edition-dw-akademie-in-the-service-of-the-public-functions-and-transformation-of-media-in-developing-countries-pdf

Part III Nigeria: Freedom Radio, an African Private Public Service RadioLearning By Ear (DW) – or the provision of expertise. DW Akademieprovides training for Freedom Radio staff, both journalisticand technical.Freedom Radio also works with ENABLE (Enhancing NigerianAdvocacy for a Better Business Environment), a DFID-fundedorganization that aims to improve the quality of businessadvocacy and public-private dialogue, and hence the overallbusiness environment in Nigeria:“In 2009 ENABLE partnered with Freedom FM, a commercialradio station based in Northern Nigeria, to support thelaunch of a new radio program, Da Rarafa, which discussesissues affecting small- and medium-sized businesses in theNorth. The program has now been on air for over one yearwith no financial support from ENABLE.” 46State of Affairs: Analysis of the BroadcasterLegal Framework, Governance and EthicsFreedom Radio, as has been mentioned, is a privately-ownedoutlet, one of the first to set up in Kano (which it should benoted is Nigeria’s second most populous city and a primaryhub in the north). Its declared purpose is to provide the peopleof the region with a mouthpiece, but the only alternative tofederal or state ownership was – and still is – a license as a privatemedia outlet.Licensing, however, whilst nominally in the remit of theNational Broadcasting Commission (NBC), is neither an independentnor a transparent process, since the final decision asto who gets a license always rests with the president. It is alsoan expensive privilege, with average fees for a license amountingto tens of thousands of US dollars, even for small ruralaspirants. 47 In 2010, President Goodluck Jonathan announcedthat the government was to give the NBC full authority overthe licensing process, provided certain stipulated conditionswere met. There has, however, “been no indication that anamendment to the law establishing the NBC and its charter, tosupport the change in the commission’s mandate, is pendingbefore the National Assembly.” 48In addition to the 25,000 US dollars initially laid out for thelicense (and for each subsequent license), the outlet pays a further10,000 US dollars annually. 49 It also has to hand over 2.5%of its turnover annually to the NBC, and every infraction of theCommission’s rules brings with it a hefty fine. Given the generalconsensus that the NBC is both inefficient and ineffective,as well as being handicapped by legislation limiting its powers,it comes as no surprise that journalists and media ownersin the region have recently set up the Northern IndependentBroadcasters’ Association, and eventually intend to challengesome of the conditions imposed. 50 The Commission’s actionsare often felt to be random and it is under no obligation to offeran explanation for any decisions.The outlet is run by a Board of Directors, consisting of eightmembers, five of whom are from within the founder family.They are primarily businessmen, and one woman. The chairmanis a retired Air Vice Marshal and former military governorof Kaduna State; the vice chairman is a prominent banker. TwoBoard members are engineers, the only members with priorexperience in the broadcasting sector. New Board membersare generally contacts or associates of the owning family, andwill be recommended by at least one member before acceptance.They are not elected for a limited term.Aside from the previously-mentioned mission statementwhich the station carries on its website, there were hithertono published Ethics Codices or other editorial guidelines. Thestation used as its guide the National Broadcasting Code publishedby the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC). TheEditorial Board is, however, working on the outlet’s own setof Editorial Guidelines, with the help of partner organizationDFID – a process still ongoing at the time of writing. 51Capacity Building and Human ResourcesAs previously quoted, part of the mission statement of FreedomRadio is the intent to raise the standards of broadcastjournalism in the region. The outlet is commercial, whichmeans of course that they set out to generate a profit, but anyprofit made is – according to the will of the Board of Directors –not to be shared out among the stakeholders but to be re-investedin training and equipment. 52 The partners BBC MediaAction, DFID, and DW Akademie provide training programsin-house, and DFID provides mentoring (but no funding) forthe production of business programs. This mentoring, as theoperations manager points out, and the attendant on-the-34Opara, March 20, 2014.35Freedom Radio.36Faruk Dalhatu, ManagingDirector Freedom Radio, Boardof Directors, founding member.37Dr. Balarabe Maikaba, Head ofMass Communications Dept.,Bayero University, Kano.38Umar Saidu Tudunwada,General Manager Operations,Freedom Radio.39Faruk Dalhatu, ManagingDirector Freedom Radio, Boardof Directors. Mr. Dalhatu notedthat the equipment for the newstation in Maiduguri was alreadyin storage but that the projecthad been delayed because of thestate of emergency imposed inthe wake of the Boko Haramattacks.40Faruk Dalhatu, ManagingDirector Freedom Radio,Board of Directors.41Ibid.42Ibid.43Prof. Dr. Abdallah Uba Adamu,Dept. of Mass Communications,Bayero University Kano.44Faruk Dalhatu, Managing DirectorFreedom Radio,Board of Directors.45Freedom House 2013b.46ENABLE.47Ojo & Kadiri 2001, 17f.48Freedom House 2013b.49Umar Saidu Tudunwada,General Manager Operations,Freedom Radio.50Faruk Dalhatu, Managing DirectorFreedom Radio,Board of Directors.51Faruk Dalhatu, Managing DirectorFreedom Radio,Board of Directors – by telephone,June 24, 2014.52Ibid.Edition DW Akademie In the Service of the Public 189