Now you have that idea to start your own Radio or TV station; what next? Starting a TV or radio station is one of those lucrative businesses one can go into that guarantees profit and amazing outcome if set up properly. However, it doesn’t come cheap. In fact, starting a radio or TV station is among the most expensive and demanding businesses to venture into.

This post focuses on the basic things you need to know, things you need to put in place, processes involved and how much it costs to start a radio or TV station. Stick around. If you are interested in starting a radio or TV station, this will be worth your while.

The importance of radio and TV stations cannot be underestimated. Apart from the fact that they serve as sources of first-hand news, they are also seen as the main stream of entertainment and socialism. While the whole world has appreciated and continues to appreciate the impact of radio and television today, there is still a need to increase the number of radio and TV stations and channels to allow more variety for viewers and listeners, hence, the open radio or television channel/station market.

There is a huge difference between starting a radio and a television station in terms of capital. Starting a televisions channel or a station is, as expected, much more expensive than starting a radio station. Also, it should be noted that the cost starting either a radio or televisions station varies with location. For instance, starting a radio or TV station in Lagos, Abuja or Port Harcourt is usually more o than starting one in other parts of the state.

Anyone can start a radio or television station, in as much as you have the capital to start and the basic requirements. In this post, we will take a look at the necessary things to put in place and how much it costs to start a radio or television station in Nigeria.

Processes and Cost of Starting a Radio or TV Station in Nigeria

Owning a TV or radio station in Nigeria does not come cheap. Although the business is among the most lucrative in Nigeria at the moment, there is so much more involved in starting and implementing your plans. Getting the exact estimate of how much you will need to start a radio or television station can be difficult. This is because there are lots of variable factors to be considered including the type of radio or television station you want, the location of the station, the bandwidth range you want and other technical considerations. To give you an idea and a rough estimate of how much you will need to start a radio or TV station, we will highlight the processes involved and how much you need for each of the processes. From here, you should be able to estimate how much you will need to start a radio or TV station. Here we go.

1. Plan

Your business starts here. As simple as planning is, it is one of the most vital sets in starting up any business, including a radio or TV station. Here, you need to get full understanding of how the industry works both in terms of revenue and operations. You should also determine the radio station broadcast format your station will follow. Do you want to focus on Sports, music, traffic update (especially for a city like Lagos), talk shows, etc. or do you want to combine all these? It is also important to have a business plan that clearly states your purpose and ways to implement the plan.

2. Get Necessary Requirements and Licenses

In Nigeria, you cannot start a radio or TV station without having the required license. First of all, choose a suitable name and register your station with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC). You will need between N50, 000 to N100, 000 to complete the whole process with CAC. After this, you will need to obtain license from the Nigeria Broadcasting Commission (NBC). Applications are forward to the President of Nigeria through the Minister of Information. License registration costs a minimum of N50, 000. The license expires in 5 years and depending on the location and type of radio or TV station you run, you will require between N4 million to N5 million to renew the license.

3. Get Necessary Equipment to Start Up the Station

Forget the registration and renewal charges. This is where you will spend a chunk. First of all, you need to get a suitable studio. Cost of studio largely depends on location. An ideal radio or television station should also have a transmitter room, one or two offices and an editing and recording room. You will expect rents to be more expensive in places like Lagos and Abuja. After settling the studio, you will need to get necessary equipment. Here is a list of the basic equipment you will need to start a radio station.

• Standing Microphones
• Jack Panels with cords
• Turntable arms
• Non-linear editing system
• Stereo turntable preamps
• Headphones
• Audio limiters
• 6-inch equipment rack
• Stereo turntable Cartridges
• CD players
• Ground strap and components
• Microphones with booms
• Air conditioners
• Standby Generators
• Monitor Amplifiers
• Audio Network Routers
• Flash Card Recorder

The list highlights some of the necessary equipment needed to start a radio station. Lots more equipment are needed for a TV station.

4. Hire Experienced Staff

To start a radio or television station, you need some few staff to say the least. You need newscasters and on air personalities, engineers, at least one DJ, script managers, editors, security men, production managers and other necessary officers.

You are good to go. Based on the analysis above, cost of starting a radio or TV station varies and depends on lots of factors. On the average, you will need a minimum of 50 million naira to comfortably start a standard radio station in Nigeria. You should expect to spend a lot more if you are setting up the radio or TV station in popular cities in Nigeria like Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt.