Veteran broadcaster and media scholar Professor Tonnie Iredia has called for a return to structured audience feedback in Nigerian television, arguing that growing criticism of Arise TV and its presenters has become overly personalised instead of addressing the fundamentals of broadcasting.

In an opinion article titled “Arise TV and Feedback,” Iredia said television stations once reserved dedicated slots for viewers to comment on programmes, presenters, scheduling and production quality. According to him, the disappearance of such platforms has pushed public criticism into social media and group chats, where discussions are often dominated by attacks on individuals rather than constructive evaluation of programmes.

He observed that many of the comments circulating about Arise TV are attributed to former broadcasters, but warned against assuming they represent the views of the entire broadcasting profession.

Beyond personalities

Iredia argued that broadcasting should not be judged solely by inherited Western traditions, particularly when those practices conflict with Nigerian cultural norms.

Using the controversy involving Arise TV presenter Ruben Abati as an example, he said debates over whether younger colleagues should address elders by their first names should be understood within Nigeria’s cultural context rather than treated as a universal broadcasting standard.

He maintained that broadcasting is not static and must evolve with the social realities of the environment in which it operates.

According to him, the industry has also changed significantly over the decades. While content creators once occupied the highest pedestal in broadcasting, digitisation and economic realities have elevated engineering and marketing to equally important positions, making it inappropriate to dismiss professionals from different backgrounds as “broadcast gatecrashers.”

The media’s constitutional duty

The former Director-General of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) argued that the more pressing issue confronting Nigerian broadcasting is not the conduct of individual presenters but the weakening of the media’s watchdog role.

Citing Section 22 of the 1999 Constitution, Iredia said the media is mandated to hold government accountable to the people, yet much of contemporary journalism has allowed politicians to convert periods meant for governance into premature election campaigns.

He lamented that from the inauguration of President Bola Tinubu’s administration in May 2023 until the official commencement of campaigns for the 2027 elections, political actors dominated the airwaves with campaign-style messaging while the media benefited from political advertising instead of challenging the trend.

According to him, adversarial journalism—the tradition that helped Nigeria resist colonialism and military dictatorship—has steadily declined.

Defending Arise TV’s format

Iredia also defended the editorial approach of Arise TV’s popular morning programme, particularly the role of presenter Rufai Oseni.

He said many critics mistakenly evaluate the programme as though it were a conventional interview show, whereas its format is deliberately designed as a hybrid, cross-functional programme in which anchors engage guests beyond asking prepared questions.

He identified three elements that define any successful television programme: its philosophy, its objectives and its format.

For that reason, he argued, viewers and guests should assess Arise TV within the context of its approved programme structure rather than imposing a different standard upon it.

According to Iredia, the strongest television guest is not the one who quarrels with the interviewer but the one who uses the platform to communicate effectively with the viewing public.

He noted that interviewers often play the role of devil’s advocate by voicing concerns already circulating among viewers, making persuasive answers more important than emotional reactions.

Experience should not be discarded

The broadcasting veteran also criticised the growing belief that experienced media professionals should vacate operational roles once they assume management positions.

Drawing from his tenure as Director-General of NTA, Iredia recalled that he continued presenting the flagship interview programme Point Blank, insisting that experience contributed significantly to its success.

He similarly praised veteran broadcaster Charles Aniagolu for his continued presentation of Prime Time, saying his temperament, professionalism and decades of experience remain invaluable to Nigerian broadcasting.

Iredia described suggestions that respected broadcasters such as Aniagolu and Ruben Abati should step aside simply because of their longevity as counterproductive, warning that such thinking would deprive the industry of its most experienced practitioners.

A call for better conversations

Rather than encouraging personal attacks against presenters, Iredia urged dissatisfied viewers to focus on programme quality, editorial standards and the broader role of broadcasting in strengthening democracy.

He concluded that Nigeria’s deregulated broadcasting environment already offers viewers a simple democratic choice.

“If people are unhappy with a station,” he wrote, “they should tune off and watch another one.”

For Iredia, the future of Nigerian broadcasting lies not in vilifying individual presenters but in rebuilding a culture of meaningful feedback, professional excellence and fearless public accountability.