Broadcasting
Hitv Exceeds 100,000 Subscriber Base
Hitv has recorded over 100,000 people on its subscription base with a further promise to give customers value for money through compelling content and technical quality.
Owned by Entertainment Highway Limited, it commenced transmissions on February 1, 2007 with a pledge to providing qualitative, informative and entertaining content to Nigerians at affordable rates, all aimed at serving as a catalyst for the growth of the entertainment industry in Nigeria.
Olumide Amure, chief operating officer of the company, disclosed that an unprecedented patronage has propelled the subscriber base from 25,000 in August last year to 47,000 in December; over 70,000 in February 2008 and 122,000 at the end of July 2008.
Amure said that having overcome such start-up challenges as freezing of satellite signals and late kick off of live matches, the platform is poised to offer subscribers quality services having invested heavily in equipment and infrastructure, as well as recruitment of tested hands.
The firm’s phenomenal growth, he said, has been driven largely by such crucial elements as robust technology, compelling content, competitive pricing, aggressive marketing, financial clout and management savvy.
He said the company has strengthened its technical base, adding that over the next 12 months, the company will be adding more content in different areas of interests to customers such as sports, movies, news and entertainment.
Hitv operates on two platforms – the cable service, which is currently in operation in Lagos only, and the satellite Direct-To-Home (DTH) service, which is available all over the country.
The station jolted the Nigerian broadcasting market when in 2006; it won the rights to the English Premier League for three seasons, and the Spanish Liga for the whole of Africa. It became the first television platform in Africa to deploy the new terrestrial pay per view decoder system technology known as the MMDS Hypercable, which makes pay TV viewing cheaper.
Since Wednesday, August 15, 2007, Nigerian viewers, who waited for 15 years to have access to affordable pay television, started enjoying the pleasure of watching their soccer idols live on three Hitv channels – Hi-Soccer, Hi-Sports and Hi-Sports 2, and two additional channels on standby just in case several matches are played simultaneously.
Overall, Hitv made a hit in content development when its parent company acquired the broadcast rights to the English Premier League for three seasons beginning from the 2007 season. The company clinched Package A of the EPL offerings, which gave it the right to beam live 80 percent of the games totaling 380 matches a season and eight per week.
For the 2008/2009 season which gets underway August 15, the firm has acquired new wardrobe for its presenters and analysts, built two new sets to accommodate more analysts and added more commentators for prompt analysis of games. There will also be audience participation and feedback through live contributions to ongoing matches, as well as SMS competitions.
In thanking its subscribers for their patronage, Amure said the company will consistently respond to meet the wishes of consumers, adding that the transformation of the country’s television and broadcast industry remains on course from content to programming, and technology to platforms.
Dragon’s Den: From Classroom of Fire, Cash
Episode 3 of the Dragon’s Den was packed with more dramatic energy, more ambitious smooth-talking entrepreneurs, and more ruthless dragons.
The first entrepreneur Aniekeme Friday Bassey came in search of 8 million naira in exchange of 20% equity in a business he believed would solve Nigeria’s electricity problem for good. He came hoping to convince the dragons to invest in a business that would make wind turbine power-generating sets available in Nigeria. He revealed that the wind turbine apparatus generated up to 2 mega watts of electricity, and was currently being employed in Europe, where this technology is responsible for generating more than 40% of the continent’s energy.
Femi Tejuoso’s question initiated his undoing and before long, it was obvious that this entrepreneur’s idea was not only unoriginal to him but he lacked faith in his business plan. He was sent home with only a piece of advice from Ibukun Awosika.
Emmanuel Achukwu barely escaped being scorched by the infuriated dragons who felt enormously insulted by his bizarre demand for 5 million naira in exchange for 60% equity in a company that would specialize in writing business plans for other businesses when the business plan he had presented to the dragons for this business was flawed by an overwhelming dose of mediocrity, incompetence, and severe lack of any fundamental knowledge in the art of business writing.
It was not long before this entrepreneur went crashing down with yet another advice from Awosika, "please don’t try again. Go back to school. Make yourself more qualified to do this kind of work- but for now, you don’t have a business."
The third entrepreneur, Alao Olatunji had the idea of starting what he dreamt was a ‘Modern Day Carwash’, and in order to turn his dream into an growing enterprise, he requested for 31 million naira in exchange of 70% equity.
