Bennett Oghifo
Maxima Media Group recently launched its new TV platform, Views Channel, to capture the interest of youths on digital platforms and television in one space. The colorful event was anchored by Uti Nwachukwu, who led the audience through engaging moments all through.
Mr. Femi Ogundoro, Group Managing Director and CEO, said at the inauguration of the project held at Radisson Blu Ikeja Lagos, that youths were a large productive but misunderstood segment of the society.
According to him, their passion needed expression space. Mr. Ogundoro further stated that his vision for the project began in 2009 with the view to filling a vacuum in the music industry where there was no feedback or appreciation system.
“We thank God that today, we are birthing this channel. We want to give young people a channel to express their passion, irrespective of their discipline,” he said.
He told newsmen that traditional TV did not give enough space for youth’s expression, adding that this facilitated the creation of Views Channel to give youths opportunity to freely express their views, incurring no cost.
“Views Channel is trying to do now is to bridge the gap between TV and digital such that young people can express themselves. Passion can be anything; it can be music, business, fashion or whatever.
“Our target audience is primarily 16 to 35 youths who dominate the population. About 60 per cent of them actually constitute our population, they should be given a voice.”
Femi further said that Views Channel, currently broadcasting on StarTimes channel 108, was challenged by the status quo of providing content and still paying TV stations to air its programme.
Meanwhile, some of the participants at the launch eulogised the power of the youths who they said accounted for the highest influencing population in Nigeria.
Mr. Yinka Adebayo Executive Director, at MediaReachOMD said that the setting up of Views Channel was timely and stressed the need for repackaging and retooling of its brands to enable it remains relevant.
“We cannot afford to let our age be our cage. I don’t think any brand wants to age,” he said.
Representing the Marketing Director, Nigerian Breweries, Mr. Omotunde Adenusi.
Portfolio Manager, Mainstream Brands; Nigerian breweries, opined that youths were usually suppressed and labelled as rebellious, stressed the need for society to listen to them.
“The loud silence we see in our youths has been given a voice. There is a need for this generation to learn new things, to become experts not artisans,” he said.
The event was well attended by key stakeholders in the media and advertising space including notable brands like Nescafe, Milo, Nigerian Breweries, Friesland Campina, Peak Milk, Stanbic-IBTC, De-United Foods, Airtel, Fan Milk Danone, Olam Group to mention a few not leaving out entertainers and social media influencers.
