Ace broadcaster and former President of the Freelance and Independent Broadcasters Association of Nigeria (FIBAN), Yemi Sonde, concluded his broadcasting peregnation last Tuesday. He had presented shows on countless radio and television stations, ranging from OGBC, BCOS, Eko FM and Ibadan-based Splash FM, among others and signed off to commence his own outfit which he named YES FM.

At a radio show with which he wound up this journey of close to two and half decades on Splash, ace broadcaster, Seun Akinola and I had the honour of interviewing him on the radio. There, Sonde had the opportunity of telling the full story of his life; how late Toba Opaleye mentored him, how he morphed from the path of Forestry, which he studied at the University of Ibadan, to the life of a microphone wizard. He also relived how that enigmatic broadcaster, Gbenga Adeboye, played a major role in his life.

Thereafter, Sonde led an entourage to the home of Chief Akande, founder of Splash FM where he thanked the nonagenarian for his huge role in his broadcasting life. The second day, Sonde invited journalists from all over to a reception which attendees said was unexampled among practitioners of the trade.

A few things were on display for upcoming professionals and broadcasters to pick from the life of Sonde. His humility, commitment, dedication, rigour and can-do spirit are worthy of emulation. It goes to show that, while they say that Nigerian journalists live – apologies to Chief Obafemi Awolowo – the life of flotsam and jetsam of society, a few wise ones among us can swim off this typecast into being exemplars in industry, for the rest of society.

Dr. Festus Adedayo, a lawyer and Journalist writes from Ibadan 

The post For Yemi Sonde, the microphone wizard first appeared on MegaIcon Magazine.

The post For Yemi Sonde, the microphone wizard appeared first on MegaIcon Magazine.

The forum is a biennial programme jointly organised by National Broadcasting Commission, a national regulatory body for broadcasting stations and practitioners in Nigeria and Yemi Sonde Entertainment Limited, a Nigeria-based media outfit owned by Yemi Sonde, a broadcasting veteran in Nigeria.

The forum which has the theme “Quality Content In Digital Era: A Regulator’s Perspective” will be declared open by the Executive Governor of Oyo State, Sen. Abiola Ajimobi while the forum’s keynote address will be delivered by Alhaji Lai Muhammed, the Hon. Minister for Information, Culture & Tourism.

The forum which has become a hub of intellectual discus between broadcast media practitioners and regulators in Nigeria for the past ten years will have four different papers, apart from this year’s theme (Quality Content In Digital Era: A regulator’s Perspective) delivered by different resource persons in the broadcast media industry.

While Mallam Is’haq Modibo Kawu, the Director General of NBC is expected to be the speaker on the forum’s theme, Mrs. Bunmi Cole, the former NBC Director will speak on a paper titled “The Family: Content Production and Challenges”.

According to the Convener of the forum who is also the chairman of Yemi Sonde Entertainment Limited, Mr. Yemi Sonde, the need to improve the sector in all its ramifications as well as bridging the gap between the media umpires in Nigeria and the practitioners are some of the reasons why he has shouldered, along with the NBC, the organisation of the forum since ten years ago when the first one was staged.
“I derive a lot of joy from this forum not only because it is the first of its kind (partnership between government agency and a private citizen) in the broadcast media industry but because it has improved greatly the quality of content being produced by the practitioners compared to what we experienced a decade ago.

“I am this kind of a person that always want to give back to the society and since Yemi Sonde has become a household name throughout the country and even beyond through broadcasting, it will not augur well folding one’s arms when one can actually add values to the profession and to the practitioners.

“Since Yemi Sonde brand is synonymous with broadcasting development in Nigeria, I will not rest until there is total adherence to broadcasting codes and ethics by the practitioners in Nigeria and I will make sure I use every platform available to achieve this purpose, thus, very soon, I will be launching a book that bothers on broadcasting development in Nigeria.

“I want to sincerely appreciate Nigerian government as well as the leadership of National Broadcasting Commission in Nigeria over their willingness to this partnership”, he concluded.

The Managing Director, Radio Service Daar Communication, Ambrose Somide; the Head Public Affairs, NBC, Hajiyya Maimuna Jimada; and Director Broadcast Monitoring, Dr. Armstrong Idachaba are other resource persons who will, respectively, deliver papers on, “Broadcast As A Tool for Language Development In A Digital Era”, “Digitization, Benefits and Pubic Expectations: Your right to Quality Broadcasting”and “Sustainability of Broadcast Ethics in Digital Era: The Way Forward”.

The programme is scheduled to start at 10: 00 am prompt.

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