What informed the decision to rebrand Dala FM?
Dala FM radio station 88.5 is barely four-five years old. And is the mother station of Dala FM, I mean Freedom Radio, is now 13 years old. In the first place, the radio station was established to complement programmes aired by the mother station, Freedom Radio. Let me state here that the emergence of Freedom Radio in Kano State has been like a revolutionary step in giving the voiceless a voice, being the first private radio station in the state. However, the management of the radio station discovered lapses and misuse of the opportunity of voicing views in challenging government policies and the decisions of government officials’.
With this discovery, the management decided to set-up another radio station to fill the gaps noticed in Freedom Radio. It was an attempt to educate the public especially the youths on social issues, but gradually the demand from the public has made the new station more entertainment oriented, broadcasting its programmes mostly in English.
The station was on this platform for four years, when the management discovered that there is a need to at least re-brand it to suit the social needs of the public. It was also discovered that with the growing population of youths in the state, there is a need to guide and direct them to positively shape their future. The management also discovered that if one wants to pass a massage, then it is apparent that he has to use the language best understood by his target audience.
That was how the decision to re-brand the station was reached, from a station that broadcasts in mostly English language to a station that has 99% of its programmes in Hausa language and from a station that focuses on entertainment only to a station that encompasses all social sectors of youth’s endeavour.
What are the new programmes you wish to introduce?
As the Chairman, Board of freedom Radio Group, retired Air Vice Marshal Mukhtar stated during the official commissioning of the re-branded station, it is an attempt to change Dala FM to a youth-centred station with modern equipment. Therefore, most of our newly introduced programmes are being tailored towards that direction.
It is apparent that Kano State, being the most populous state in Nigeria with a high concentration of youths, mostly unemployed, there is a need for the presence of an effective medium with programmes that will impact positively in transforming the youths into being more productive in their respective areas. We have new programmes like ‘Dutsen Dala,’ where our roving reporters’ report happenings within the state metropolis to the station, live, using modern gadgets. We also intend to report court proceedings live and the state assembly proceeding will also be reported live.
These are some of the things that we hope to introduce that have never been done elsewhere in the state before.
We also have new programmes like ‘Hangen Dala’, a political programme which we scheduled at a convenient time, we have ‘Baba Suda’, ‘Nishadin Dala’ that discusses social issues, ‘Teburin Mai Shayi’, ‘Ingattaccan Gida’ that discusses purely women issues, ‘Tarbiya’ that deals with upbringing of children, among others.
What was the reason behind changing the station’s language from English to Hausa?
We have discovered that for effective understanding of issues, such issues needs, to be addressed in a language best understood by the audience. During the old Dala FM, most of the station’s English programme being aired, you will find out that many people wanted to contribute but they couldn’t due to the language barrier, they would call in and mention their names then hang-up. That was what made the station to move from having most of its programmes in English to Hausa. We also have an Igbo programme once a week, a Yoruba programme once a week, a French programme and also we do have English programmes daily.
What are the challenges you faced in re-branding the station?
The challenges are enormous as you are quite aware that having to introduce something new to the public and for the public to accept it isn’t an easy task
In a dynamic society like Kano, one has to be very creative and focussed to achieve such a task of having new things accepted without much ado, we have that at the back of our minds and that is why we are doing all that it takes to give the people of Kano State what they want and the way they want it.
We are optimistic that within the shortest time, we will be able to meet up with the public demand and we will also come up with various programmes that will address issues and serve the mission and vision of Freedom Radio group.
