The Chairman of the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON) Mr John Momoh, has asked media professionals to create richer and more universally acceptable content for broadcast.
He made this known at the 68th General Assembly of the BON in Abuja on Monday, with the theme “The Nigerian Media And The War Against Corruption”.
The BON Chairman while noting some of its major challenges, highlighted key steps that can help in improving the industry if implemented immediately.
Read Also: We Must Create More Universally Acceptable Content – BON Chairman
Read Full speech below:
PROTOCOL
Your Excellency the honourable Minister of Information, Alhaji Layi Mohammed,
Senator Suleiman Adokwe, Chairman Senate Committee on Information and National Orientation,
Honourable Olusegun Odebunmi, Chairman House Committee on Information and National Orientation, Ethics and Values, very well represented here today by,
My good friend E.J., Mr Ehiozuwa Agbonayinma, honourable member of the House of Representatives,
Our Keynote Speaker Mr Ibrahim Magu, the Acting Chairman of the EFCC, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,
Vice Chairman BON, Zonal Chairmen, my Colleagues and Friends,
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen.
What a pleasure it is for me to welcome you all today, to the 68th General Assembly of our great organisation – the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria – BON.
Established over 30 years ago, one of BON’s main objectives is to serve as the voice, for the nation’s radio and television broadcasters, by advancing their interests in federal government, industry and public affairs.
To say broadcasting has changed since the establishment of BON three decades ago, would be grossly understating the dynamic nature of our industry. The correct statement would be that broadcasting has changed radically. The keyword today is Disruption – a complete disturbance, disordering, disarrangement, and disarranging of the way we do our business.
Suddenly, new markets are created, with new set of values that now threaten existing markets. In a nutshell, broadcasting is under threat from Digital Predators like Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Hulu and other “Over The Top” players.
This is a wakeup call for us all folks, and if you can’t smell the coffee, I can. So should we do. We need to change our business model. It’s no more “Business As Usual”, but Business Unusual.
The worrying thing however, is that as we try to come to terms with this disruptive innovations staring us in the face, we are being made to contend with numerous problems that are inflicted on us.
-Disparity in licence fees between public and private licencees.
Did I say public broadcasters. Naa. There are no public broadcasters in Nigeria today. We all compete in the commercial landscape for advertising. Which is anomalous.
-We are compelled to pay a 1.5% levy on gross income, even when we make a loss and most of us do.
-We Are yet to have a road map to the implementation of the Digital Switch Over in Nigeria.
-The regulator is silent on many on many critical issues affecting our members; chiefly among which are,
-The compensation that should accrue to broadcast organisations who will be vacating frequencies in accordance with the White Paper on DSO.
-The fee to be paid to Signal Distributors after the switch over.
-And what would or should happen to Pay-TV services currently operating on the DTT platform.
As if these problems aren’t inhibiting growth enough, broadcasters are having to contend with dwindling advertising revenue in the face of increasing operating expenses, mounting and unresolved industry debt, and a mandatory reduction of transmitting power, while still paying the same licence fee for the original power.
We’ve discussed these challenges with the National Broadcasting Commission and in fact have now escalated them to the office of the honourable Minister of Information and Culture.
It is my fervent hope, that before the end of the year 2017, some, if not most of these issues would have been favourably resolved.
In spite of the numerous challenges we are facing, I am pleased to report some cheering news particularly in the area of manpower development. For example, training programmes covering production, presentation and journalism were held for employees of BON member stations at the the Channels Academy in Abuja.
A Studio and Field Lighting Workshop was held in October at the NTA DOMSAT also in Abuja
And there was a training on Audio & ITU Loudness Control Standard in Abuja and Lagos early this month.
I report with with a lot of excitement the success of our 3rd International Summit on Digital Broadcasting in Nigeria, held between August the 22nd and the 23rd at the Federal Palace Hotel Lagos.
The BON SECRETARIAT is work in progress and I hope that before the end of my tenure next year, we would have at least have laid the foundation stone for the building.
TARIFF
The Licensing of two collecting agencies for the territory of Nigeria has created a big challenge for us in the industry. BON members are in a dilemma on who to pay. But as you know a committee has been set up to look into this matter and make recommendations.
It is my hope that we will cease the opportunity that this assembly provides, to re-examine our methods, explore new ways of doing business and create opportunities for effective professional collaborations across the diverse representation of the broadcast media entities we have today.
Allow me then to set the tone for a renewed vision for professional broadcasting , by suggesting the following;
1. More content creation. Content is King: far more than a cliche, but a substance and material of quantity and quality. As an expression of creativity, human rights and aspirations, Content will remain what our audiences will consume. So we must continue to make it more universal. Technology has provided the opportunity for the developing world to catch up with the rest of the world. What needs to be of prime importance therefore, is the push for, and the desire for media creativity that has universal appeal.
2. I call for Brave competition amongst media practitioners, that will enhance professionalism, develop talent, build capacity for the broadcast value chain and the media economy.
3. Let’s build a critical mass against unprofessional practice. Let’s put a sanctioning process in place to deal with discredited professionals, and let us set up a vetting system that fact-checks and verify the quality of content materials.
4. Technology is the backbone of our industry, as broadcasters we have to understand that technological evolutions are quite fast, the old rapidly giving way to the new. There will always be a brand new solution for the needs of broadcasters. Relying on old technology and equipment will never be a prudent way of doing things, as we have seen with the literal dumping of outdated equipment in some parts of Africa.
5. Finally, the media will thrive when there is a good commercial plan behind it. Advertising revenues are waining, but technology is helping us share resources. We can be more effective if we see competition as partnerships in progress.
And I’d like to restate our call on the Federal Government to ensure that the interests of BON members are adequately protected in the Digital Switch Over.
In conclusion, Let me use this opportunity to congratulate the newly elected Zonal Chairmen who would be sworn in and decorated today. I wish each of them a successful tenure.
Many thanks also due to those who have served in the last two years as Zonal Chairmen. We appreciate your services to our great organisation. Rest assured that we would continue to call on you anytime your services are needed.
And to all former Chairmen of BON, I thank you all for their vision, the Central Working Committee (CWC) for their contribution, the Secretariat, the Management and staff of Channels Television for putting such an impressive arrangement in place for the successful hosting of this 68th General Assembly.
Thank you for listening. God bless you
JOHN MOMOH, OON
NOVEMBER 2017
ABUJA
