In showbiz, the spotlight is often on artistes. But there are always unsung heroes. One of such people is Olamide Adedeji, the man who manages Soundcity TV, ONTv, Spice Fashion Channel, Urban Radio and Soundcity Radio stations. He speaks with OLUSHOLA RICKETTS
How has it been as the Group Channels Manager for Consolidated Media Associates, owners of Soundcity TV, ONTv, Spice Fashion Channel, Urban Radio and Soundcity Radio?
I have been here for about 11 years now. I remember joining the company at a pretty young age, and it has been a learning process, especially growing with the brands in such a way that they have become admirable within the Nigerian media space. It has been a tough journey as well, but also, it has been very fulfilling because we saw a certain picture and we worked towards ensuring that the picture came alive. It has been a great experience and I love every minute of it.
What were the sacrifices made and obstacles you had to contend with?
First, distraction is one of the biggest challenges anybody can have. It’s so easy to be distracted. While growing up, our parents liked to call it losing focus. I believe that it is very important to find your passion at a very early age and work towards it. I was lucky to find something I was passionate about while growing up, and that helped me. The passion was nurtured in the right direction against all sorts of distraction that would have come my way.
As a young person, it is very important to find the right people that will help you harness your goals. I was lucky to meet Tajudeen Adepetu. I equally love his passion and drive, and that has helped me over the decade. And because we have spent many years together, we understand one another’s language. Yes, we’ve had a lot of challenges and disappointments, but most of them have been sort of stepping stones for us.
How is the company faring in the face of unfavourable government policies, among others?
Rules and regulations are in place to guide people; there are principles, laws of the land and a whole lot of other things in place that guide the business. We’ve been able to play according to the rules and regulations of the land. We strictly adhere to every rule that is out there.
However, it is worthy to note that we are working in the creative industry, so we are constantly thinking to ensure that as much as we play within this environment and society, we are also thinking to take the entire society to the next level as a world-class brand. So, even though our immediate focus is Nigeria and Africa, our goal is to be global, and we’ve been working towards that. That is why you see our channels like Soundcity and Spice TV competing favourably with any channel out there.
How do you think the government can be more helpful to the media sector?
To support the creative industry, the government needs to fund the right people. I think that is the problem the government has had over the time. I personally don’t know of any notable project that the government has funded in recent times that has become epic. It is very important for the government to look for key important projects that could drive our society in the right direction. Yes, the government wants to develop a lot of home-grown talents, contents and companies, but they need to look for the right people to do that. At the CMA Group, we have Soundcity for music lovers, Spice TV for fashion people, Trybes TV for Nollywood. We also have a series TV called Televista, we have a general entertainment channel called ONTv, ONMax and we have a news channel coming up, called Access24. So, we are thinking ahead. The government needs to partner with people like us to move the industry forward. If they do that, I’m sure the media and entertainment in general will move to the next level. Entertainment is a big thing, but unfortunately, we have not even been able to scratch the surface of what it has to offer in Nigeria. We have key players in this industry that are doing great, but we are not there yet. The kind of things we can benefit will profit the Nigerian economy, both on small and large scale. Oil is a big deal a m o n g nations, but we should n o t l o o k down on the creative industry bec a u s e t h e r e are many things in it. Nigerian music is a big deal anywhere in the world right now. We have international record labels that are coming into Nigeria to pick up talents
Why did you embark on recent rebranding of Soundcity?
Soundcity has been around now for over a decade and every three or four years, we either rebrand the channel or inject some refreshed buttons. The current rebranding we started since December is necessary because we have been a local player for too long. Yes, we have been able to establish our footprints in other parts of the continent in the last couple of years, and that has been going well. However, it has not been aggressive enough to our own standards.
Primarily we have dominated the Nigerian market space for too long, so we decided to extend the goodness of the station to other parts of the world by forming a stronger bond. What we are doing right now is just the phase one of the rebranding project.
The phase two will come soon this year. We have also opened our channels in other countries like South Africa that didn’t have access to it before. Sound City is pretty much in every part of Africa right now, and the feedback we have been getting from these countries is incredible. The channel is more international now; the look, feel and how we curate our music now is better than how it used to be.
What brought about the recently held Soundcity MVP Awards?
Soundcity used to have an award that stopped in 2010, known as Soundcity Music Video Awards. We stopped doing it because at that time, sponsorship was hard to come by. The market was not ready to appreciate what we were doing and it happened to other high profile music channels too.
The technicality of the former award is music videos, but then the MVP is bigger, which has to do with music and videos, and every other thing happening within the entertainment industry. After tinkering with many names, we think it is high time we rewarded the MVPs, which some people may call Most Valuable Player, Most Valuable Personality, but it is important that it is an award given to the Most Valuable People within an industry.
So, the first edition of the Soundcity MVP Award, which was held on December 29, 2016, got good reviews from people. The love and support for it was so overwhelming. Even people from other parts of the continent came to perform. The MVP is much of an African scale award, not just about Nigeria.
What have you put in place to ensure that the MVP will not die like the former award?
There should not be any concern on the lifespan, because we are sure of the quality of what we have. The MVP is here to stay and from experience, I know that we are in a better position now than before.
Is it true that you started the MVP to compete with other awards ceremony, especially the Headies?
People will naturally insinuate that whatever product you put out in the market is in for a competition, but we just want to do our own thing. We look for the right people to nominate and reward. There is a long list of people who are part of the advisory board of the MVP. There is also a serious voting and vetting period.
It is not necessarily here to start any competition or to fight for a spot because in all fairness, there is no music brand that is as strong as Soundcity in Nigeria in terms of dominance. We are the only music brand that has a radio and TV station with strong online presence. So in terms of competition, I know industry watchers and practitioners would know who to believe and trust. We actually do not want to see the MVP as a tool for competition, but a platform for rewarding deserving people.
How do you relax?
Honestly, I do not have the time right now. I was in a meeting with my Chairman earlier and I told him that I want to be able to relax later in the future. What we do is a constant thing. We provide content, so we are constantly thinking of what next to do, how to change the landscape and all that. You also need to be weary of competitions, so there is no time to relax now; we work round the clock.
What is your most prized possession?
That is my life. My biggest fear is not to be able to achieve all the beautiful dreams that I have set out for myself.
What does fashion mean to you?
Fashion is how you are able to combine life and style together. By having a TV fashion and style channel called Spice TV, we’ve been able to tell the African fashion story. Up till now, nobody is telling the African fashion story except Spice TV. So, fashion to me is life and how you are able to surround it with style.
When was your most memorable moment?
I actually have two memorable moments; one was when I proposed to my wife and the second was when I got married.