During his presentation he had revealed his plans to roll out a bouquet of car-washing services under the glam titles ‘Flexi’, ‘Supreme’, ‘Instanta’ etc. He pegged the prices for his services at N1, 000.
Attacks came from Chris Parkes, Awosika and John Momoh and Olatunji could not keep up. He lost out!
Michael Ijegwua and his partner Idu Paul went into the den, looking smart, and confident that they were going to secure an investment in a business they had tagged the "Mobile Aided Mail-Box", which was ear-marked to provide a service that would replace the conventional Private Mail Box (PMB) addressing system with a subscriber’s mobile phone number. The idea sounded very brilliant but confusing at first.
However, on closer examination the Dragons discovered it was just a value added service which would prove profitable if only they made plans to work with the postal agency to introduce this concept to their subscribers.
They opted out.
The fifth entrepreneur, Walter Asikaro, the chairman of Consolidated Gems Limited, came to expand his business of exporting rough and processed gem stones with a 6 million naira investment from the dragons. But his undoing was not being able to convince the dragons on the legality of the business. He lost out!
Abiodun Bolaji came to ask for 6 million naira in exchange for 60% equity in his refuse disposal business. But indications that he would use bribery to advance his business put the dragons off whom of course, opted out.
The seventh entrepreneur, Jumobi Daniel and his "Jumoby Fruity Eatery" left a fruity taste in the den when he came asking for 5 million naira in exchange of 30% equity in his business, an outlet where fruits can be savored by customers all day long
The dragons on a closer look discovered that his business plan was not feasible, and his idea was not well-researched. They advised him to allow his business to grow from bottom upwards instead of jumping from start-up to becoming a conglomerate.
However, he went home with Chris Parkes 1Million Naira advice only after the dragons had opted out.
iTunes and Rick Dees Shows: Two Peas in Pod
hilary okeke
iTunes download radio show has been launched by Premier Radio Networks, a subsidiary of Clear Channels Communications; and will debut on top 40 radio stations in America.
The three-hour weekend music countdown show will feature the 30 most downloaded songs in America as featured in iTunes Store.
Hosted by Alex Luke, iTunes director of music programming, the show will be transmitted on Saturdays and Sundays, from Los Angeles, where Luke will interview high profile music artists.
The show will also feature a celebrity playlist and iMixes created by iTunes Store listeners.
Music fans in Nigeria however, can have a delightful music experience on the Rick Dees Weekly Top 40 music show, originating from California.
Rick Dees is broadcast every Saturdays and Sundays on the Cool FM 96.9 dial.
Countdown usually begins on Saturdays at 12pm, going all the way down to number 21 while the Top 20 countdown continues the next day, same time.
The Top three songs on this week’s countdown are Leaving by Jesse McCartney, I Kissed a Girl by Kate Perry and Pocketful of Sunshine by Natasha Bedingfield.
So, music lovers in Abuja, Lagos and its environs who may not have access to the iTunes Download show; can tune into Cool FM on weekends for same wonderful music experience on radio.
Luft Pay TV has officially launched in Nigeria’s Pay TV landscape, bringing a fresh perspective to home entertainment.
Officials of Luft Pay TV at the launch
The brand’s dynamic debut in Lagos recenlty, drew media executives, content creators, industry stakeholders, and entertainment enthusiasts.
Yemi Adebowale, head of Corporate Communications and Media at Luft Pay TV, emphasised the brand’s mission to simplify entertainment and provide real value. “Luft Pay TV is more than just another player in the market.
He said, “We’re here to simplify entertainment, eliminate confusion around billing, and provide real value with high-definition content that reflects both global quality and local identity.
Luft Pay TV’s standout feature is its all-in-one subscription model, offering over 35 premium channels for ₦7,500 per month.
The channel lineup includes Sports, Live sports action, Movies: Nollywood and Hollywood films as well as Kids’ Programming, Documentaries, Music and Lifestyle content.
“Decoder and STB Kit Prices: Decoder: ₦25,000 – Complete STB kit with accessories: ₦35,000. As a proudly Nigerian brand, Luft Pay TV is committed to promoting local storytelling through partnerships with indigenous content creators.
“This initiative aims to project African stories globally and provide an inclusive, affordable, and proudly African entertainment experience to Nigerians everywhere.”
