Residents of Enugu, Sunday, expressed disappointment following the going off-air of Coal City 92.9FM, owned by the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria. NewsNGR reports that the station, popularly called Radio Nigeria, Enugu, has been off air for about two months.
“Our vibrant Radio Nigeria Enugu is gone,” said Mr Uroko Eze, a retired civil servant of the University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus.
Eze added, “Gone are the days we were glued to our radio sets listening to those educative programmes of the station. What made the station interesting then was the calibre of its programmes and presenters. Suddenly, the time has gone, and the station is even no longer being heard again.”
A trader, Okechukwu Moses, shared his opinion on the development. According to him, “The death of Radio Nigeria, Enugu, began gradually. It started by being unable to transmit to some outskirts, such as Udi, Ezeagu, Nsukka, Uzo-Uwani and other farther LGAs outside the metropolis. Then it began to be unable to hook onto the national network news.
“Eventually, the station is shut. I still wonder what the workers still go there to do. It is a federal government station, and shows how neglect of government facilities is the problem of this country.”
A media expert and retired worker of the station, who refused to be mentioned, said, “The station has been abandoned by the federal government, unlike its counterparts in other regional heads, such as Ibadan, Kaduna, Lagos and Abuja. These are the mother stations before the establishment of various frequency modulated stations in most state capitals.
“Radio Nigeria, Enugu, coordinates latter FRCN FM stations in the South East. Suddenly, FG refused to replace its obsolete equipment, and that landed the station to its current dead state.
“The implication is that most South-East residents won’t be able to listen to the network news of the FRCN unless they hook to stations from North Central. My friend at Nsukka told me that he listens to network news via radio stations in Lokoja, Makurdi, Lafia and Jos. Unfortunately, state-owned radio station is not faring better.”
James Ibegbunam is a public affairs analyst. He said, “Enugu residents have found alternatives in many private radio stations in the city. These private stations have filled the void because they are vibrant, with educative programmes and engaging presenters. Anything owned by the government is always being influenced by many factors, some destructive. That is how the popular Radio Nigeria, Enugu, has gone.”
A senior programme officer of the station, who did not want his name stated, blamed the development to poor management under the current zonal director.
He said, “Since the creation of the station, it has never gone off air for four days, except under the current leader, which has recorded almost two months’ off-air and still counting. The director general of the station came to Enugu recently, and we hope the station would be restored.”
It was gathered that the station has over 600 workers in its services in Enugu.