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Media: Murdoch’s Empire is Scorch, Terror Bombs in Nigeria
These are certainly not the best of times for the media industry, especially in Britain and Nigeria where a Parliamentary inquiry has indicted a much respected Octogenarian media mogul and terrorists unleashing bombs on media houses respectively.
The British Parliament after several weeks of probe into the infamous telephone and email hacking by now rested News of the World’s (NoW) and other media outfits of the globally renowned media mogul, Rupert Murdoch, slammed the Aussie with a damming verdict: “not a fit person” to head a media company.
That is a very audacious and damning statement against such a global figure.
The Parliamentary committee with compiled the report notes that Murdoch “turned a blind eye and exhibited willful blindness” as his media empire virtually stole into individual and corporation’s phone voice-mails, emails and bought their way into the otherwise “impeccable” British Bobby (Police).
For a society that expresses human freedom and dignity, such sentiments and strong wordings in a Parliamentary report about a man who has done so much for the British economy and society was rather hash.
Professor George Brock, head of journalism institute at London’s City University expressed similar sentiments when the Voice of America (VOA) spoke to him.
“I think the report has taken one or two people, including me, a bit by surprise because you can be declared unfit to hold a broadcasting license if you are, in the phrase in the law, ‘a not fit and proper person,” said Brock.
The principal target also appears to be Murdoch’s 40 per cent holding in the highly successfully, perhaps Europe’s largest cableTV channel, BSkyB (British Sky Broadcasting).
It was BSkyB’s involvement with the English football that has brought an otherwise drab football league into one of the most successful global brands in sports marketing.
The BSkyB has ensured that the English Premier League players are about the best paid in the world of football – although not necessarily the finest players.
Manchester United and Arsenal (due principally to the shrewd business application of its French manager, Arsene Wenger), are about the only clubs ranked among the financially solvent in Europe.
In Brock’s eyes, the damning report could lead to the octogenarian stepping aside for others to take charge.
Even then, his eldest son, James Murdoch is also in the eye of the storm in the UK as head of the News International operations.
Like the eldest Murdoch, James at his several appearances before the Parliamentary Committee denied knowledge of every sinister move by the News Corp staff at obtaining information.
“One of the outcomes that people have always considered possible is that Murdoch, who is now aged 81, might have to step back from control of the company. I do not think he particularly wants to do that. But there has to come a moment sooner or later where he is going to step back. And it could be that the scandal is going to get so bad that it’s quite possible that he could step back, yes,” said Brock.
BSkyB issued a statement last week saying it was a “fit and proper” establishment. The satellite broadcaster noted that it was liaising with UK broadcast and communication regulator, OFCOM on one of the committee’s statements on “whether BSkyB is and remains fit and proper to continue to hold its broadcast licenses.”
BSkyB said would continue the process of “engaging with OFCOM in this process and continues to believe that it remains a fit and proper license holder, as demonstrated by its positive contribution to U.K. audiences, employment and the broader economy, as well as its strong record of regulatory compliance and high standards of governance.”
The scandal has led to the resignation of Jeremy Hunt, special adviser to Adam Smith, the UK’s Culture Minister. Hunt was accused of leaking documents to aid News Corp’s bid to take total control of BSyB.
While news of the terrorist group, Boko Haram bombing notable media house like ThisDay and others rent the air last week, Nigeria’s National Assembly remain ordinary to the issue. It has not raised any panel of inquiry to the attacks on journalists and media houses, neither has it called on the security chiefs to step up or resign.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian journalist remains endangered specie: he is hunted by the state for being not hiding truth, hated by the society he serves for being corrupt and targeted by criminals for not being fair.
The import of the British Parliamentary Committee’s report and the reverberating effects should dawn on Nigeria which has held several Parliamentary probe reports without any consequential effects on the society.
Severally, the National Assembly has held probes into activities of telecom regulatory framework and operators’ business modules only to be consigned to the file cabinets.
Senator Ike Ekweremadu, deputy president of the Senate last week decried the activities of the MDAs which have no clearly defined boundaries of operation leading to conflicts.
He specifically lambasted the Nigerian Communication Commission, (NCC) and the National Environmental Standards and Regulatory Enforcement Agency (NASREA), two MDAs that recently went to the gutters over the regulation of telecom infrastructure.
The Senator who spoke through a representative at the 2012 Beacon of ICT Awards & Distinguished Lecture Series organized by Nigeria CommunicationsWeek said the two chambers of the National Assembly would look at ways to correct the laws setting up the MDAs to prevent further operational conflicts.
How far this would materialise depends entirely on the Nigerian Parliament to act!
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Bolt Hosts Second Edition of ‘Bolt Driver’s Football League’ to Foster Unity and Inclusion
Bolt, a leading ride-hailing platform, continues to strengthen its bond with driver-partners by hosting the second edition of its ‘Bolt Driver’s Football League’ in Lagos on Wednesday.
The second edition tournament, themed “Fostering Unity and Inclusion”, aimed to enhance the relationship between Bolt and its driver-partners. The event underscored the platform’s commitment to the well-being of its drivers, recognising the essential role they play in the ride-hailing ecosystem.
