…MultiChoice elevates Nigerian talents in Africa
Tuesday, June 24 to Friday June 28 marked a watershed in the history of showbiz in Africa. The journey to the island nation in the Indian Ocean witnessed the MultiChoice Content Extravaganza with the theme “Only the Best”. And the event clearly sent a strong signal that it will continue to deliver the best local and international television content in Africa.
It was a week that MultiChoice Africa, the pan-African leading Pay-TV entertainment destination gathered television/entertainment talents across the continent in Mauritius. Journalists from across the continent and Europe were also part of the week-long package that witnessed high networth networking among participants from diverse backgrounds.
The historic event featured over 50 television and music celebrities that are regular on various DStv and GOtv channels. They include BBC Lifestyle, BBC Entertainment, E! Entertainment, Style, Cartoon Network, Boomerang, Telemundo, Comedy Central, MTV Base, Nickelodeon, History Channel, Crime and Investigation, Africa Magic, Ebony Life TV, Channel O and SuperSport among others.
The CEO of MultiChoice Africa, Nico Meyer, who proudly addressed the audience, expressed his joy at being part of a company that has pioneered Pay TV on the continent. He also used the occasion to re-emphasize his commitment towards ensuring that MultiChoice subscribers continue to receive world class news and entertainment on DStv and GOtv services.
With an incredible story of MultiChoice journey, which dates back 20 years, and as one of the first subscription television services outside of the United States, Meyer said, “We faced many hurdles, as a new company. And we needed to build and develop credibility not only with the market in which we were offering services, but also with international channel suppliers and satellite companies. 20 years ago many people called us crazy!”
As “crazy” as it may have been at the outset, MultiChoice Africa has today made remarkable and ground-breaking footprints in the continent. “In 2013 alone, the MultiChoice launched 13 fantastic new channels on the DStv platform, which include three M-Net Series Channels, M-Net Movies Zone, Fox, Ebony Life, Telemundo, Hip TV, Spice TV, CBS Action, CBS Drama, JimJam and MGM’, Meyer informed a rather critical audience who were better informed at the end of the day.
Meyer said, in an effort to reach out to a mass market audience, MultiChoice also launched GOtv in 2011 as a low-cost digital television service using the latest generation Digital Video Broadcast standard and represents the most advanced digital terrestrial television (DTT) broadcast system and infrastructure established in Africa to date. They also leap-frogged the out-dated T1 systems utilised by first movers in the Digital Migration process, thereby putting Africa at the forefront of technology in the digital migration process.
As an innovative company, he further explained that MultiChoice has constantly introduced new technology to ensure that subscribers have access to the best information and entertainment anytime, anywhere, on any devise.
This is evident in the recent launch of the DStvExplora, which has significantly changed the way subscribers can experience and control their TV.
For John Ugbe, Managing Director, MultiChoice Nigeria, analysts cannot celebrate MultiChoice’s resounding accomplishments at the continental level without mentioning its tremendous contributions to the growth of the nation’s television talents and the entertainment industry.
Ugbe stressed that besides technological innovations, MultiChoice has been in the forefront of the promotion of local television content that promotes family values, in Nigeria.
He further said: “We have gone to great length to customize our services for the Nigerian market. This is why we have commissioned a range of top content from our channel providers like Doctors Quarters, Edge of Paradise, Big Brother Nigeria, Gladiators, Money Drop Nigeria, Tinsel, Jara, Studio 53, NFL, DStv Basketball league, Fashion Protégé, AfricaMagic Original Films. Channels such as the AfricaMagic and SuperSport Select, with more than 70 per cent of their content are Nigerian.”
On their contributions to the nation’s entertainment industry, Ugbe said technological innovations have also enabled MultiChoice to add value to the lives of its subscribers. He said MultiChoice has invested nearly N100 million in building the Lagos uplink to enhance capacity in carrying the national free-to –air channels.
“These free-to-air channels include NTA 2, Africa Independent Television (AIT), Nigeria’s first independent TV station, Channels TV, Murhi International Television (MITV) and Silverbird Television (STV). The Radio Stations include Raypower 100.5fm, Star 101.5 fm and Rhythm 93.5 fm,” posits Ugbe.
He recalled that MultiChoice Nigeria pioneered the first Africa Magic channel in 2003, which has since grown to eight channels including AfricaMagic, AfricaMagic Entertainment, AfricaMagic Movies, AfricaMagic Movies 1, and AfricaMagic World, as well as dedicated language channels such as AfricaMagic Hausa, AfricaMagic Swahili and AfricaMagic Yoruba. “The company has also invested billions into SuperSport and M-Net studios across the continent to ensure that we harness local talent and bring you the best local programming money can buy,” he remarked.
Apart from the innovative, technological and capital investments in Nigeria’s entertainment industry, MultiChoice has also invested heavily in the development of human resources in the industry. Names that readily come to mind are the host of Big Brother Africa, Ikponmwosa Osakioduwa, Actor/Presenter and BBA Winner, Uti Nwachukwu, Tomi Odunsi of Tinsel, Gideon Okeke of Big Brother Nigeria, Host/Actor, Eku Edewor, and Studio 53 presenter, Comedian Helen Paul to mention a few.
Today, MultiChoice is committed to using every technology available to enhance entertainment and learning experience, “We believe that new developments on the horizon hold the promise of exciting changes and putting new technology to good use is a challenge we relish,” Ugbe declared.
In a statement sent by Timothy Okwu of MultiChoice, he explained that it’s not all about television and entertainment alone, the company also invests in the community in which it operates.
Said he: “In the area of Corporate Social Investment (CSI), MultiChoice focuses on education development with its MultiChoice Resource Center project. This is an audio-visual teaching and learning aid made available to over 1700 schools in 27 countries across the continent. MultiChoice has not only helped improve the quality of education on the continent but has also made teachers appreciate digital learning innovation.”
He further stated that “there is also the DStvEutelsat Awards, aimed at assisting young learners to understand Africa’s challenges. And to promote the knowledge of how satellite technology can change the course of development on the continent and have, to date, seen numerous young Africans winning various prizes including trips to Eutelsat in Paris to witness a live rocket launch.”