SPECIAL FOCUS ON RADIO CONGLOMERATES (2)
A PEEP INTO COOL FM’S EMPIRE

Cool FM Nigeria is a Nigerian languages and English-speaking radio station with frequencies across 4 of the 6 Geo-Political zones in Nigeria: South West Zone (Lagos State): South South Zone (Rivers State): North Central Zone (Abuja): and North West Zone (Kano State). It also operates Cool TV and online radio.

The CEO, Serge Noujaim, was born in London in the United Kingdom. Two months after his birth, his mother brought him back to Nigeria to reside in Kano State, where his family lived. He had his primary education at Ecole Francaise de Kano, GRA, Kano. After the completion of his primary education in Kano, he left for Lagos to attend a secondary school named, Lycée Français Louis Pasteur de Lagos in Victoria Island.

When he completed his secondary education, he travelled to France to get his university education in 1999. He spent about 12 years in France where he studied French, Spanish and English Languages. He also studied Journalism and Mass Communication while there. He eventually bagged a Masters in Corporate Communications.

Interestingly, Serge joined Cool FM as an assistant to the chairman of the company. He was involved in the marketing aspect of the company’s operations towards the end of 2015 and became the CEO in 2016. He is actually from a marketing background and was head of marketing for a company called Dajcom Nigeria Limited. His movement to Cool FM was to go from the marketing head to the CEO. Another interestingly aspect is that his wife was the CEO with a 10 year experience when he joined Cool FM. She, however, decided to go in a different direction, and this allowed him to take over from her.

The company broadcasts from Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Port Harcourt and Onitsha. For the television, the company has Wazobia Max which is in Kano, Abuja, Lagos and Port Harcourt and Wazobia TV. Under the radio, the company has Wazobia FM, Cool FM, Nigeria Info FM and Arewa Radio in Kano. A new branch just opened in Onitsha, Anambra State. There are 13 radio stations in all.