By Olusegun Odegbami
Yesterday was something.
Needless to go into the details of the tension, pressures, anxiety, worries, expectations, tweaking of equipment in the studios, endless shuttles between the studios in Panseke and the transmitter station at the Hilltop as a result of attendant technical challenges.
All day long, no one remembered to ask for a drink, a bite or even a break.
When the studio clock chimed 7pm, and the transmitter remained still and silent, the world ‘ended’. Worry lines appeared on every face, especially mine. I sat wearing a headset with a microphone waiting for the message I was to deliver to mark the first sounds out of 103.7 fm.
After a few minutes of waiting in vain for the call from the top of the hill to announce that the transmitter had connected with the studio, and that I could start my speech, I left the studio, wondering what would happen next.
The small speakers rigged up in the reception area of the studios remained as silent as a graveyard. You could cut the atmosphere with a knife.
At exactly 7:47 pm, it happened. Confirmation came through a phone call just as music bursted into the eerie silence.
A loud applause exploded amidst resounding echoes of congratulatory greetings by the handful of friends and technicians that had been working for days before then to ensure that the Eagle finally and successfully landed.
It was a moment of magic, to say the least. My phone started to ring almost ceaselessly. Many friends had been listening and monitoring the ‘disturbing’ silence of 103.7 on the radio sets in their cars.
One of the most advanced and sophisticated transmitters in the world, Ecreso FM from the stable of Worldcast Systems, suddenly boomed to life and the silence was broken with the evergreen sound of Fela Anikulapo’s ‘Water no get enemy’ which my small team of pioneer ‘drivers’ of the station’s programming had insisted best reflects the Afro-centric philosophy of the station, and so must be the first song to be aired. That is still a subject of debate as the shareholders of the station have decided that it is the listening public that will choose, through nominations and debate, what song will be the first to be played on Eàgle7 Sports Radio when it officially takes off..
For now, there is still a lot of work to be done to get it running 24/7. Re-construction and some renovation works at the transmitter site are still going on; work in the studio and lounges still has miles to go; and the tweaking of the technological marvel that is being assembled to produce the best sounds and eventual sights, goes on. Experts in various fields are joining in and adding their voices and support.
Those patient enough to catch us at unscheduled times as the transmitter’s capacity and capability are being stretched to the limit can join us to enjoy the selected musicals and sweet voices during this period of test-running.
Welcome to Eagle7, 103.7 fm Sports Radio.
This day, I am full of gratitude to the Creator of the Universe who made all these things possible.
Check it out:..Eagle7 Sports Radio, on 103.7 fm. We might just be on air, test-running when you do.
• Odegbami is a former Nigerian national team footballer and sports entrepreneur.