Worried by the continued exploitation of broadcasters by media owners, broadcaster and media entrepreneur, Fola Folayan has called for the launch of a new union to protect their rights better conditions of service.
In this interview with Lekan Otufodunrin, the Operations Director of BROADCAST RADIO MASTER CLASS offers more insights on the worrisome working conditions in the broadcast sector and what broadcasters should insist on having.
FIVE-POINT DEMANDS
It’s time radio broadcasters across the country unionize. NUJ or RATTAWU isn’t covering you, so come together so you can demand better treatment.
*Salary restructuring
*Stop owing
*Stop pension fraud (pay backlog)
*Pay health insurance
*Stop asking presenters to do marketing
It makes no sense for a radio station owing staff salaries for months, yet opening out stations elsewhere. It’s just wrong.
Broadcasters cannot be on air five or six days a week, no holidays and station owners refuse to pay them while living large and starting white elephant projects.
It is illegal and fraudulent to deduct pensions from staff salaries every month, and REFUSE to remit. Some radio stations have years of backlog unpaid pensions. These are people’s RETIREMENT SAVINGS.
Broadcasters, why are you keeping quiet at this exploitation?
Broadcasters are not marketers. It is exploitative to send presenters to the streets to be looking for adverts. If broadcasters want to be independent contractors, let them be the ones to negotiate the terms.
Radio presenters should demand creative freedom. No more slavery contracts that tie you down to one station. Demand Co-ownership of copyright on every content you create on the station.
Broadcasters should demand paid study leave apart from your annual leave. Since the station will not pay to send you on professional development courses, let it be written into the contract that you’re entitled to a paid study leave for you to attend training.
What informed your call for broadcasters to have a union to demand better treatment?
A Union is supposed to protect our interests, provide a platform to speak with a collective voice and ensure that we are not exploited. Because we do not have this protection, broadcast media owners get away with unethical practices because they know that there will be very little to zero consequences.
Is there a possible reason why the NUJ/RATAWU are unable to speak for the affected broadcasters?
The only possible reason that comes to mind is that, over the years, NUJ has catered for print journalists more even though it was meant to cover all journalists across the spectrum.
And then, as private FM radio grew, broadcasters have been hired from all works of life without them necessarily having journalism or communication qualifications. Joining a union of professional Journalists was never a priority for most broadcasters.
From my limited experience with RATTAWU, members were mostly media tech workers from government-owned media. The union never really extended out of that bubble.
Another underlying problem is that NUJ leadership and membership to a large extent are not of the same demographic as the current crop of radio broadcasters and they are probably not facing the same industry realities and experiences. They don’t speak the same language. This is probably why broadcasters feel a little alienated and are reluctant about joining the union.
THE UNION ITSELF, HAS NOT IN RECENT TIMES, MADE ITSELF RELEVANT OR EVEN VISIBLE ON ISSUES THAT AFFECT RADIO BROADCASTERS.
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How are the salaries of broadcasters restructured? How will you rate the pay structure in private broadcasting stations in the country?
I’m calling for a restructuring of salaries because it is about time broadcasters were paid like the professionals that they are. The current salary rates in the radio industry are abysmal. Academic qualifications, years of experience, professional certifications should matter. You cannot hire a broadcaster with at least five years on-air experience and pay them N150,000 – N200,000. I believe it is exploitation.
Private radio owners are exploiting their staff by underpaying them. Deliberately.
This is why a union is needed.
To decide what the acceptable industry rates are, for entry-level, intermediate and professional; and to make sure that these media companies are paying within the range of those rates so as to ensure fairness to all.
Are there other conditions of service broadcasters should insist on at the point of employment apart from the ones you listed?
Apart from the points I had listed on my Twitter thread, I think the manner of employment should change totally.
Broadcasters are talent. And employment contracts should be negotiated between the media company and the talent manager or agent. That way, all the terms and conditions, including payment will be negotiated and agreed upon before the contract is signed. There should also be exit clauses for both parties as well as provisions in case there is a breach of contract on either side.
This will end the culture of ownership and entitlement that broadcast media owners have towards broadcasters.