Encomium
– Excited over Nicklodeon On-Air-Personality Award
Popular On-Air-Personality and event host, Ifedayo Olarinde, popularly known as Freeze, was announced as the winner of Nicklodeon On-Air-Personality Award, and was celebrated by organiser in Lagos recently. The coolest presenter spoke on his 15 year career, itemize the secret of his success.
How do you feel being celebrated as the winner of Nicklodeon On-Air-Personality Award?
I feel very happy, not just with myself but my industry, it means my industry has started enjoying international recognition and relevance. For me to be nominated, even if I did not win, was good enough.
What came to your mind the day you were declared winner, and what did you think gave you an edge?
The fact that I am always in the media was what I thought gave me the edge. When I am on air, I say things as they are. If I don’t like policy, I will say it, if I don’t like a certain song, I will say it without caring about whose ox is gored.
I am a journalist, so I have to report is the way it is. I am an on air personality and as long as the personality, is included, then it means I feel things personally and it might be a national issue that affects people in a certain way, but affects me in another way. I am still going to give you my personal view on it, which a lot of people don’t like. As for what came to my mind when I won was to thank God, who made it possible.
Have you ever been chastized in the media for negativity or people misrepresenting what you say?
Yes, I speak the words on people’s mind, but a lot of people are afraid to say it. Recently, I have been in the media for a lot of negativity, especially when bloggers misquote me. Yes, I understand that is the industry, where you will want to generate traffic to your blog, because the only publicity that is bad publicity is no publicity. But when you do it to an extent, it always painful.
Let’s meet you and tell us a little of how your journey to becoming an OAP started?
I am Ifedayo Olarinde, one of the coolest presenters on 96.9 Cool FM. I am Osun born father of two children, I started on radio in 1996 with BCOS, Ibadan but later joined Cool FM in 2001 till date making it 15 years of radio presenting, television and general entertainment.
Did you think you deserve this award, among other people you were nominated within the same category?
Considering my experience and contribution in the field, I will like to say that the nominees and voters both did justice, it wasn’t the height, it was basically because I have contributed my quota. I have been there before the CD started, I remember where tapes were being played on radio, the 8 tracker cartridge for commercials and if you wanted to edit, copy, you have to literarily copy it out of the blade and join it back with glue. I have paid my dues, so I deserve it.
Do you have any presenting skills?
Yes, the way I have always been honest as possible. I have my own biases because I am a personality on air but I try to report it the way it is.
What would you say, is the secret of your success?
My unique selling point and secret of my success is that I am real and I say things as they are, trying as much as possible not to be biased. Success is a very big word. I will not say I am more successful than any other broadcaster, but I thank God for the level He has been able to take me to. My success is giving to my platform, Cool FM, whether you agree with me or not because the best pilot in the world is the best pilot in his pocket unless he has an airline he is flying for.
How do you intend to impact on Nickelodeon?
I have always had a radio show for kids on issues that will impact on them positively.
What were the greatest challenges and how did you overcome them?
Challenges never end. I am an entertainer and a broadcaster, the day I decided I wanted to be this thing is a challenge on its own. Another challenge was when I was earning N1,500 for five years as my salary. If this wasn’t a challenge, then I have not seen a challenge yet. I also have to take public bus from school to work because when I started journalism, I was still at school. So, combining both was another challenge and my mom and dad never wanted me to do my job.
I survived more than five regimes at Cool FM. Each regime with different challenges, but at the end of the day, my life has been an expression of challenges and a testimony.
On and off air, who is Freeze?
I think I speak better English on air, am very real, I am a showman. When I walk into a room, you will feel my presence because I can be loud and jovial. Off the air, I am Ifedayo. I can be very introverted and weird. I can walk a long distance alone just talking to myself. I am very emotional and sometimes very hard.
If you are not an OAP, what else would you have been?
A lot of things. I could be a lawyer, hairdresser, mechanic. There were a lot of things that caught my fancy when I was young but thank God I am who am today. I would have become something that would not have a lot of routine.
– OREOLUWA BELLO
