Nigeria's consumer protection agency drags MultiChoice Nigeria and CEO John Ugbe to court for defying order not to implement 22% DStv price hike

by Thinus Ferreira

Nigeria's consumer protection agency is dragging MultiChoice Africa's Nigerian division to court over its 22% DStv price hike - MultiChoice Nigeria's second price increase in the struggling West African country in a year.

Nigeria's Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) ordered MultiChoice Nigeria and its CEO John Ugbe to halt the company's 22% price hike that came into effect from March and in late-February was summoned to an "investigative hearing".

Nigeria's FCCPC which hasn't gone after other private commercial companies in Nigeria that have also jacked up its prices due to Nigeria's ongoing worsening economic environment and weakening local currency, in a statement slammed MultiChoice for defying its "order" not to increase its prices.

"MultiChoice Nigeria had been expressly directed by the FCCPC on 27 February 2025 to maintain its current pricing structure for DStv and GOtv pending the conclusion of an examination of its proposed price hike."

"However, despite this directive, the company proceeded with its price increase on 1 March 2025 in clear defiance of the commission’s directive."

"Following this blatant disregard for regulatory oversight, the FCCPC has filed charges against MultiChoice Nigeria and John Ugbe at the Federal High Court, Lagos Judicial Division, on three counts of offences for willfully obstructing the commission's inquiry by implementing a price hike contrary to directives," the FCCPC noted in a statement.

"The commission views MultiChoice’s actions as a deliberate and calculated attempt to undermine regulatory authority, disrupt market fairness, and deny Nigerian consumers the protection afforded under the law."

"By disregarding the FCCPC’s directive and implementing the price hike before appearing before the commission's investigative hearing on 6 March 2025, MultiChoice has not only flouted regulatory processes but also demonstrated a pattern of conduct that undermines consumer rights and fair competition," the FCCPC says.

It's not the first time MultiChoice Nigeria has ignored Nigerian government orders not to go ahead with price increases and not the first time MultiChoice Nigeria has been dragged to court over price increases.

Over the past number of years MultiChoice Nigeria has been singled out several times by Nigerian politicians and agencies over its price hikes.

Yet, numerous private companies trying to do business in Nigeria's struggling economy with rampant inflation have been forced to increase prices for their goods and services regularly.

Besides the FCCPC, Nigeria's House of Representatives also called on MultiChoice not to go through with its latest price hike, passing a resolution during a sitting on Tuesday.

ALSO READ: MultiChoice Nigeria hikes DStv subscription fees for the second time in a year by over 22% from March 2025

ALSO READ: Nigeria's consumer protection agency summons MultiChoice Nigeria CEO to explain looming 22% DStv price hike at urgent 'investigative hearing'

Nigeria's consumer protection agency summons MultiChoice Nigeria CEO to explain looming 22% DStv price hike at urgent 'investigative hearing'

by Thinus Ferreira

Nigeria's consumer protection agency is again summoning MultiChoice Nigeria to appear before it to explain why it wants to hike DStv and GOtv monthly subscriber fees in the West African country by up to over 22% from March 2025.

MultiChoice Nigeria just announced that it's doing another shocking price hike in Nigeria from next week - the second in less than a year in the country since it last announced a price increase in May 2024.

Nigeria claims to have a free market economy where private and commercial companies are free to set and charge whatever fees they want for their commercial services and products, and with consumers who are free to either buy or not buy these.

Companies like MultiChoice have been forced to hike prices as Nigeria's deteriorating economy continues to weaken with massive inflation and the ongoing weakening and devaluation of the local Naira currency.

This has forced MultiChoice to keep increasing subscription fees in Nigeria, which MultiChoice Africa has also done in several other African countries, and in several with more than one price increase per year over the past few years.

Now Nigeria's Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) - which has frequently clashed with MultiChoice in the past - has summoned MultiChoice Nigeria's CEO John Ugbe to an urgent hearing on Friday 27 February to "explain" the latest announced DStv price hike at what it calls an "investigative hearing".

