Broadcasting
Africa Magic, Femi Odugbemi Premiere Gidi Blues
Africa Magic, the continent’s leading provider of premium entertainment content, and ace Nigerian filmmaker Femi Odugbemi, will on the 4th of June premiere Gidi Blues, an unusual love story filled with intrigue and suspense told with a ‘Lagos-state-of-mind.’
Gidi Blues features a stellar cast which includes Gideon Okeke, Bukky Wright, Tina Mba, Lepacious Bose, Nancy Isime, Banky W and others. The movie promises high-quality entertainment with humour, music and drama, and also dwells on the unpredictability of Lagos city where anything can and often does happen.
Filmed in iconic Lagos locations like Idumota market, Makoko, Victoria Island, Isale Eko, Lekki, Freedom Park and Broad Street, Gidi Blues showcases Lagos city and the unique energy of its people.
Akin, played by Gideon Okeke, is an indulged playboy from an affluent family who accidentally meets an interesting beauty, Nkem, in an unpredictable place.
Nkem is a beautiful, confident but unusual young lady who devotes herself to her work as a community volunteer in the belly of the city’s worst slum.
Their encounter drags Akin into a whirlwind experience that unravels his world.
Speaking on the movie, Wangi Mba-Uzoukwu, regional director, M-Net West Africa, said “Gidi Blues is the result of inspiring creativity, innovative filmmaking and exciting storytelling. At Africa Magic we take pride in bringing to life the best of film and television content out of Africa through partnerships with some of the best talent out of the continent and Femi Odugbemi’s work as a filmmaker is very well renowned. We are indeed excited to premiere Gidi Blues and cannot wait for movie lovers in Nigeria and indeed the rest of the world to see it.”
The movie also stars Hauwa Allahbura, widely regarded as one of Nollywood’s most exciting new talents, in the lead role as Nkem.
Hauwa currently features on sub-Saharan Africa’s most successful soap-opera, Tinsel.
Speaking further on the movie, Mr. Femi Odugbemi, producer and director, said: “Gidi Blues was exciting as it was challenging and we are extremely delighted with the finished work. The movie deals with the famous spirit of Lagos, the resolve within every Lagosian that confronts every challenge with the belief that all is surmountable. Gidi Blues is also a love story which seeks to inspire young people to give back through community volunteer work. For example, Makoko, the fishing slum under the Third Mainland Bridge, is where the lead characters find meaning in their lives as they volunteer as teachers and also start initiatives that support and empower the disadvantaged in the community.”
Gidi Blues premieres on the 4th of June 2016 at the Federal Palace Hotel in Victoria Island, Lagos.
National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has said that Nigerians will no longer pay annual Digital Access Fees under the renewed Digital Switch Over (DSO) project.
Charles Ebuebu, director-general, NBC, disclosed this in an exclusive interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja,
Ebuebu said viewers only need to purchase an approved decoder and satellite dish which cost below N20,000 to enjoy free television permanently.
“Previously, users paid an annual digital access fee of about N1,500, described as an administrative charge.
“The new system removes that annual fee. It provides free access to free-to-air television channels without any payment.
“Premium channels will be introduced later. Viewers who want those additional channels will be able to access them through paid services.
“Nigerian content on free-to-air channels remains free to watch. Unlike Pay TV, this platform does not require monthly subscriptions for its basic service,” he said
Ebuebu said approved decoders for the FreeTV will cost less than N20,000 and authorised sales outlets will soon be announced.
He urged Nigerians to wait for official information on approved dealers for the DSO decoders, warning that unauthorised sellers are exploiting growing public demand.
He reiterated that people only need a free-to-air decoder, along with a satellite dish instead of the old antenna system to receive the DSO signal.
“Once the equipment is installed, viewers can access all available channels across the country without paying any subscription fees,” he stressed
The DG dismissed claims by some retailers that there are different categories of decoders sold at varying prices, stressing that such sellers are not authorised by the commission.
According to him, the NBC will soon publish the list of approved dealers, official prices, and locations where genuine decoder boxes and accessories can be purchased.
The NBC boss said the DSO project is designed not only to improve television broadcasting but also to stimulate economic growth by creating jobs, attracting investment, and opening up opportunities for businesses that support the broadcasting industry.
Ebuebu noted that content producers and broadcasters stand to benefit significantly from the nationwide reach of the DSO platform.
Unlike the previous system, where many stations had limited regional audiences, he said the new platform will make their channels available to viewers across Nigeria.
He added that the introduction of audience measurement technology will provide scientific and reliable data on television viewership.
Ebuebu added that audience measurement technology will give advertisers greater confidence in placing adverts and enable broadcasters to demonstrate the true size and reach of their audiences nationwide.
Uchenna Mbunabo, Nigerian filmmaker, has raised concerns over the alleged unauthorised broadcast of Nollywood films by some Ghanaian television stations, calling on Ghana’s National Film Authority (NFA) to strengthen the enforcement of copyright laws.
Uchenna Mbunabo, Nigerian filmmaker
Mbunabo made the remarks during a conversation with James Gardiner, deputy CEO of the National Film Authority (NFA) of Ghana.
He questioned whether it was permissible for television stations in Ghana to download Nigerian movies from YouTube and air them without obtaining permission from the producers.
“I noticed that Ghanaian TV stations, the way they are stealing our films and showing them for free with impunity. Is it legalised in your country for TV stations to go on YouTube, download people’s sweat and show it for free?”
According to Mbunabo, some Ghanaian television stations have been downloading newly released Nollywood films from YouTube and broadcasting them without authorisation, depriving producers of revenue generated through the platform.
He also stated that he had not witnessed Nigerian television stations engaging in similar practices and questioned what measures Ghana was taking to protect filmmakers’ intellectual property.
Responding to the concerns, Gardiner acknowledged that the issue exists and said the National Film Authority had begun engaging relevant stakeholders to address it.
He disclosed that the NFA has held discussions with the Ministry of Communications, the National Communications Authority (NCA) and the National Media Commission (NMC) on improving copyright enforcement.
Gardiner explained that while Ghana has copyright laws, enforcement remains challenging because many television stations now operate digitally and may not have physical offices within the country.
“There are copyright laws, but they are not effective because a lot of the TV stations don’t have offices. Most of them are now digital, so they operate from anywhere. They can even have a Ghanaian TV station but be operating from Austria simply because it is digital.”
He added that authorities are considering a new licensing framework that would require broadcasters to undergo a fresh licensing process to improve monitoring and enforcement.
According to Gardiner, television stations found guilty of illegally broadcasting copyrighted content would be required to compensate affected producers through fines.
He added that repeat offenders could face suspension of their broadcasting licences, while a third violation could result in the revocation of their licences.
Although he did not provide a specific timeline, Gardiner said the reforms were already underway and expressed hope that significant progress would be seen next year.
Mbunabo welcomed the proposed measures but urged the National Film Authority to expedite the process, stating that unauthorised broadcasts continue to affect filmmakers’ ability to recover production costs through legitimate distribution channels such as YouTube.
He also stressed that his comments were not directed at Ghana’s film industry, noting that he has worked with several Ghanaian actors over the years and supports collaborations between Nollywood and Ghallywood.
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