•The Story Of ORANGE FM Popular Radio Presenter
•What He Told City People About His Life & Career
Talk of one influential On-Air Personality in Ondo State and Adeolu Gboyega’s name will be mentioned. Ebony Presenter or BBR, (the biggest boy on Radio) are some of his brand names. This LAUTEC graduate of Computer Science and Engineering turned broadcaster, started 19 years ago at the Ekiti State Broadcasting Service. Today, he anchors one of the popular radio programmes on Ondo State Radio called “Lagbala Odu”.
He was trained by the late Biodun Fabunmi Okemesi for some years before he started his own programme. Adeolu Gboyega is a force to reckon with in the broadcasting sector in Ondo State, having won several awards and worked at most radio stations in South West. City People’s ADEOLA SHITTU was at Orange 94.5Fm officewhere Adeolu Gboyega, the Head of Programmes opened up on his 19 years career.
Who is Mr. Adeolu Gboyega?
Adeolu Gboyega is a broadcaster, I have been in the business of broadcasting for the past 19 years. I am the second of four children, I was born to the family of the late Chief Bade Gboyega, a former secretary to the government and my mum is a princess of Oni Adesida in Akure. I am the head of programmes Orange 94.5FM, I’m a father and a husband and also I’m a Christian. Well, I started my educational pursuit in Ondo from there I went to Global International Industry of Journalism, Abuja for a Diploma in Journalism. Immediately I completed the course, I went to Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomosho for my degree in Computer Science and Engineering and when I finished with that, I returned to the international industry of journalism for a post-graduate diploma in public relations and advertising. When I finished with that, I did a master’s degree in information management and I’m also a member of different professional bodies like NIPR, NIM and others.
So, why did you switch back to journalism after studying Computer Science Engineering?
Well, basically, broadcasting seems to be my first love, in fact, I have been doing broadcasting before going to university, so I only went to university for the sake of maybe getting a degree and also to make the best out of what I was doing because as at then, I was already in science class, but broadcasting was my passion and it is something that comes to me naturally. Frankly, I love talking. It’s something that had been in me and the truth of the matter is that at some points I was confused, I was thinking maybe I should start a career in banking since I can always record programs and put it on any stations of my choice, but my late father called me and said that he had seen the things I had done and he was looking at the prospect that I have in future. Although that banking job is good, he felt I would go far in life as a broadcaster than being a banker, so that was how I dropped the idea of banking and I faced broadcasting squarely and I must say that I have never for once regretted that choice.
So, sir, how did the journey start for you as a broadcaster?
The journey started some 19 years ago and I will say it was a mere coincidence because that very day, I only went to the Broadcasting Service of Ekiti State to see my big sister, who then worked with BSES, but at the moment working with Star FM Lagos. She is also a veteran broadcaster Mrs Jumoke Adesua is her name. Back then we were doing some things on her NGO project, so I went to see her in respect of the project at the broadcasting office of Ekiti State, but on getting there, I sat at the station lobby. Few minutes after I was seated, a man came into the room and said everybody should follow him. So, I followed them, but it never occurred to me that the visitors were there for auditioning, so I followed them and they conducted the auditioning and I came second, so by the time the result came out interestingly Mrs Adesua was the head of
So, can you share with us your experience on your first programme on radio?
My first appearance on radio was quite interesting, I had a seasoned producer, a disciplined producer Mrs. Dunni Ayeni. She is somebody who will check your script, dot the i’s and cross the t’s before you go on air, I will give you an instance, while on Air, I was so nervous, extremely nervous, nervous to the point that I was perspiring and I didn’t know when I fell off the chair I still remember that incident till date, but after that day, I lost count of the number of programmes I have presented within that period of time, one needs to keep improving day by day.
How did you come about LAGBALA ODU?
Ahh! (laughs) You see, it’s an interesting question, because the programme I started with was not LagbalaOdu, I started with Owuro Lawa on Progress 100.5FM Ado Ekiti, but then I was presenting the programme between 10 &11 am, so they did the quarterly review and my programme was moved to 11 am. So, at that time, you can’t say Owuro again, because it’s already Iyaleta (afternoon), so at that point, there came the need for me to charge the title of my programme, so at some points I felt maybe I should call it JEUNSOKE on FM, maybe I should say OYATO, so even when I said Jeunsoke, my mum said ehh! ‘no’, that it sounds too local and more like a street slogan, that I should do something that people would take serious and she suggested to me that in my new programme there was a segment I would refer to as Odu lati ori ite mimowa (wisdom from the throne)so she came up with Lagbala Odu, so I felt the name sounded nice and immediately keyed into it, so that was how I came about the LAGBALA ODU courtesy of my mother.
As a young presenter then, what was the experience like, when you presented with your boss?
Broadcasting is an interesting industry, where immediately you get on air, no respect, you can call a 70 years old man by name, but then at the beginning I was nervous, especially when you have veteran on air with you, when there are these good people around you, and you feel like you don’t want them to see your mistakes and you see, I still have that fear in my memory till date, because when I M.C an event, I am not comfortable when I see media practitioners, at an event, I’m anchoring as an M.C, I’m not comfortable till date because I feel they understand what I do and instead of them listening to me, they would be picking my mistakes, but today I just do my things.
Who are your role models or mentors in this profession?
Well, I have mentors, I have role models, the thing is I feel my career is a journey and so there are people who have been mentoring me along the line, but I will say that this will be a special tribute to my late boss Biodun Fabunmi, who died not too long ago. He gave me a very big opportunity. Those who saw me at his burial crying like a baby didn’t know that he was my second father, who saw what my parents didn’t see in me, because Biodun Fabunmi could have disallowed me from being with him, in fact at that time my parents would not want me to be in the industry. My dad was a secretary to the state government. Fabunmi could have been arrested for encouraging me against my parents wish. He defiled all these to accept me and not only that, he took me to all the radio stations in the South West. We were doing all of these things together, we would sleep on the same bed. He taught me the act of script writing, I got all that from Fabunmi. He trained me very well, even in death, he is my mentor. But then, I also have other role models, people I admire in the industry Mrs. Bolatito Joseph is one. She used to be our general manager at Progress FM Ado Ekiti, now Radio Nigeria Zonal Office in Ibadan, Ambrose Shomide is my oga, any day, any time, Yemi Shomide remains a lovely brother, Yemi Shodimotu you see these three are the people in the industry whom I have, over time grown to love and admire. We share very intimate relationship and I can say that what these three people have been able to influence me.
Is there any time you felt quitting from this profession?
No, however as human when things are not working the way we want, we start thinking and trying to take a second look at what we are doing, but then, we didn’t realise that the merits are more than the demerits, I just told you how I forfeited a career in banking to build a career in broadcasting. At the beginning it was rough because when you see some of the things that your friends were doing and you were like ahh! Maybe if I were in the banking industry I would have done better, but over time, just as my late father said, that over time the need will come, money will follow, over time things became easier and they realise that God has been good and faithful and I don’t think there is any need for that any longer.
So, how do you come about your name BBR, Biggest Boy on Air?
Am I not big? (Laughs) the thing is I wanted a brand name that people can relate with easily, the name that people can grab. There used to be a time when the brand was about EBONY presenter. We started with that, but at some points, some of my oga, and mentors said, look this guy you are becoming more bigger than this brand you are giving yourself, you need something that will have corporate appeal so I just coined something I felt anywhere in the world, I can use and it won’t sound local, that is how we come about it, BBR.
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