Industry body Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON) has appointed Oluyemisi Bamgbose as its executive secretary.
Oluyemisi Bamgbose
The move was revealed at the organisation’s 74th general assembly meeting which was held recently in Abuja, where BON is based.
Bamgbose has vast experience in broadcasting and advertising. He started his broadcasting career in Ogun State Television in 1983 and was the national president of the Radio, Television, Theatre & Arts Workers’ Union from 2008 to 2016.
He has also served in various capacities in international organisations such as the International Union of Media & Entertainment and UniGlobal.
BON said it was confident that with his wealth of experience, Bamgbose was well placed to address the challenges of the organisation. “We believe Dr Oluyemisi Bamgbose will further strengthen the secretariat and will always be available to address your concerns,” said BON chairman Sa’a Ibrahim.
The Nigerian government has granted a two-month licence fee waiver to terrestrial broadcast stations to ease the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the industry.
Lai Mohammed
Information and culture minister Lai Mohammed announced the move during a meeting with the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON). The organisation had asked the government to approve tax rebates for the broadcast stations as well as a one-year moratorium in the payment of annual operating licence fees to the Nigeria Broadcasting Commission (NBC).
Terrestrial stations affected include Galaxy, AIT, TVC, MITV, Silverbird TV, NTA, which are all free-to-air channels. A broadcast licence fee in Nigeria costs as much as US$7,661 a year for these companies.
Mohammed said: “While BON members have been hit hard by the current pandemic, they are not alone. In fact, the entire creative industry, which also covers the broadcast industry, has been affected by the pandemic that has inflicted extensive damage on the economy of nations across the world.”
Mohammed also announced the setting up of a committee of creative industry stakeholders to address the effect of the pandemic on the sector.
“Before I announce the terms of reference of the committee, let me say that, in the interim, I want to announce that I have approved the request by NBC to grant a two-month licence fee waiver for terrestrial broadcast stations in Nigeria.
“The committee will be assessing the expected impact of the pandemic on the industry in general, advise the government on how to mitigate job and revenue losses in the sector, create succour for the industry’s small businesses, suggest the type of taxation and financing that is best for the industry at this time to encourage growth, and advise the government on any other measure or measures that can be undertaken to support the industry.”
The committee members include Nollywood comedian Ali Baba as chairman; TV producer Charles Novia; actor Segun Arinze; FreeTV’s Olumade Adesemowo; streamer Envivo’s Chioma Ude; Hajia Sa’a Ibrahim of the BON; and Anita Eboigbe from the News Agency of Nigeria.
Mohammed added: “We are still expecting the representatives of the fashion, publishing, photography, hospitality and travel sectors, and the committee has four weeks to submit its report.”
Channels TV chairman and CEO John Momoh has stepped down from his position as chairman of the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON).
John Momoh
The news was revealed by Godfrey Ohuabunwa during the presidential debate organised by the BON and the Nigeria Elections Debate Group on January 19. Ohuabunwa is currently the organisation’s acting chairman.
“I want to let you know that John Momoh has just left as the chairman of BON and I am the newest chairman of BON,” Ohuabunwa said.
Momoh, an alumnus of University of Lagos, Lagos Business School and Harvard Business School, founded Channels TV in 1995. He was elected BON chairman in 2016.
In June 2013 he received the Lagos Business School’s Distinguished Alumni Award.
Nigeria president Muhammadu Buhari has approved the issuance of new licences to broadcasting outfits in the country.
Ishaq Modibbo-Kawu
This news was announced by Ishaq Modibbo-Kawu, director-general of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), at the opening of the 71st General Assembly of Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON) in Port Harcourt.
Of the new licences, 23 were DTT television licences while two were for national television.
Modibbo-Kawu said that, at 213 total licences, this was the largest number of stations ever licensed at any point in Nigerian broadcasting history.
“Our industry is opening up and the importance of broadcasting will become greater as a contributor to the economic fortunes. It is also a platform of moulding the values of national development,” he said.
Meanwhile, the NBC boss voiced concerns over reports of hate speech being broadcast on Nigerian TV networks.
Referring to a case study around the issue from the 2015 general elections, Modibbo-Kawu said: “The validation report from that study has been presented in Kano, Enugu and Sokoto. We will similarly present the report very soon in Lagos and at a big national gathering of broadcasters and other national institutions in Abuja.”
He also informed broadcasting outfits that they would be held liable for any violation of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code. Regarding the ongoing digital switch-over, he said work had been completed on digital mapping of the country.
Industry body the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON) is to honour veteran broadcasters in Nigeria by creating a hall of fame.
John Momoh
The project, created by John Momoh, the Chairman of BON and CEO of Channels Media, will recognise broadcasters who have contributed to the growth of the industry.
Osaze Iyamu, convener of the broadcasters’ group, said 15 people had been selected for the hall of fame from more than 120 nominations.
“The hall of fame is recognition for achievers in the broadcast industry. It should have come a long time ago,” Iyamu said.
Broadcasters honoured include Anike Agbaje Williams, Suleiman Takuma, Abba Zoru, Kunle Olasope and Isola Folorunso.
The fourth annual Digital Broadcast Media Convention is set to take place on August 27 and 28 in Lagos.
Godfrey Ohuabunwa
The event is a collaboration between the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON) and Broadcast Media Africa (BMA).
This year’s event was announced in a joint statement by BON chairman Godfrey Ohuabunwa and Benjamin Pius, publisher of BMA. It is supported by Nigerian producers’ association ITPAN and advertisers’ association MIPAN.
Described as promoting “a vibrant broadcast industry for a convergent media environment,” the event will bring together television and radio broadcasters, content providers, solution providers, regulators and industry executives to network, gather market information and find solutions to business issues.
The Digital Broadcast Media Convention is aimed at CEOs, privately owned broadcasting organisations, broadcast solution providers, public service broadcasting organisations, broadcast signal and platform managers, ministerial and government departments, regulators and policymakers.
The lawsuit filed last month against Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON) and the CEO of Channels TV John Momoh has been dropped.
John Momoh
The move was announced by Omoyele Sowore, the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), who had initially filed the suit on December 19.
The AAC brought the case after Sowore was excluded from the vice-presidential debate held on December 14. However, due to the inability of the court to serve him hearing notice, Sowore withdrew the action.
Through his lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, Sowore appealed that his name should not be removed from the January 19 presidential debate. This was granted by Justice Danlami Senchi, who also removed Momoh’s name from the suit.
The Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON) has assured the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) of its support for digital switchover (DSO) plans, reports Gabriella Opara.
John Momoh
During a DSO stakeholders’ meeting held last Thursday in Uyo in Akwa Ibom state, BON chairman John Momoh pledged his support to the NBC over its plans to ensure DSO nationwide.
“We are witnessing an era in which the broadcast industry is presenting great opportunities and at the same time facing some threats. Opportunities in the sense that the whole of broadcasting is changing from content platforms like Apple to OTT services like Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime through to social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter,” Momoh said.
“And so many companies are eager to get great content. This is where we, as broadcasters, need the support of the NBC – to ensure that it lays the groundwork for future success. The best way for us to invent the future is to put in place the best possible architecture and give the industry the freedom to thrive,” Momoh added.
At the meeting, NBC director general Is’haq Modibbo Kawu also pledged that all hands will be on deck to ensure the smooth sailing of DSO in 2018.
In a statement upon the launch, Nigeria minister for information and culture Lai Mohammed promised more DSO would take place within a few weeks across the states. He also said DSO would generate N100bn annually through the FreeTV distribution network, which has more than 200 channels.
