₦airaland Forum

naptu2:
Is it Pata Pata by Mariam Makeba?

90dbest:
Yoruba always think that Nigeria starts and ends in Lagos.

Ventura1:
Chai! and you omitted Gbenga Adeboye in OGBC 2

naptu2:
From memory.

carl90:
Wow !
Awesome thread 👍
I am a radio head ,grew up listening to the radio.
Rhythm Fm's JAJ "seven at seven " music show , Ray power Fm's presenters , Cool Fm's presenters like Dan Foster (God rest his soul),Manny ,...
Trust me.
A comment section on an online public forum is not enough to detail my radio experience in Nigeria.

My brother, I am like you too. I remembered waking up to prepare for school. While having breakfast, my dad tunes in to Radio Nigeria SW network broadcasting from Ibadan at 7am for the Radio Nigeria network news. News presenters like Zachari Mohammed, to Godwin Asuquo, to Treasure Durodola, etc were daily radio names then.

Later on at 9am, it's Police Dairy. On Saturday I don't miss Radio link at 9am. I really enjoyed those days.
I would basically need a novel to show the experience.
Radio would always be relevant.
I don't see social media replacing the Radio .
It will always be a relevant media.

Advancedman:
Before Rhythm there is star FM MITV Radio station 101.5MHZ
With the Man who made Local parable in English and playing jamz.
FFF
Femi Felix Fashina The Dean of old school.
Morning show and Wednesday night jamz

DissTroy:
The 2000's.

RayPower, Lagos

- Tito da Fire
- Tolu Alatise
- Slim Steve.

They also used to host the DAAR Communications Christmas and Easter Fiesta at former Gateway Hotels which has now been renamed.

Fun memories as a child.

Top Radio, Lagos
- Tosyn Bucknor
- Stranger (who I recently found out is Chris Ehindero).

naptu2:
Radio

First there were many MW stations, none of which was able to really capture my attention. We had Radio Lagos, RCOS, B.C.O.S/Radio O.Y.O, Ogun Radio/OGBC and of course the king of them all Radio Nigeria 1 (1089). Radio Nigeria 1 was the first place to go to for the 7am news and whenever there was a coup.


RN2

Then came the glorious Radio Nigeria 2 (RN2). RN2 played great music and they had superstar presenters. It was the first FM station in Lagos. I paticularly enjoyed listening to the station in the afternoons and at weekends. RN 1 catered to the older folks, while RN2 was the new exciting station for the younger folks (these roles were replicated on tv, with NTA Ch 10 being for the older folks and NTA 2 Ch 5 for the younger folks).

RN 2 had superstars like

(Your Willing Willy) Willy Egbe
Sunny Irabor
(JAJ) Joseph Akinyemi Johnson
Ohi Alegbe
Jones Usen
Ihria Enakhimo (one of the funniest human beings on tv and radio)
(Bonny with the face) Boniface Onogwu
Godwin Asuquo
Momoh Kubanje
Tony Ibegbuna (he was the voice of the station when it started. It seemed like he did all their jingles).

And many more. There were shows like Willy Brunch, Sunny Side Up, Martin Street Special (before the Martin Street studios burnt down), Police Diary, I Beg Una, etc.

Radio Nigeria One later caught my attention with a beautiful breakfast show called Radioscope. In the years that I was hooked on that show (1988-1993) it was hosted at various times by Zachary Mohammed (Captain ZM), Manny Onumonu and Evelyn Russel.

Radio Nigeria Three was set up in 1989 (it was the first community radio station in Nigeria and broadcast in pidgin, igbo yoruba and hausa) and I often listened to them in the evenings.

RN2 is now known as Metro FM, RN3 is now known as Country Radio and RN1 moved from MW to FM and is now known as Radio One.

OGBC 2
Then came the Ogun State Broadcasting Corporation's second station (OGBC2), the second FM station that could be received in Lagos. It blew RN2 out of the water. It was lightyears ahead of its elder sister OGBC (which transmitted on the MW band). It had great presenters like

Ladi Akeredolu-Ale
Larry Ichiejile
Olusesan Ekisola
Aderinsola Aladeselu
Peter Okodua
Busayo Olaifa
Toyin Shogbesan.
Ambrose Shomide
Toba Opaleye

Its breakfast show, which included Headliners (newspaper review) and Bournvita Sports Special with Larry Ichiejile/Izamuje was second to none. It rode on the wave of the golden age of hip hop by playing all the latest hip hop tracks that people wanted to hear.

