Was it a joke? No -By Azuka Onwuka

For Dr. Reuben Abati of Arise TV to refer to a correspondent as “mannerless young people” because she called him “Reuben” on air was not in good taste.

The code of broadcasting is that, while on air, presenters and correspondents refer to one another by first name, no matter how old they are or the chains of degrees and titles they have.

There are a number of Nigerian PhD holders who are broadcasters like Dr. Ambrose Olutayo Șomide, Dr. Amaechi Anakwue of Ray Power/AIT. There are senior citizens like Mr. Jimi Disu, Mr. Jones Usen, etc, who are broadcasters. They are all addressed by their first name when they are on air presenting a programme.

In different countries, there are also veteran broadcasters in age and accomplishments. When they are on air, they are addressed by their first name by even those who are younger than their children.

That is the tradition of broadcasting.

Similarly, when you write an article in a newspaper or magazine, your byline contains only your name (with no titles).

These things are standard practice.

While watching Arise TV, I had noticed that co-presenters of The Morning Show (Ms. Tundun Abiola and Mr Rufai Oseni) always referred to Dr Reuben Abati as “Dr Abati”. I found it odd and said that I would send a letter to him to advise them to stop breaching the ethics of broadcasting on air. I thought they were doing so out of the usual “African respect”. But his reaction to this correspondent confirmed that he was the one he directed them not to refer to him as “Reuben” on air.

Dr. Abati had worked much of his life in the editorial boards of newspapers. He recently began to present on TV. Maybe it is a carryover from the editorial board that is to blame for this. But given his education and exposure, he ought to know this tradition. In the editorial boards of newspapers, people could choose to be formal, but in broadcasting, presenters and correspondents communicate on first-name basis while on air.