Broadcasters Guild debuts to raise standard for broadcast sector

Broadcasters Guild Of Nigeria, (BGN) an umbrella organization for all operatives and employees in the broadcast organisations has been established in the country with a view to setting standards and sanitizing the industry for outstanding performance and outcomes.

Announcing the birth of the guild two days ago on his LinkedIn page, Chief Executive Officer of CANIG D2DINC, Mr. Samuel Osaze Iyamu disclosed that the guild’s arrival in the hotly competitive Nigerian broadcast sector will usher in a new dawn for operators and employees.

The association registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission has as board of trustees eminent broadcasters, professionals and broadcast media proprietors who have distinguished themselves in their various fields of endeavors.

These are; Iyamu Osaze Samuel, Ogunbanwo Olalekan Adeleke, Egbuna Ben, Dalhatu Faruk Mohammed, Momoh Olatchy John, Ejiofor Kelvin Msochukwu, King-Paul Olabisi Margaret, Allwell-Brown Sienne and Adaba Aaze Thomas. These eminent broadcasters were said to have been duly appointed trustees of the new body.

However, the newly formed guild appears to be a major counter poise to Broadcasting Organisation Of Nigeria, (BON) which is a broad coalition of public and private broadcasters as the nation’s umbrella Union Of Terrestrial Radio Television (TV) Direct-To-Home (DTH) Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) Multimedia Distribution System ECD (MMDS)

Confirming the real motive behind the formation of (BGN) Samuel Osaze Iyamu who spoke exclusively to MARKETING EDGE on phone from his base in Toronto, Canada disclosed that the over-all aims and objectives of the visioners and promoters of this initiative is to bequeath to the nation a truly professional, standardized, sanitized and competent industry that is truly and ready for the challenges of contemporary business demands and expectations.

Besides, he said the formation of the guild was to help arrest the decline in the broadcast sector as it continues to witness setting up of avalanche of different radio and television stations.

His words: ‘’Our main objective for setting up Broadcasters Guild Of Nigeria (BGN) was to help arrest the decline in the sector, we want to set standards and ensure that all operators and employees, irrespective of their different professions are well taken care, motivated, trained and remunerated’’.

Established in 1973, the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria is today comprised of over 100 members and they collectively own over 250 radio and television stations. BON’s vision is to foster a future-proof environment for radio, TV and new media broadcasters to serve their audiences and contribute to the development of The Nigerian society.

Essentially, BON is an independent, non-governmental umbrella association of all private, public, commercial and community electronic media houses in Nigeria.

It is worth pointing out that before the resuscitation of BON in 1988, there were the following media groups:

• -Chief Executives of Federal and State Owned Radio Organization (CEFASORO).

• -Television Organization of Nigeria (TON)

• -State Owned Broadcasting Organizations of Nigeria (SOBON)

All these three groups fused into one umbrella and resuscitated BON in 1988.

Since then, it has continued to grow in strength, structure and mandate.

Today, there are over 100 members which collectively own over 250 radio and television stations.

• To serve as a meeting point for all Terrestrial Radio, Television, DTH, DTT and MMDS broadcasters.

• To encourage content and technology innovation

• To advance the interest of our members in local, state, national, International, industry and public affairs.

• To serve as an advisory body to the Federal and State Governments on broadcasting matters.

• To encourage and sustain greater co-operation and collaboration among the broadcasting organizations, and other industry players.

• To improve the quality and profitability of broadcasting

• To seek and utilize available resources for manpower development, research and set training standards.

• To set, regulate and monitor professional standards and ethics of its members.

• To encourage members to serve their communities.

Asked to comment about the relationship between BON and BGN, Iyamu, who is the arrow-head, coordinating activities of the group said: ‘’BON is an umbrella body of proprietors in broadcast media organizations, but before now, we don’t have anybody or organization to take care of operators and different professional employees in the broad media organizations, be it engineers, accountants, broadcast journalists, engineers, finance, marketing and business development people’’.

This gap, he observed informed the decision of some leading lights in the broadcast business to team up together in setting up BGN. He hinted that at a time, the group, at its infant stage tried working with BON during the tenure of Mr. John Momoh, as Chairman of the BON. At that time, he said the group achieved substantial results especially with the successful hosting of Broadcasters Hall Of Fame Dinner. He stated that the group included and accommodated John Momoh, Founder of Channels TV because he personally funded the Broadcasters Hall Of Fame Dinner and has been supportive of its initiatives.

Iyamu, a second-generation broadcaster, having inherited the broadcast gene from his father lamented lack of skills and competence amongst professionals and employees in the industry today, adding that promoters of BGN wants to make broadcasting better.

‘’The industry has proliferated without care and concern for standard, Standard has fallen abysmally and we need to arrest this decline and set standards for the industry’’.

‘’We are not driven by any personal motive other than to improve and bequeath a better, well organized and standardized broadcast sector’’.

‘’We are looking at bringing everybody involved in the broadcast business, you cannot say you are doing broadcasting without talking about marketing, finance, engineers, human resources etc’’.

He also revealed that beyond the registration with the Corporate Affairs Commission, (CAC)the guild will seek approval of its board of trustees with a view to approaching the National Assembly for a charter status. This he said will engender a priviledged status for all its members.

Meanwhile, the body has commenced an aggressive recruitment plans for membership which it was gathered would cut across different categories.

Similarly, BGN has indicated intention to liaise and associate with all regulatory agencies and institutions as well as other stakeholders in the industry.

When contacted to comment on the formation of the new body, BON Chairman, Haji Sa’a Ibrahim who was attending the 2019 Advertising Conference in Abuja said she was still studying the development as she was getting to know about the existence of the organization from MARKETING EDGE, stating that she would make her comment known as soon as possible.

‘’I cannot comment on it now. I am hearing about Broadcasters Guild Of Nigeria for the first time from MARKETING EDGE, but will make my comments known after a while’’, BON Chairperson, Haji Sa’a Ibrahim said.

Meanwhile, broadcast professionals have hailed the new initiative. Commentators on the LinkedIn page of Iyamu had these to say;

‘’This is quite commendable. It will go a long way in taking broadcasters to their deserved place in the guild of media practitioners in Nigeria’’, Korede Ogunbunmi a journalist and General Manager at Radio One 103.5fm Lagos. (Radio, Nigeria.)

Also commenting, Broadcast Media Professional and Creative Director &Voice-Over Talent with BISCON TV, University of Lagos, Mr. Olalekan Akeem Ahmed said ‘’It is a very well come development’’. While Maxwell Madunta, IT Programme Management at Becton Dickinson Company (Safety Syringes Inc) described the BGN formation as ‘’a major milestone, really overdue about time.’’

For the Founder and Producer of MARKETING EDGE ON TV Mr. John Ajayi, the advent of BGN is one of the many options to move the integrated marketing communications sector forward in Nigeria, pointing out that this initiative would put a stop to so many years of docility in the broadcast sector’’.

Both Paulyn Ugbodaga of Daar Communications and Gbayode Somuyiwa Of Foresythe Media Ltd hailed the new initiative as they congratulated the promoters and the trustees on the idea.