It was one of the key sources of information during the June 12 movement. People got anti-government news from OGBC2, The Punch, The Concord, etc; pro-government news from the NTA, Radio Nigeria, Daily Times and New Nigerian and impartial news from The Guardian and The BBC. Then the government shut down OGBC temporarily.

Raypower
The very first private radio station actually began broadcasting without permission from government. The station debuted sometime in the middle of the year (broadcasting on 100MHz), then they were ordered to shut down by the NBC, then they legally started transmission towards the end of the year on 100.5MHz.

It virtually wiped out OGBC and RN2 from the airwaves. They were broadcasting from Alagbado, but they had a relay station on Bookshop House in Marina, thus their signal was clearer across Lagos than OGBC and RN2's signals. They poached a lot of talent from OGBC and Radio Nigeria. People like Ambrose Shomide and Momoh Kubanje joined the station. They had presenters like

Olusesan Ekisola (the first General Manager of Raypower, he was poached from OGBC).
Steve "The Sleek" Kadiri.
Dennis Tha Menace Ogi
Ogee Onazi.
Sule "Solazo" Ellams
Becky Ellams
Lola "L Boogie" Mogaji
Ibiyemi Olufowobi
Busola Faiga
Doe Abrahams
Tony Akiotu
Jumobi Adegbesan

They had Milo World Of Sports (which attempted to compete against Larry's Bournvita Sports Special on OGBC), Newspaper Headline Review, Jukebox (with Olusesan Ekishola), Rock Radio (with Dennis Da Menace Ogi), Doe Abraham's calypso show, etc. They also collaborated with The BBC and broadcast Sports Round Up, Sports World, News Hour, etc. It ruled the airwaves for much of the Abacha/June 12 crisis era and people depended on their news for information about what was going on.


Rhythm

And the Murray-Bruces finally floated a radio station. Their selling point was "More music, less talk" and they won people over by playing mainstream music that people liked (hip hop, R&B and soul). Rhythm has endured and has remained one of my top two favourite stations since 1997. They've had presenters like

Femi Sowoolu (formerly of OGBC)
JAJ (formerly of RN2).
Eldee The Don.
Steve (the South African)
Naphtali Tope Brown (Brown Sugar)
Nnamdi Anazia
Kemistry

And more recently

(The Wildchild) I.K Osakiodua
Phoenix
(Big Time) Onome Oyaide

At breakfast time I would often switch between the sports, newspaper review and news programmes on OGBC2, Raypower and Rhythm, before OGBC2's quality and signal strength depreciated.


Cool FM

Between 1998-2010 Cool FM had undoubtedly the best collection of nigerian on air personalities in one radio station that I have ever heard. The only radio station that has had anything like that (and they are a distant second) is Radio Nigeria 2 (in the early 1980s).

They had amazing presenters like

1) Lakeside (Lekan Saheed). He was definitely my favourite. The guy was INSANE!

2) Iyke The G (nobody else plays the kind of music that he plays. It's almost like he reads my mind).

3) Dan Foster (the Big Dawg. He has an unusual ability to connect with his listeners).

4) Kemi Adetiba (amazing impersonations).

5) Gbemi Olateru-Olagbegi

6) Olisa Adibua (yes, the same guy that hosted "Top Of The Pops" on NTA2 Channel 5 c1988-1992)

7) Dare Art-Alade

8 ) Tosyn Bucknor (she also co-hosted the crazy Fanta show with Lakeside).

9) Mark Silvere (an american that first presented the Good Morning Nigeria Show. He also had the ability to connect with his listeners [he often prayed for them on air]. Made a good team with Dan Foster).

10) Keith Lane. The very first voice I heard on Cool FM (on the day they started transmitting). This guy is the definition of insane! He introduced "Radio Grafitti" to Cool FM and it hasn't been the same without him (no one has his level of insanity). His first stint at Cool FM ended when he complained about a decision that management were about to make and invited listeners to call in and talk about it. He was brought back several years later, after Dan Foster left the station, but listeners hated him because they kept comparing him to Dan (Dan is nice and friendly, while Keith is irreverent and insane).

11) Charles Supo Orija (the king of news).

They also ran the Bournvite Sports Special with Larry Izamuje for a while (at first it was networked with OGBC2, then it was exclusively on Cool FM) and also had Sports Express with the Sportsvision crew.

