IN CONVERSATION
|
THE CHANNEL
started broadcasting in
1977. It was when I had
gone off to do my A-level
school certificate and I
needed to put food on the
table. There was an advert
on the radio asking for
people to come to the radio station
for casting for a radio drama. That
sounded interesting, so I went. I
was selected and took part in the
play. After the play, I was told I
had a good voice and was asked if I
was interested in working on the
radio as a freelancer. And I said
“Yes!”.
I started working on radio,
initially as a continuity announcer,
then had my own programme to
present, and soon I was reading
news. I did that for two years while
I was doing my A-levels. Once I
finished my studies I went back to
Lagos and wanted to continue what
I was doing, so I joined Voice Of
Nigeria, which was the external
service of Radio Nigeria. I worked
there as presenter and announcer.
After five years, I’d had enough
of radio and I left for television and
the NTA (Nigerian Television
Authority). I joined NTA when
there was a vacancy for a male
anchor. The main anchor had just
resigned, so I joined NTA as a news
anchor. I was there for 10 years.
I tried to interest myself in the
entire workflow, in the whole
gamut of broadcasting, from
production, to directing, to editing
footage, to recording, and I even
forayed into engineering and
technical areas. And I was always
taking trips to the UK and South
Africa and seeing how they were
doing things there.
So how did Channels TV begin?
After ten years I decided it was
enough for me, and I left to set up
Channels Incorporated, which is
the parent body of Channels
Television. I felt that by leaving
NTA I could practice what I wanted
to and do something really up to
international standards. I decided I
was going to set up a post-
production outfit that would
service international producers that
would come to Nigeria. I would
find them fixers, get them
equipment so they wouldn’t have
to bring in their own, do all their
appointments for them, and film
for them – and some of the time I
was the filmmaker.
Shortly after that, the industry
was deregulated by the president,
General Ibrahim Babangida, and I
applied for a licence. It was
approved.
But we couldn’t start because
there was no money. Funds weren’t
coming from anywhere, not from
the banks, not from external
sources. So in order to keep my
licence – and the closing date was
fast approaching – I approached the
British Council to sponsor us in
obtaining a tiny, 100-watt
transmitter - which today would be
an artefact. We set that up and
transmitted with it on the last day
of what would have been the
expiration of our licence if we
didn’t go on air.
And from then – one camera, a
100-watt transmitter and about ten
staff – we have grown the business
into what it is today. Today we
have a staff just shy of 320 people,
and Channels has a reputation of
being the most awarded television
station in Nigeria and on the
African continent.
We have won the trophy nine
out of 13 times for best television
station in the country. And in
January of last year we were
awarded the Best Television Station
in Africa, by the African Achievers
Awards Trust.
I
AFRICA’S
ONE-STOPSHOP
The story of Channels TV is in some ways the story of the modern Nigerian
broadcast industry. John Momoh, Chairman and Chief Executive, started
the company in 1992, sometimes shooting, editing and presenting all
himself. Now it’s Nigeria’s biggest broadcaster with aims to become a
channel for Africans all over the world
”
More
people are
now
interested
in seeing
their own
images
“
THE CHANNEL
|
ISSUE 1 2015
|
17