Luft Pay TV has commenced nationwide installations across the six geopolitical zones, supported by a growing distribution network and robust customer service infrastructure.
This ensures a seamless user experience for subscribers
With its innovative approach and commitment to Nigerian talent, Luft Pay TV is poised to revolutionise the television experience in Nigeria.
By Aniekan Ezekiel
What happens when legacy meets preparedness? What results from such a combination? Let us not be in a hurry to put forward any answers yet. Instead, let us consider first the opposite situation: When legacy meets unpreparedness.
The world abounds in examples of this distressing situation. A dynasty that has built wealth from generation to generation, with its illustrious heirs providing generational leadership, finds itself in a strange phase where an ill-prepared heir takes over the reins and in that same generation, not the next, wipes out the entire family fortune built over several generations.
We see the same thing with nations. History is replete with examples of great nations built by great leaders, which slid into oblivion when they were hit by arguably the greatest misfortune that ever befalls humanity – bad leadership. It is the reason American author and leadership expert John Maxwell asserts, “Everything rises and falls with leadership.”
As with nations, so with organisations. We see organisations that have thrived for decades and over several generations, get a new leader who is not prepared for such leadership, and the leader pushes the organisation to the brink of collapse.
Contrast this picture with the situation at Nigeria’s most enduring corporate organisation with the most amazing legacies of firsts, First Bank of Nigeria Limited, which witnessed a leadership transition about a year ago. Faced with a number of quality options in and outside the then management team, the decision-makers at the bank and its parent company FBNHoldings, now First HoldCo Plc, had to be clear-minded about who could become the new Chief Executive Officer of FirstBank Group.
Equally important as the need for continuity was the non-negotiable requirement for capacity to manage the ship of the 130-years-plus institution to sustain its enviable legacies and consolidate the gains made in recent years. The search was for someone with a steady head and hands (talk of risk control and mitigation), in addition to an excellent track record of sterling performance and achievements.
Fortunately, fate was on their side. They did not have to look outside. Right there before them was someone who understood all kinds of risks and how to control and mitigate them. He had been with FirstBank since 2016 when he joined as Group Executive / Chief Risk Officer. Then in January 2022 he was elevated to Executive Director / Chief Risk Officer and Executive Compliance Officer.
This man has given nearly three decades of his working life to the banking and financial services industry. He has under his belt a rich tapestry of cross-functional experience in credit risk management, financial planning and control, credit and marketing, and trade. His cross-functional exposure also includes corporate and commercial banking, agriculture financing, oil and gas, transportation, including aviation and shipping, and project financing
Meet Olusegun Alebiosu, the man history had prepared and the one decision-makers chose among the quality options. He was appointed substantive Chief Executive Officer of FirstBank Group in June 2024, having acted in that capacity since April 2024 when the former CEO left.
Determined to build on the bank’s legacies while navigating the ever-changing landscape of the financial services industry, Alebiosu has shown unwavering commitment to lead the bank through a transformative period that places emphasis on strategic consolidation, technological advancement and market expansion.
Alebiosu’s approach to sustaining the legacies of firsts at FirstBank, which has been at the vanguard of accelerating Nigeria’s digital payments as the first bank to issue over 13 million cards to customers, draws from his vast professional experience which began with Oceanic Bank Plc, now Ecobank Plc, in 1991. Between then and joining FirstBank in 2016, he had worked at Coronation Merchant Bank as Chief Risk Officer, at African Development Bank Group as Chief Credit Risk Officer and at United Bank for Africa as Group Head, Credit Policy and Deputy Chief Credit Risk Officer.
Under one year of his appointment as substantive CEO of FirstBank, Alebiosu’s strategic consolidation efforts have demonstrated that he is a worthy successor, not an ill-prepared or unprepared one, proving the decision-makers right. Understanding the critical role of its human capital in sustaining the bank’s legacies, Alebiosu has invested himself and the bank’s resources in promoting staff welfare.
A comprehensive review of the bank’s compensation structure was undertaken to position it within the 75th percentile of the industry, making the bank more retentive of, and attractive to, the best talents. The highest number of staff promotions across various grades in the last five years has happened under Alebiosu’s watch, with 1,654 employees being elevated in one single promotion cycle.
