EXCLUSIVE: "BROADCASTING HAS ALWAYS BEEN MY LIFELONG DREAM," SAYS GODDAY IGHOTEGUONO, HEAD OF STATION AT CREST FM, AKURE

Godday Ighoteguono, a passionate broadcaster hailing from Delta State and raised in Ondo State, has built a distinguished career in journalism. With a solid educational foundation in Mass Communication from the Osun State Polytechnic (OSPOLY) Iree and postgraduate studies at the National Open University of Nigeria, he began his journey at Progress 100.5FM Ado Ekiti. His dedication to the craft has seen him excel in various roles across major media outlets, including Adaba 88.9FM and Orange 94.5FM, Akure.

Now the Head of Station at Crest 106.1FM, Akure, Godday continues to inspire through his professionalism and love for broadcasting.

In this interview with the Event Diary Lifestyle team, Godday Ighoteguono opened up about his life, passion for broadcasting, and his remarkable career journey.

Tell us about yourself?

I’m Godday Ighoteguono and I am from Kokori, Ethiope East Local Government Area of Delta State, but I was born and raised in Ondo State. I had my elementary and high school studies in Ondo. I am a graduate of Mass Communication from Osun State Polytechnic (OSPOLY) Iree, and I proceeded to the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) for my Post Graduate Studies. I started my Broadcast Journalism at the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, Progress 100.5FM Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State and I have worked with notable media organizations, including Adaba 88.9FM Akure, Orange 94.5FM, Akure, Ondo State as I was the Head of Presentation (Programmes Department) of the station until February, 2020 when I voluntarily resigned from the Ondo State Civil Service. The year I got an offer with Crest Hill Media and I assumed the position of the Head of News and Current Affairs Department of Crest 106.1FM, Akure. I was there from April 2020 till March 2023, when I was appointed the Head of Station, Crest 106.1FM, Akure, Ondo State. Having undergone various trainings in my chosen discipline, I have been able to fashion out creative ways of sustaining professionalism in the field of journalism, cutting across news gathering and reportage, programme presentation, art of interviewing, script writing, news editing and news casting. I am a member of various associations including Ondo State NUJ among others.

How did you find yourself in broadcasting?

It is like a dream come true for me. It's been my dream from childhood to be a broadcaster either on radio or television and I had been working towards that ever since then. When I did common entrance examination into secondary school, I was asking around about the courses I needed to focus on to achieve my broadcasting dream. For someone who had taken it seriously from that stage in life you will know that it is not by mistake that I am what I am now in broadcasting. I recollect when I was in school, the first thing I invested in was to buy a small radio that has a recording device. I would record myself casting news and played it back to listen to myself. Even then, I had no idea what radio station I would work with, I was just trying to equip myself. I would listen to news, get newspaper, read and record myself, playback and listen to myself. Broadcasting is really a promising profession that has been my lifelong dream. You can imagine when I said I love what I'm doing, it's my passion.

Back then, was there anyone in the industry that inspired you?

To the best of my knowledge, as a child, I will say none, I inspired myself and developed passion for it. While I was young, each time I listened to radio or watched the television, the newscasting and everything that make up news, it gave me this feeling that one day I was going to be like them. What we are discussing today was my aspiration that happened at a very tender age, so I can't say this person is my role model. I listened to all newscasters as they come and I just fell in love with the job. But as time went on, I realized that I have people that I looked up to, I have people that I wanted to sound like someday. The rest is history now because I'm doing what I love most.

Is there any regret?

No regret whatsoever because I remember back then when I was doing internship, I was staying with an uncle, from there I would go to where I was doing my internship at the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, Progress 100.5FM Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State. One day, my uncle said; 'this thing you are doing what's the salary like when you are done with the internship,' and I told him the amount. He then said: 'is this what you want to do with your life' and my response was, 'I want to be a broadcaster, it goes beyond the money, it has to do with passion.' Like you asked that if I have any regret, if I'm considering the salary they pay us, I would have left the job a long time ago and switch to something else that can fetch me better pay. I just had the passion and rolling with some people who will let you know that apart from your salary, there are some other things you can do with broadcasting and looking at that business side of it makes me fall in love with the job the more. So, no regret whatsoever.

What was the experience like coming on air for the first time?

Hmmm, I remember the first time I went on air, it was during my internship with progress FM Ado Ekiti. That very day, I had followed reporters out to cover an assignment, and I was told to write my own story which I did and the senior reporters would read it. They didn’t eventually use the one I wrote, but they used what the person I followed out wrote. And you know when reporting news, there will be an intro and they will now bring reporters who will do the elaborate report. He said: 'let me hand you this report, can you read it' and I said 'yes I can.' The first trial, he said it is good but I that I could do better. So, I did another voice over so they inserted all the SOTs and it came out beautiful. I remember Henry Akinsoyinu, he just left positive FM then, he was the one that launched it, but before then I had called everyone on my contact to listen to me that I was going on air, this was in year 2007. I called everybody and they all listened and it turned out almost better than those of the staff, who had been on the job for so long. I can't forget that day in a hurry. Why it turned out that way was because I had been practising. This has to do with the passion I have for the job and the dream I had before me.

Having worked in various media houses, how do you feel as a pioneer staff of Crest FM, Akure ?

