Dear radio presenters, this is going to be the second week running that I will address you directly. First things first: do not… I repeat: do not feel pressured to play more Namibian music. I say this because, as harsh or paradoxical this may sound, understand this… Namibian artists do not pay your salaries. 

One needs to understand how radio works. Radio has humongous expenses and operating costs. Radio has airtime. Radio uses its airtime to pay for these gigantic expenses. If radio does not capitalise and commercialise its airtime, where will the money come from to settle these expenses? From the Women of God gang, poh? 

Hence, you need to understand that radio cannot afford to do free shxt! Unless there’s a van-Rooyen times 10 who just wants to throw a couple of millions at a radio station for fun. But how sustainable is that, really?

Take a second and think of all the community radio stations in Namibia – are they surviving? Let’s be honest, they are not. Even the national broadcaster is struggling. Why are they struggling? Because they are, mos, “pushing” and “promoting”, amongst others, Namibian artists for free. It is, mos, for the community. Ok, and the expenses? Community radio stations are literally operating on shoestring budgets. Their presenters get paid close to nothing – if anything at all. 

Community radio stations back in the day used to thrive. Yes, but that was because donor funding was in abundance. Unfortunately, donor funds have dried up. Namibia, getting classified as an upper-middle-income country, did not do community radio any favours either. Covid-19 is going to be the coffin that will house community radio stations.

Who will help a community radio station? The community? Namibian artists? N**ga puleeez! What community? People lost their jobs. People are about to get evicted. All this while trying to dodge corona and you want the community to help? 

So, the notion that commercial radio stations should play Namibian music from sunrise to sunset simply does not make any business sense. There is simply no scientific evidence to prove that Namibians want Namibian music all day every day. However, a young drive through any location in this country and you will see proof as clear as daylight that Namibians religiously follow South African house, western Hip Hop, African pop and at best Damara Punch/Ma/gaisa, Oviritje and Shambo/Kwiku.  Commercial radio knows and understands this. Commercial radio understands there needs to be a balancing act between listeners’ needs and advertisers’ needs. The demand to play more Namibian music is coming from Namibian musicians themselves. Not the market – not the ordinary people. 

Businesses have markets that they need to sustain, with the ultimate goal of gaining more market share. Had the market (ordinary people) demanded that commercial radio plays more Namibian music, trust me, commercial radio was going to switch it up. But as things stand right now, Namibians really don’t f**k with Namibian music like that bro.  You want Namibian commercial radio to play more Namibian music and run the risk of losing market share? In these Covid-19 times, where marketing and advertising budgets have shrunk? If a radio presenter gets laid off today to cut expenses, with the hope of keeping the station afloat, who will help that radio presenter? A Namibian artist?

Until that time comes, where the market (ordinary people) demands of radio in this country to play more Namibian music, no commercial radio station will entertain messing with a formula that is keeping them afloat. Focus on your content. Focus on the listener. Focus on your market. Research never stops. Until research tells us Namibians, ordinary Namibians (not artists) want 70% or 100% Namibian music, the status quo will remain.  

Until the next loop, we say “GMTM”!

NSK is a professional MC. For bookings, email naobebsekind@gmail.com

@naobebsekind(twitter)