MultiChoice CEO Rolls Out Agenda for BON

MultiChoice CEO Rolls Out Agenda for BON

*Cable TV company unveils new contents
Dike Onwuamaeze
Chairman, Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON) and Chief Executive Officer, MultiChoice Nigeria, Mr. John Ugbe, has promised to work with members to strengthen the organisation.

That was as Executive Head, Content and West Africa Channels, MultiChoice Nigeria, Ms. Busola Tejumola, called on budding singers intending to participate in the next Idol audition to be on the lookout, as the organisation unveiled new contents.

Ugbe made the promise at the weekend in Abuja, during his investiture as the 14th Chairman of BON. He thanked members of the organisation for electing him, and pledged to work with everyone towards the realisation of the organisation’s collective vision.

Ugbe, who is the first chairman from the pay television sector, listed the priorities for his tenure. He stated that his administration would be committed to improvement of professionalism among members through training.
“Working with local and foreign partners, we will facilitate training opportunities for our member stations,” he said.

He added, “The training programme would be in two layers. The first layer will be to train-the-trainers and the second layer will be the zonal trainings.”
Ugbe stated that the training programme, which was expected to start from the first quarter of next year, would take in 1,000 members with the figure going up in the second year.

The new chairman also said there would be commitment to bringing all broadcasters under the BON umbrella to form a formidable industry group capable of influencing broadcast policies and regulations.
“Working with the BON Secretariat, we will initiate an aggressive membership recruitment drive, so that we can achieve the objective of forming a formidable industry group,” Ugbe stated.

He promised to leverage on MultiChoice’s expertise at organising top-notch awards, like the Africa Magic Viewer’s Choice Awards (AMVCAs), to revive the BON Awards, which he said would be a platform for recognising and celebrating the best in the industry.

Ugbe stated that his administration would build on the process of the establishment of the Society of Nigerian Broadcasters, which would set standards for entry, training and code of conduct. This, he explained, will be done through pushing for the passage of the relevant bill at the National Assembly.

Ugbe listed other priority areas as industry debt and the digital switchover programme.
He thanked his predecessor, Hajia Saa Ibrahim, for leaving behind a virile BON and promised to build on her achievements.

Meanwhile, Tejumola spoke during the unveiling of MultiChoice Showcase 2021, with the theme, “Building Africa’s Creative Industry through Storytelling.” She said, “If you know that you can sing, look out for information on audition for Nigerian idol.”

Tejumola said MultiChoice had lots of exciting live shows for its customers, including the Friday’s Turn Up, intended to make party goers to stay at home and dance all night to live music, while “Owambe” would cater for social events, like weddings on Saturdays.

She said, “Turn –Up Friday is for usual party goers with a lot of good music, good DJ, and good dancers on the Friday evening. It is a show that is anchored by Dotun.

“Saturday is for Owambe. We know how weddings in Nigeria go and we thought why don’t we bring the party element of those kinds of events to your TV screen. It will be on your screens at the end of October. You provide your chops and drinks and we will provide you with the music, with the live bands.
“At the end of every year we will be having Nigeria’s festival channels for Carnival Calabar, The Experience, etc. These are few of the live broadcasts that will go on that channel. We got a line-up of events we think everyone will enjoy.

“So we are promising you a front row seat at these live events. You may not be able to attend them live but we will make sure that you are able to watch them live on TV. That channel goes on from November 17 all the way to the January 4, 2021. And during this period, you get to watch a mix of movies, lifestyle shows, and festive contents.”

Chief Executive Officer of MultiChoice Africa, Ms. Fhulu Badugela, said the entertainment outfit was “happy to share with you our plans for the next six months.

“As you have seen in the past, this event allows us to offer you a front row seat to our upcoming local and international content and new technological developments that enhance your viewing experience.
“We look forward to complementary services to ensure that our customers get the best possible content and never run out of exciting shows to see.”

Earlier, in his contribution Ugbe, said, “At MultiChoice, our customers are at the heart of everything we do, and we pride ourselves on being the nation’s leading entertainment platform. We know that our success is hinged on the experience our customers have while interacting with our services.
“This has informed our deliberate shift to more convenient and responsive digital options. DStv online is a mobile-based service that gives you the same package offering that your DStv subscription offers. It makes entertainment more accessible as you can watch and catch up on your favourite shows on the go.”

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