Channels Television is blazing the trail yet again and on this occasion with an eye on the continent.
At a conference organised by the Association for International Broadcasting, AIB, and Channels Television in London on Thursday, the station’s Chairman/CEO, Mr John Momoh, called for a stronger synergy towards the planned digital migration for 2015.
Towards seizing the opportunities in the African media landscape, he said: “This is the time for us to seize the day in Africa and we believe that Channels Television has what it takes to be part of what promises to be a successful broadcast industry in the continent.”
As the digital migration set for 2015 unfolds, media content and service delivery, plus deficits in skilled manpower, have been identified to constrain the industry, and the CEO, African Media Initiative, Amadou Mahtar Ba believes that “small content producers can team up together and come up with something totally powerful.”
Mr Momoh and his counterparts also agreed that opportunities for media engagement in the continent were not being deployed for development, owing to several factors limiting the growth of the broadcast industry with Mr George Twumasi of the African Broadcasting Network also saying: “We have to stop thinking about the limitations we impose on Africa; if the content is good, Africans will buy it.”
With over 50 countries across the continent, access to information should be a top strategy for economic growth. Africans are best positioned to tell their own story. However, an integrated media network is lacking and Mr Momoh revealed Channels Television’s eye on a pan African news network, a revolution which he says calls for partnerships.
“My vision is to work with like-minded colleagues within Nigeria, in Africa and across the globe to create an enabling environment and consortium that would result in the establishment of a credible news and factual programming based television network with intent to enlighten through entertainment, (and) the establishment of low-cost free view DTH (Direct To Home) platform which millions across Nigeria and Africa will be able to afford,” he said.
This vision explains the signing of a news partnership agreement between Channels Television and the Voice of America for free flow of news and information, as well as joint collaborations.
The conference, holding at the New Zealand House, London, was a convergence of top notch broadcasters and communications experts, including the Chief Executive, Association for International Broadcasting, Simon Spanswick, who noted that “Channels TV has played a big part in revolutionizing African television and Nigerian television in particular.”
The Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission, Emeka Mba, was also present at the conference and he foresees a more prosperous media industry in the digital broadcast era.