Now I just shuffle between Rhythm, NigeriaInfo and Classic FM. No radio station is particularly dominant or strong enough to get my attention exclusively. Raypower lost the right to use their relay station, so their signal isn't particulalrly strong and they also lost a lot of their best presenters. The 2010 tsunami also saw Cool FM losing their best presenters and I don't listen to them anymore. OGBC2 and RN2 (now known as Metro FM) are shadows of their former selves.

Picture 1: Sunny Irabor

Picture 2: Joseph Akinyemi Johnson (JAJ)

Picture 3: Jumobi Adegbesan and Dennis Da Menace Ogi

Picture 4: Dan Foster

carl90:
Wow !
Awesome thread 👍
I am a radio head ,grew up listening to the radio.
Rhythm Fm's JAJ "seven at seven " music show , Ray power Fm's presenters , Cool Fm's presenters like Dan Foster (God rest his soul),Manny ,...
Trust me.
A comment section on an online public forum is not enough to detail my radio experience in Nigeria.
I would basically need a novel to show the experience.
Radio would always be relevant.
I don't see social media replacing the Radio .
It will always be a relevant media.

TemplarLandry:
I remember eLDee Tha Don and Kemistry.

I dedicate “Oya” by Trybesmen to them. Great jam!

Ibiyinka90:
Any list without Gbenga Adeboye(Alabefe Funwontan, Jengbetiele, Itu baba ita oko Rafa to na Cotonou) is a counterfeit. He was the most complete radio presenter in Nigeria then. And no one come close to him

FILEBE:
They say Radio is the theater of the mind . I got to start listening more to the radio while I was in secondary . After we are done with the family radio, I will turn on my battery powered radio and listen all through the night. I was warned several times of the dame the earpiece could do to the ear if I sleep with it, I couldn't listen because of the love I had for radio
@naptu2. You didn't mention shows like Cruise control , Metro Fm, hosted by Frank Edoho afterwhich Kamala took over.. it starts airing by 7 to 9. The music people always request for is so so soothing . Even the show's theme song, Sunset Island by Earl Klugh is one I still listen to many times to ease off.
Metro fm also has Doris Okafor that anchors the show, Rock City. I will like to see what Doris looks likes frankly , she was lovely with what she does .

I think it is Metro Fm that has this program called Straight from the heart .I will so so love to have this show back on air. It is a show where heart touching stori3s are read and backed up with music that pertains to whatever keywords that were being read at that time. It airs at night .


Rhythm fm with Shola Thomson. That guy with the fluid smooth voice.

I then got to like Cool fm. Early 2000s they came with weekly Top 40 . Presenters like Manny, Daddy freeze, Gbemi Olateju,



Night radios are the best! After the days work. You come back home, relax and listen to the radio while it soothens your soul. Even the conversations and talk shows are just top notch. Midnight radios are even better.

Honestly, I am not feeling today's radio as I use to. I couldn't go a day without radio then. Now, I try to listen to my car radio and all I hear aren't interesting or worthy of my attention. Only time these our modern radio stations get interesting are during the Elections.

Advancedman:
Before Rhythm there is star FM MITV Radio station 101.5MHZ
With the Man who made Local parable in English and playing jamz.
FFF
Femi Felix Fashina The Dean of old school.
Morning show and Wednesday night jamz

GabeO:
@op so you dont know ebele yooo of cool fm as dan foster called her then

Vinnie2000:
Which Memories?🤔

You when Dem born for 2003.😏

This wan no be Messi and Ronaldo Matter Please.

Better Sit down and read Elders comments, OK? 🤨🙂

naptu2:
♪There's a radio station that's got it all,
There is no doubt.
Radio Nigeria 2 is the name,
Check us out.

Radio Nigeria 2
Am, FM Stereo♫


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqhSg_8kSjk

ManOfSon:
Don't ever sleep on Benson Idonije. I believe he presented an evergreen music show on Radio Nigeria 2 around 1988-1989. I used to love that show back then. It was much later I learnt he was one of the early managers of Fela the Abami Eda himself. I guess that says a lot about Mr. Idonije.

saphiere:
There's so much hunger in the land. It's high time Nigerian men give way for women to try.

Suffer no dey tire una?

AImiron:
me and your papa na age mates

Vinnie2000:
For Radio Broadcasting

I Remember Late Timi Ebikagboro of Melody FM, 88.6, Warri.

Our Beloved Sport Presenter, those Days. 😊😌

He was the one Giving us EPL Transfer window News in 2004,2005,2006,. 🤨🙂

Love800:
Do u know hw one can get into radio?
And hw much are they being paid?