– Steps You Need to Setup a Radio Station –
Steps You Need to Setup a Radio Station: Do you have a passion for broadcasting or feel the need to bring a unique experience to radio broadcasting? If the answer is yes, you probably would have asked the question, “What are the action steps I need to set up a radio station in Nigeria?”
If you have been to radio stations and seen how coordinated the places and studio especially are you might be overwhelmed with what seems like a tedious and complicated process to get everything together.
There seems to be a dearth of updated information of steps to take when you want to set up a radio station in Nigeria but we have taken the liberty to research what is obtainable as of today in Nigeria as regards setting up a radio station.
What are the steps to be taken to set up a radio station in Nigeria? How does one start the registration and licensing process? This and many more are what we would be addressing in this article.
Steps you Need to Setup a Radio Station in Nigeria.
Below are the 10 major action steps you need to set up a radio station in Nigeria. We would be as precise as possible when we go into details so read on.
1. Make a Business Plan About Setting up a Radio Station
As it is obtainable in any other business, when thinking of setting up a radio station in Nigeria as is anywhere, map out a good business plan. While drawing up a business plan, you would have to carry out a feasibility study.
Asides that, the blueprint for the proposed location of the radio station, the number of personnel needed, the type of equipments you’d need, the furniture you’d need, the vehicles you’d need for logistics, the central theme of the radio station and the estimated costs or capital needed to get it started.
Having a business plan helps but the business in perspective and ensures you, your personnel, and partners or clients do not derail of course, and stick to the terms stated in the business plan.
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2. Decide and Focus on a Broadcast Style
Choose and stick to a broadcast style. You choose to broadcast in English, the local language, or choose to alternate between English and one or more local languages at specific times.
You could choose to make your broadcast-style talk radio, a political radio station, news and entertainment radio station, a new and information radio station or you might go for general purpose/ multi-category broadcast-style like many radio stations choose.
Your feasibility study conducted while drawing up a business plan would aid you to decide on which category is best suited for you, your partners, and the audience or listenership.
3. Get Office Space for Your Radio Station
It is important that you get the right space for your radio stations. Buildings in which radio stations are hosted in have specifications that are different for what is required for, say, a microfinance bank.
- It is important that the studio is located in a separate room that is soundproof with easy chairs for the OAPs and interviewed guests. It has to be fitted with an air conditioner for proper ventilation and it has to be spacious enough to allow mobility and for the equipment not be clustered.
- Having a waiting room for guests is important. The studio should only host those needed in it at every point.
- There has to be a separate recording room for all the technical equipment and activities like recording and editing of radio jingles.
- An administrative office to handle marketing and other logistics required to run the radio station smoothly.
4. Purchase Equipment for Your Radio Broadcast Station
You would, of course, have to purchase equipment for your radio station. Their many equipments needs such as CD players, laptop/desktop computers, flash drivers, microphones, tape decks, mixing and sound quality equipments, transmission equipments, amplifiers, chairs and tables, cables, internet router and so much more.
With time you could expand to buy more equipment but these are the basic equipment you need when you start broadcasting.
5. Research to get Free Frequency
There are more persons or organizations broadcasting in various frequencies than you can imagine. You have to be careful that the frequency you want to choose is free and isn’t close in range as to coincide with another radio station broadcasting even with a slight distortion.
6. Brand Your Radio Station
Branding your radio station is the next thing to do when you have done these things. For example, Planet Radio Uyo goes with the theme “…Planet radio… revolving around you”.
Beat fm brands itself as the “Number 1 hit music station”, Nigeria Info brands itself as the “ Number 1 talk and information radio stations” and Brilla fm brands itself as “the No. 1 sports radio station”.
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7. Get a License for Your Radio Station
The first port of call should register with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC). You also have to register to get a broadcasting license from the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC).
8. Employ Qualified Persons to Work at Your Radio Station
Since you want your radio station to be of quality and of industry standards, it is important you employ qualified persons. Persons who have been trained in the art of broadcasting such as graduates of Mass Communication or Communication Arts or other qualified persons.
They have to have been trained to fully grasp the ethics of broadcasting as flaunting certain rules could get your radio broadcast license revoked or the station penalized. You could even be sued if it borders on libel.
9. Start Broadcasting
Now that all of that is done, nothing stops you from broadcasting.
10. Publicize Your Radio Station
You surely have to broadcast your radio station. Audiences are typically attached to the radio stations they love and remember the frequencies of their favorite radio stations which certainly reduce the likelihood of them stumbling on your radio station frequency by chance. These days, it is easier to do so with the help of social media.
Now you know what 10 action steps you need to take to set up a radio station in Nigeria.
What’s your take on this? We believe this article was helpful, if yes, don’t hesitate to share this information with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, and Whatsapp.
StudentsandScholarship Team.
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