Ciku Muiruri Aggressively Bashes Nation FM’s Lornah Irungu, Kiss 100’s Shaffie Weru and Citizen FM’s Fred Machoka

It seems Ciku Muiruri did not get an opportunity to hit back at fellow guest invitees during an interview discussion on NTV’s Press Pass with Mark Masai, the topic was radio and the content therein and apparently she could not digest the views of her fellow compatriots and she henceforth took on her Facebook page to offset them.

“Lornah was the proverbial Mother Superior, questioning the ethics of radio presenters. Fred was the disapproving dad and Kiss 100’s Shaffie Weru was treated as the punching bag for all societal ills” Ciku wrote. Ciku said that Lornah and Fred views were interfering unduly with personal choice and that she was not too sure if their reasoning could be reflected on today’s world. They (Lornah and Fred) were expressing their dissatisfaction with the inclusion of sex related content on the media.

She further illustrated that bashing someone whose ratings was through the roof makes little sense to her and that personal feelings were irrelevant to her as only a few people on air actually have control over much. Ciku emphasized that the bottom line to attracting advertisers and gaining a good place to a sizable ratings was by tolerating what the society wants to listen to not what some may consider questionable material.

Here is Ciku’s full argument on facebook:

Nanny state is a term used to express that a government or its policies are overprotective or interfering unduly with personal choice. On Monday this term was ringing through my head as I listened to two views – One from Nation FM’s Lornah Irungu and the second from Citizen FM’s Fred Machoka, which made me think that they believe that Kenyans have no free will. This was on NTV’s Press Pass with Mark Masai. The topic was radio and the content therein. Lornah was the proverbial Mother Superior, questioning the ethics of radio presenters. Fred was the disapproving dad and Kiss 100’s Shaffie Weru was treated as the punching bag for all societal ills. I was also on the panel, my stand – To each his own.

They did agree on one thing – Sex is important and we must discuss it. It seems that how you talk about it was the only issue. Lornah felt a psychologist or someone of that fashion must be in the studio when the topic comes up, Shaffie felt it’s never that serious and Fred thought that bedroom issues should always be left – In the bedroom. Mm. That Fred. He has been on air since 1978. Amazing. Much respect. But this BBC type style of broadcasting that he’d like everyone to emulate, I’m not too sure about.

The BBC or KBC can get away with a lot. If you fail to make money, you will prevail. If you have one listener, you will prevail. If inflation reaches all time highs, you will prevail. If Interest rates go to hell, you will prevail. That’s the cushion that the national broadcaster and taxpayer’s money, gives you. For the rest of us, it’s slightly trickier. We have shareholders. We have to look at the bottom line. How do you attract the advertisers? A good place to start is sizable ratings. If society wants to listen to what some may consider questionable material, should we stop them? Should we be a nanny state? Why can’t radio stations go their individual ways in terms of content and if it works for you, it works, if it doesn’t, it doesn’t? 

Bashing someone whose ratings are through the roof makes little sense to me. Personal feelings are irrelevant. After all, few people on air actually have control over much. I’ll give you an example. You call a radio station and ask for a song. The presenter says they will try and fit it in. That’s a lie. They will not play your song because they are not in charge of the music output. Their entire play list is predetermined by a music panel that every so often fills an auditorium with 500 people that fit the station’s target audience. They then ask them if they like individual songs. The majority wins and those are the songs you hear every day.

But radio presenters sound so passionate about the music, don’t they? What a great bunch of actors. That’s radio. It’s theatre. Pure and simple. Everything is researched. Music, content, even your favourite presenter has a Synovate file. They give the public what they want. They hold a mirror to you. So if you hear something that makes you blush, don’t hate the player, hate the game.

I wish Lornah well on her station’s rebranding. I wish Shaffie well on his drive show. I wish Fred another three great decades. They don’t all have to be the same, to each his own. Say no to a nanny state! If you don’t like what you hear, change the dial. If you use public transportation, get out of the matatu or buy headphones. Most cell phones come with them. There’s room for Oprah and there’s room for Jerry Springer. Choose. 

Ciku’s Beefs, Zuqka Magazine, Daily Nation, Aug 1st, 2014.