On Sunday, October 6, 2019, Otunba Kunle Olasope passed away in a private hospital in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, aged 82.
A native of Efon-Alaaye in Efon Local Government Area of Ekiti State, the veteran broadcaster was born on May 8, 1937. He attended Agbeni Methodist School, Ibadan and Igbobi College, Yaba, Lagos before proceeding to Nigerian College of Art, Science and Technology, the other tertiary institution apart from University College (now University of Ibadan) at the time.
He also studied law as an evening course at the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) in his working days.
When Chief Obafemi Awolowo established Western Nigeria Television Service (WNTS) in 1959, Olasope became the first male voice and face in broadcasting in Africa.
He became a voice to reckon with in the industry and later became the Chief Press Secretary to Olabisi Onabanjo, former governor of Ogun State, a position he held between 1979 and 2003.
He was also the Chairman of Ekiti State Broadcasting Service during Governor Niyi Adebayo’s administration.
He was honoured with the Member of the Order of Niger (MON) in 2000. Other notable awards and honoris causa conferments include Ekiti State Government Honour (2004), Distinguished Veteran Broadcaster’s Award by the National Broadcasting Commission (2000), Doctor of Divinity by Shalom Bible University of Iowa, US (2004) and PhD in Management/Public Administration by Mercy International University of Maryland, US (2006).
Until his death, he was the Chairman, Board of Trustees, Efon Development League.