I feel elated. Crest FM is just like a baby that we all birthed together and we have been raising the brand together till now. I came in as a floor member, but along the line, I rose to become the head of news department. From there, I became the head of station. So it's something of joy that we have to celebrate our 4th anniversary while I'm still here. Some people have left the brand, but some are still here, loyal to the brand. I'm so happy to be one of those that are still loyal to the brand because Crest FM is one brand that will keep expanding and that expansion on its own is one of the propelling factors helping us to do things. From when we started the station till now, the founder, Mr Olumide Origunloye made it clear that we have no problem that we will continue to grow internally. As a matter of fact they could have decided to get a head of station from somewhere else, but they said no that they wanted to promote people that are inside and I was elevated from the head of news to head of station. It's not peculiar to me, we have several other people that were promoted. For instance, the current head of programmes now was the head of Yoruba Unit, but when the position was vacant, he was promoted from being head of programmes to head the Yoruba Unit. Several people have been promoted since I became the head of station. It is a brand that connects everybody together to fly, shine, thrive and express yourself.

How do you feel when you were made the GM?

I felt good. Going by the promise made that we will keep growing internally, people will keep rising and promoted, I was expecting that, but with the feeling that such promotion will come alongside more responsibilities and it may go beyond the razzmatazz, which follows the position of head of station because it calls for more service. When I was the head of news, all I bothered myself with were the activities in the news room, but becoming the head of station means you have to be everywhere. You are almost the chief engineer of the station. Whatever happens there, you must know what's up. I was elated with the promotion, I was happy but I needed to tighten my belt for more jobs and responsibilities that came with it. It was with mixed feelings.

What has been your relationship with the staff?

Fantastic. If I go back to the analogy, before now it was just news department and I was good. For my person, I make friends. I do not see any reason we should not work together. We are here today, we may not be here tomorrow and we always part to meet again. What if the next time we meet we need each other's help but because of the kind of relationship we've kept, we will work together, that's how I live my life. IT students, corps members, staff members, we are one and I go beyond just work relationship. I make sure I cultivate this personal relationship with them so that at least whenever they are going through anything they would see me as someone they can talk to and relate with. That's what has been making the station stay afloat.

What are you doing to ensure that Crest FM remains the best and the first?

That question is very important because looking at Akure we have more than 10 radio stations already and keeping afloat and remaining that station that can be regarded as the best of all is not a mean feat, we have to compare notes. What is this station doing that we are not doing, what can we do on our own, and what are the programmes we need to put on air to garner more listenership. That's why we inject more ideas and if you look around, you will see that Crest FM is more of young and mobile minds that's why we think fast. We have various ideas that we juggle and play with and that has been helping us. When we started newly, I remember someone said “station ti awon omo kekeke wa yen" that we are pushovers that there is nothing really good that would come out of that station, but some of them have begun to eat their words. Now, they are coming to say “we give it to you guys, you guys are doing great” because we think faster and we get things done faster unlike where we have the grandpas and grandmas. They have paid their dues, we are not relegating them, but with this past age and time, we need mobile thinking guys to do things. We do not rely on past glories, we do not say this programme has been growing old and we leave it like that. We look for other ways to make it better and that has been helping us. Four years ago, when we started, we were having governorship election and I remember vividly some of the aspirants we walked up to said our station was new and they said they didn't want to have anything to do with us. Funny enough, they are the ones that are now begging us to feature them on air. It says a lot about the successes we have achieved for ourselves. We are doing all we can to stay afloat and be that station we want.

How do you combine your roles?

None is affecting another and it says a lot about time management and balancing. Take today as an instance. Initially, we were supposed to have this conversation at 10 am, but I was busy then. When we spoke, I rescheduled and said that we should meet at 12 noon. I needed to be at three places, I have succeeded in solving two, remaining one, which will be later in the evening. By the time we are done now, I can still do that and be back. One is not actually disturbing another when you know how to manage your time. Coming to the home front, as a husband and father, I thank God for the kind of wife I have, she quite understands and as a matter of fact, she is also a journalist and she understands the terrain and how it works. I give it to her because to manage the home is not easy and she also has her job and she has been doing well in ensuring that we have somewhere we can call our home, so I give it to her. Once I have that assuredness and peace of mind at home, all others are no big deals.

Where do you see Crest FM in the next five years?

Crest FM in five years should have successfully cut across all the South West states. In four years that Crest FM Akure started, we have replicated ourselves in Ibadan, Oyo State and expansion is not stopping there. In four years, we have started Crest Media Academy and it's not going to stop there in Akure. We are replicating that in Ibadan. Crest FM can't take anything short of success. We have our corporate headquarters still under construction, it's almost at 90% completion. In the next two to three months, we will open that space which means we are not stagnant. The moment that opens, we will have more business ventures and I can assure you that going back to the promise that was made to us, people here will be promoted. Some will have to move to the other venture we are opening up. In five years, I can assure you that when we have this conversation again next time you will see for yourself.

How do you cope with the challenges of the office?

It's been crazy. The major challenge we have is power. It's not peculiar to Crest FM, it's general, but if we are talking about broadcast industry, the major problem we have is power or electricity. What we are spending on diesel is crazy. A litre of diesel in Akure today sells for #1450 and there is no how you want to manage in a day for instance, if all you use in a day is 300 litres, 300 x #1450 just for a day. It is not easy to be in business at a time like this, but we are just forging ahead. With God on our side, we are doing all we can to weather the storm. But power is a major challenge.

What inspired your fashion sense?

Nothing really. I just like looking good. Looking good is a good business. Bearing in mind that the way you dress is the way you will be addressed will make you have this mindset of never to be caught looking rough. What inspires it is that willingness to always appear appealing.

How do you unwind?

I like traveling. My traveling has been limited these past few months because of my job. But talking about unwinding, I do that once in a while because all work without play makes jack a dull boy. In order not to make jack to be dull, we have time to hang out with friends, and have fun. I miss traveling, but I do other things like going for picnics, going to the cinemas to unwind and all of that.