By anselm SESUGH NGUTSAV
It is Saturday evening 27 October, 2018.
Curfew laden city of Kaduna has seen deep unsavoury moments in recent events. The bubbly city lost a monarch to criminals in a kidnap and murder, has lost citizens in clashes at different parts of the town and gone back and forth of a 24 hour curfew; on this fateful evening it has been a round the clock curfew, 24 hour curfew!
Radio is a quick go-to for news and current information on goings-on here and now. Radio gives information to the Kaduna community pretty fresh and provides an avenue for live phone interaction. While measuring its broadcast modus operandi against broadcast standards in a society tiptoeing around itself to get by safely.
It is an observatory certainty that many more people than usual, would have turned to radio, having time on their hands from the curfew for: company, information, and of course who wouldn't want to be entertained. After having a compulsory home rest beyond your plan running into days with no knowledge of when it might end.
At the moment, if you tune to Liberty radio 91.7FM Kaduna, the first voice you are likely to hear on a morning work day is that of Tunji Oyeleke.
Tunji powers or drives the morning belt as radio terminology captures it.
Radio anchoring has a lot to do with experience outside of the rudimentary eloquence of speech.
For one who has being in radio for some time, you can pretty much get by fine enough, on any shift or drive.
However, 'fine enough' doesn't cut it with an audience looking to be satisfied and not just that, but given the nature of the times in the city of Kaduna, normal isn't just enough. People want to forget the horror, yet be abreast with what is next.
This Saturday evening has Tunji on radio. He will obviously be driving the belt.
Fewer of Liberty radio 91.7FM On-Air-Personalities (OAPs) are heard on radio live at this time, due to the curfew obviously. The danger of an OAP sounding weak and monotonous is likely a case when you have to face your audience too frequent without space to replan and structure content for delivery; fatigue, flight of ideas, lack of morale, the list goes on. The charge is to surpass the looming challenges and perform beyond 'fine enough'.
The city of Kaduna does have other radio stations as options for radio experience and a frequency change to another station can happen to you from an unsatisfied listener.
The task is always to marry character, style and manner of presentation with an audience one is faced with per time, and most importantly with the time of the day.
Imagine your favorite meal at your most desired time and place. That is what an OAP aims for. Serve the listener right!
While at a restaurant a waiter enquires your meal choice, on radio the OAP simply gauges and makes a run to win your heart as a listener. Loosing that moment means loosing you and loosing you for that moment, means you can do away with him or her at any time.
That is like being in a relationship, where you are totally in love with your partner yet you stand the risk of being left alone at the altar, shrine or wherever the wedding is to take place. Yes! That wedding day bride or groom absence is what it means to be tuned off.
You know why? Being on radio is not just about talking through the mic, it's the audience. The audience is your partner. And in this relationship the moment that matters most, is the one you are there reaching out via a program or simply talking and playing music.
Kaduna has been through days of a 24 hour curfew, that is going to make a grumpy partner: hard to please and difficult to understand.
Tonight, it seems the curfew on the audience of Liberty radio 91.7FM has existed longer with a talent like Tunji Oyeleke away from an evening/night shift.
Unsurprisingly, his experience leaves him quite competent to hold his airwaves with great music selection and smooth mixes.
TJ as Tunji is referred to in alias, captures the Croc-city pulse with music and presentation that is both vibrant and exquisite in character and manner beyond a brief review tonight.
Tunji Oyeleke has an enigmatic radio performance bathed in spontaneous comedy, that resonates with a Kaduna audience that seems to have been waiting for him, given the rate of calls and participation; with spouses giggling with their partners or even alone as they conversed with him on his lighthearted phone-in theme or topic of discussion. This offered the ultimate evening/night radio experience! Especially at a time like this on an evening of this kind, and a weekend at that.
People were and are tired of discussing the curfew, they simply want information that leads to an end of it and or to something better at this time.
Tunji had never demonstrated such complete fullness of talent, skill and capacity as he seemed to enjoy himself so much one had no choice but to enjoy with him!
This is what listening to the radio should do, and Tunji has just set the bar for the entire Kaduna State and beyond where people could visit to learn what an evening/night shift should be like.
Liberty radio 91.7FM could really set a standard for radio tourism from Northern Nigeria to the entire continent and we are all ears to hear the changes the esteemed management of Liberty TV and radio has in the near future.
Listen to radio! Most importantly, listen to Liberty 91.7FM