Organised in partnership with the Lagos State Ministry of Transportation, OneHealth by AXA, Oraimo, and Mycovergenius, the event was a resounding success.
Bolt driver-partners from various locations across Lagos participated enthusiastically in the mini football tournament. The event featured knockout matches between four teams formed by the drivers, showcasing their sporting skills in a spirit of camaraderie and healthy competition.
In addition to the football matches, the event offered a safe and enjoyable playground for the children and families of the drivers. They spent the Democracy Day holiday engaged in games, activities, and entertainment, making the event a memorable occasion for all attendees.
Giving the opening remarks, the Director of Public Transport and Commuter Services (PTCS), Engr. Olusoji Adebayo said, “I would like to thank Bolt for organising this brilliant initiative.
“It is indeed an opportunity for Bolt drivers to meet and relate with transport regulators in an atmosphere that encourages cohesion and exchange of ideas, challenges and solutions that is peculiar to Bolt drivers in Lagos State.
“I hereby express my sincere appreciation for the efforts of the Bolt team for organising this event which is important to portray and ensure an attitude of excellence and professionalism among the e-hailing operators in Lagos State.”
Speaking at the event, Yahaya Mohammed, Bolt’s Country Manager said, “We believe in fostering a strong sense of community and building meaningful relationships with our drivers. Through initiatives like this, we are not just a ride-hailing platform; we are a supportive and vibrant community that values the contributions of our drivers.
“Together, we are driving towards a future of excellence in service and driver empowerment. I am thrilled to witness the incredible comradeship and passion displayed by our drivers today. This event exemplifies Bolt’s unwavering commitment to driver engagement and satisfaction”
Weyinmi Aghadiuno, Acting Head of Regulatory & Policy Africa at Bolt, expressed enthusiasm about the event, saying, “We are thrilled to host this novelty football competition as a way to bring our driver community together in a spirit of unity and inclusion.
“Our drivers are the backbone of our service, and this event is our way of showing appreciation for their hard work and dedication. By creating opportunities for our drivers and their families to connect and engage in a fun, relaxed setting, we aim to strengthen the bonds within our community and celebrate the diversity that makes us stronger.”
The event concluded with the presentation of medals and trophies to the top three teams, along with outstanding prizes for participants. The winning team received a cash prize of N500,000 plus an additional N200,000 from the Lagos State Ministry of Transportation.
The runner-up team was awarded N350,000 plus an additional N150,000 from Oraimo, while the third-place team received N250,000. In total, the cash prizes amounted to 1.3 million naira. Additionally, exciting prizes were won by female drivers and other attendees during the raffle draw.
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UEFA EURO 2024: PalmPay Partners iLOT, BetWay, BetCorrect, AccessBet and BetKing, Unveils Bet and Win Big Promo
This UEFA EURO ‘24 football season, leading fintech platform, PalmPay, brings loads of excitement for its users in partnership with iLOT, BetWay, BetCorrect, AccessBet and BetKing to unveil the Bet and Win Big promo.
From June 14th to July 15th, 2024, users can deposit in their betting wallets and stand a chance to win an iPhone 15 Pro and share in millions of cash prizes.
How to Play and Win
- Download the PalmPay App: If you haven’t already, download the PalmPay app from your app store.
- Deposit and Win Draws: Deposit a minimum of N2,000 to get a 1 draw chance. You can earn up to 5 draw chances in total. The more draw chances mean a higher probability of winning the coveted iPhone 15 Pro.
- Accumulate and Share Cash Prizes: Make accumulated deposits of N500,000 or more over the campaign period. Users with total deposits of N500,000 and above will share millions in cash prizes.
The bigger your accumulated deposits, the bigger your share of the cash prizes..
For more information and updates about the promo, follow PalmPay follow us on X, Instagram and Facebook for more information.
Consumers show their loyalty for their preferred Brands in the ongoing voting for brands based on market experiences that is scheduled to close on 30th September 2024. In over 40 categories listed based on consumers nomination, Brands are contending for the top spots based on consumer preference.
The ongoing voting process is transparent and can be seen by anyone as the data is available on the consumer value awards website. In the telecommunication category (MNOS), MTN takes the Top spot having 46% of consumers vote in the category, Spectranet leads the Internet Service Provider Category with 80% of votes.
In the Table Water Category CWay overtakes Eva water who was the leading brand in the last month with Cway now having 37% of the vote in the category. This shows how competitive the voting is.
Some other brands have also moved up to be in the top spot in their categories, brands like fearless with 55% of vote in the Energy Drink category, Reload Multivitamin with 64% of vote in Multivitamin Infant category, cowbell with 55% vote in the Milk Skimmed Powdered category among others.
Akonte Ekine, Chief Executive Officer BrandXchange and Convener Consumers Value awards said the consumers are validating brand promises and it is a reward for promise kept hence the badge of honour from the Consumers which shows brand appreciation and a call to brand to wake up to the challenges of the economy and innovate to attend to the rising cost of living.
He commended the consumers for participating in the vote and call on more consumers to vote for brands as the closing date of 30th June is fast drawing near.
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