Under his leadership, over 2,186 new hires have been recruited across key functions and subsidiaries, with a large number of them deployed to the sales function to ensure that retail customers are adequately served. Staff are now more engaged based on the high employee engagement score of 86% achieved in the April 2025 WorkBuzz survey, indicating remarkable progress in the bank’s multi-pronged efforts to promote a positive and inclusive workplace culture.
This drive to reinforce a culture of inclusion and recognition has been accentuated by the launch of a group-wide culture transformation initiative with the goal of embedding the core values of integrity, excellence and innovation. It has also been strengthened by a renewed focus on inclusion, collaboration and high performance. Also contributing was the staging of a FirstBank Employee Appreciation Day 2025 featuring, among others, a personalised appreciation video message from the CEO to all employees across the group throughout Africa and beyond. The inclusion message is further boosted by the launch of the inaugural edition of the bank’s pioneering initiative, Mandarin Language School, to bolster the bank’s expansion in the Asian market.
Expansion is a critical plank in FirstBank’s new strategic planning horizon, under Alebiosu’s leadership. Taking off this 2025, the plan seeks to reinforce the bank’s market dominance across all operational regions and it includes deliberate expansion into new markets within and outside Africa.
Beyond geographical and horizontal expansion, Alebiosu’s plan has also targeted a skyward expansion. Or how else does one describe the groundbreaking ceremony in March 2025 for the bank’s new green-certified, 44-storey iconic head office building in Eko Atlantic City, Lagos State?
Alebiosu is also prioritising the acceleration of process automation in recognition of the importance of digital transformation. It is a massive push for technological advancement that includes adopting robotics technology and artificial intelligence at scale, to give the bank an unassailable competitive advantage among its peers in the industry.
The bank has deployed digital tools to enhance seamless account opening and optimised backend systems and customer service delivery. Two additional Digital Experience Centres (DXCs) have been launched – one at Lekki Admiralty Way, Lagos State and the other at its UNN branch, Nsukka, Enugu State. Also, the bank’s agent network has expanded to over 280,000, a 50,000 increase from the 230,000 agents it had in 2023.
As expected, shareholders, among other stakeholders, have been observing the strides the bank has been making under Alebiosu’s leadership, with a keen eye on the numbers. Fortunately, again, the bank’s results for the financial year ended December 2024 speak volumes, with after-tax profit of its parent company rising to the highest point it has reached in the last 12 years, according to the company’s latest financial statement.
In recognition of his achievements within such a short period and his exemplary leadership, Alebiosu was honoured at the World Business Outlook Awards as “Banking CEO of the Year – Nigeria 2025”. He has also been honoured with the “Special African Banking Leadership Award” by African Leadership Magazine. This was in 2024.
The story of Alebiosu’s leadership at FirstBank has clearly been one of preparedness meeting legacy. Working with the board and management team, he has consistently sustained the bank’s legacies and also consolidated its recent gains in ways that will ensure the gains keep compounding. FirstBank, more than ever before, is poised for greater intra- and intercontinental growth and impact in the years ahead.
South Africa’s competition authority announced Wednesday it had approved the buyout of Africa’s largest pay TV enterprise MultiChoice by France’s Canal+, which wants to expand its footprint on the continent.
The merger, which has been in the works for nearly a year, needs the final go-ahead from the commission’s Competition Tribunal, it said in a statement.
Canal+ holds around 45 percent of MultiChoice’s shares and offered last year to acquire the remainder for 125 rand (6.16 euro) per share.
Canal+ is present in 25 African countries through 16 subsidiaries and has eight million subscribers, according to the French group.
MultiChoice operates in 50 countries across sub-Saharan Africa and has 19.3 million subscribers, it said.
It includes Africa’s premier sports broadcaster, SuperSport, and the DStv satellite television service.
“This is a major step forward in our ambition to create a global media and entertainment company with Africa at its heart,” Canal+ CEO Maxime Saada said in a statement.
The commission said its approval of the merger was subject to public-interest conditions worth about 26 billion rand over three years, including increasing the shareholding of people disadvantaged under South Africa’s white-minority apartheid regime.
It will also maintain the MultiChoice headquarters in South Africa.
A date for the Tribunal’s decision on the merger has not been announced but Canal+ said it was aiming for the deal to be completed by early October.
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