmosphere right, the way it should be done, to sensitise our people and especially encouraging the youth, to be involved in Nigerian politics. It is our generation and we have to get it right. That is the second content.
Thirdly, our news is like never before. News as it breaks. That is why we call it Fresh FM. News that is Fresh. Fresh News. We want to be the best as far as News is concerned. Like I used to tell them, I want to be part of the success story of all my OAPs. After leaving Fresh FM, I want to see them growing on their own. That is my major objective here. If you work for Fresh FM, in the nearest future, I will still be part of your success story. I will monitor you. I will be with you. After serving Fresh FM, I won’t just dump you. But from Fresh FM, you will grow from Glory to Glory. For all my OAPs, or for anybody that works with Fresh FM.
Let me take you back to when you floated Fresh FM in Ibadan. What was take-off like then?
Taking off was not easy then. That was about 6 years ago. I actually started with internet radio. That is why I have the highest number of listeners abroad today, as far as internet radio is concerned. We have linked all our terrestrial stations with our internet radio. So, we have the highest number of listeners when it comes to an international audience as far as radio is concerned in Nigeria. You can confirm that from Nigerians in the diaspora.
Taking off 6 years ago was not easy at all. Over the last 6 years, I have gained a lot of experience, on this job. When I took off with the Ibadan Station, it was a little bit hectic. But when I took off in Ado-Ekiti and Abeokuta, it was easier. And later with other stations, I started getting it right.
There is something addictive about all the Fresh FM Stations. Once you start listening, you won’t want to change the dial to leave that station…How did you achieve that?
It is deliberate. That is what I call professionalism, nurtured by experience. That is our slogan. Many people forget that I started off as a Broadcaster with FRCN Ibadan National Station I joined Broadcasting in 1989. I have gathered enough experience over time to drive a Radio Station. I know how it works. I have worked with BCOS. I have worked with OGBC. I have worked with OSRC, Akure. It was then OSRC. I have worked with so many radio stations. So, I know what people want to listen to, and when they want to listen to it. There are some programmes that might be fit for the afternoon belt. You have to work on the belt and the particular content people want to listen to.
I am also not someone to copy what others are doing. I can’t say because others are doing it this way, I should also do it that way and follow their footstep. It might not work. As for my OAPs, I make sure I get the best hands. My OAPs have their fan base already. So, I maintain that, and I gain that from them and I hold on to it. That is the more reason I prefer picking professionals from where they are, and making them more comfortable working with Fresh FM.
So, as for the Morning belt, I work on it from 5am to 10am. I give them what people want to listen to. Then from 10am, what is happening to the people in town, then work on that. What do they want to listen to, then give them what they want to listen to. Also, what do they want to listen to mid-day? Give it to them. What is happening to people at that particular point in time? You have to know so that you can give them what they want to listen to, mid-day. Some people will be at work. Some people will be on the move. Then, drive time. What will people want to listen to, anytime from 2 pm, 3 pm? 4pm, 5p?. That is the period when people are going back home. I worked on that, as well, to give them what people want to listen to, even when they are in their car or at home.
At night, we have to consider people-watching T.V Those watching T.V night do not want to listen to the radio. But I can tell you that if you are watching T.V, you will want to listen to Fresh FM. These are ways I have worked it out.
What are they doing on TV at that particular point in time, that is getting them glued to the TV? I want to know. I want to take them off TV to listen to what is going on on Fresh FM. Some people will be watching TV and they will just raise the volume of their radio, a little, watching TV and at the same listening to the radio. Those are the things I worked on-the Content & the Drivers.
I don’t compromise Quality and Standard, Professionalism. I always prefer a professional hand to handle the content on Fresh FM. There is Content and there is Content. I know the kind of Content that I want on my station. You might be doing it differently on another station, your own way, but I want to do it my own way. That is what I did to my music. So, I have my own kind of music. I had to introduce a lot of beats to my kind of music. I sat down to ask myself questions. What is going on, on the terrestrial radio stations? What do people want to listen to? We are in the South-West and Lagos has the highest pidgin-speaking audience. At the same time, what do the Youth, middle class and Yoruba want to listen to? There are some stations that are purely urban, what are they doing? What are they giving society?
The market women, the core people in the society, do listen to urban? These are things I had to work on. So, who are my listeners? And who are the immediate society listeners of your radio station?
Who are your target listeners?
My target audience is essentially the Yorubas. That is why in all our stations, I make my content 80% to 20%, then English or Pidgin 20%. There are so many of the Igbos and Hausas that even speak Yoruba more than us. So, they still listen to that Yoruba language. Yoruba is sweet. And you can express so many things in Yoruba, you can talk about so many things in Yoruba more than in the English language, and some other languages. We are in the South-West, we have visitors from other parts of the country in South-West. That is why I am trying to cover all South-Western States so that we will be able to pass the message across to every nook & cranny of Yorubaland.
How do you see the competition in the industry in Lagos?
Well, I am not competing with anybody. I can’t see competition. Yinka doesn’t compete with anybody. You will rather compete with Yinka. Yinka will always remain Yinka. Even in my music, I don’t compete. I do it the way God wants me to do it. I don’t compete unless you want to compete with Yinka. I face my job squarely. That is why you have people who beg Yinka. I have this policy, when you are in a State, and you are a Presenter or an OAP and you are running different programmes on 3 to 4 radio stations in the same city, I think it is unprofessional. That is what I don’t allow on Fresh FM. And that has given us good leverage. I wonder, why can’t you be in a place, build your FAN base and at the same time drive your content the way it should be done. Then, it will add value to you, and to the institution you represent. So, I am not competing with anybody. I just face my job professionally.
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