The management of Ibadan-based radio stations, Splash FM and Fresh FM, have explained why they rejected an advert from the management of the Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State.
OYOINSIGHT had earlier reported that Prince Dotun Oyelade, the Chairman of BCOS, in a letter to both stations expressed dissatisfaction over their refusal to air the adverts.
In the letter, he stated that “working for the public good in such case, ought to be the common goal shared by BCOS, Splash FM and Fresh FM,”
He also noted that “BCOS would in good conscience willingly broadcast similar jingles or adverts coming from the two private stations.”
However, Fresh FM’s Director Corporate Affairs, Mr. David Ajiboye in an interview with Guardian eplained that the station reserves the right to determine the advert it would air.
He said: “It is true and I think we have the right to use whatever commercials or turn down any commercial that we feel wouldn’t be good to the company’s image. Let’s look at it this way, have you ever seen BBC or CNN placing an advert on VOA? We are in the same business marketing the same product. Had it been they want to do an event and they want us to give them media support for that, easily we can go ahead and do that. If they have brought any jingle of any programme they want to do, we would do for them free. But we are in the same market, with the same purpose to educate and inform the people and to get market share. You are now coming over in order to leverage our mileage. When we first got it, we asked ourselves why do we want to do this? Is it because of money?
“It’s like you’re selling rice and you have another person selling the same product you’re selling, the person now brings his signboard to place it in front of your shop. What does that portray? We are not fighting anybody. We are not against Prince Dotun Oyelade. He is a respected veteran in the business. He’s someone our chairman holds in high esteem. We didn’t just get to this level in a day. They should go and re-strategise”
Similarly, Mr. Tunde Olawuwo of Splash FM in his reaction stated that it is a non-issue for the management of the station.
“It is a non-issue for the station and management. There is nothing newsworthy about it as far as we are concerned,”Mr. Olawuwo said.