In a statement, the FCCPC says the "investigative hearing" follows "MultiChoice's formal notification of the price adjustment, which raises concerns about recurrent unilateral price hikes, potential market dominance abuse, and perceived anti-competitive practices in the pay-TV industry".

"The FCCPC is deeply concerned that Nigerian consumers continue to face frequent price increases amid accusations that MultiChoice applies different pricing strategies in other markets, heightening questions about fairness and market abuse."

The agency notes that "should MultiChoice fail to provide satisfactory explanations or be found in violation of fair market principles, it would impose regulatory penalties, sanctions, or other corrective measures to protect Nigerian consumers".

ALSO READ: MultiChoice Nigeria hikes DStv subscription fees for the second time in a year by over 22% from March 2025

MultiChoice and M-Net revives the 8th Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards for 2022 as entries open for TV and film productions done across Africa over the past 2 years.

by Thinus Ferreira

MultiChoice and M-Net West Africa are reviving its Nigeria-centric Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards after a year's absence due to the global Covid-19 pandemic with the 8th Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards that will take place in 2022.

The 8th African Magic Viewers' Choice Awards will once again be staged in Lagos, Nigeria with the awards introducing "Best Online Social Content Creator" as a new category.

In October MultiChoice revealed that it would bring back the AMVCAs in 2022 after a year's absence, with the 7th edition that took place on 14 March 2020 with a packed hotel auditorium audience, after which MultiChoice had to warn its thousands of MultiChoice and M-Net guests who physically attended in Lagos, Nigeria that they were likely exposed to Covid-19.

MultiChoice's Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards is usually panned for its bad production values year after year, shoddy presenters, and multiple awkward mistakes during the broadcast on M-Net's Africa Magic channels on DStv that neither MultiChoice nor the production company seems able to improve and fix. 

In 2021 MultiChoice and M-Net didn't organise any Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards due to Covid-19 and never officially announced that it was cancelled for this year. 

MultiChoice didn't have the AMVCAs in 2019 and revived it for 2020 after a year's absence,  meaning that the pan-African awards show for the continent's film and TV industry has been an on-off, on-off event for 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022.

Likewise, MultiChoice South Africa and M-Net also didn't have any DStv Mzansi Viewers' Choice Awards in South Africa in 2021 and failed to communicate that it was cancelled for the year, with kykNET that didn't want to say that there won't be any Silwerskermfees in 2021 either. 

Submissions can now be made for the 8th Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards in 2022, with the entry period that will close on Friday 14 January 2022.

Work created and screened by Africans in Africa between 1 December 2019 and 30 November 2021 can be entered, with films, made-for-TV movies and TV series previously entered or nominated for an award, or awarded a prize in another film and television competition that are eligible to be entered for the AMVCAs.

This is a much broader eligibility window for work that had been produced to make up for the absence of the AMVCAs in 2021.

"Following the 7th edition in 2020, plans for the next instalment were put on hold due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the attendant concerns on the health and safety of all stakeholders. The AMVCAs will now take place in Lagos, Nigeria in 2022," MultiChoice Africa says in a statement.

John Ugbe, MultiChoice Nigeria CEO, says "The 8th edition of the AMVCAs once again demonstrates our commitment to spotlight the immense talent we have in the African film and TV industry and promises to leave a much bigger impact than previous editions".

Dr. Busola Tejumola, MultiChoice Nigeria's head of content and West Africa channels, says "We are very excited about the Best Online Social Content Creator category as we believe this will further underscore our commitment to represent all content creators and inspire new talent".

"There is no better time than now to recognize and celebrate this growing digital community as we stage the eight edition of the awards."

The 8th AMVCAs will also see the return of Best Africa Magic Original Drama Series, Best Africa Magic Original Comedy Series as well as the Best Dressed Male and Female, which will be voted for on the night of the event.

The 8th Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards will now have a total of 33 categories. 

Although the competition has "Viewers' Choice" in its name, a whopping 21 categories are decided by the AMVCA panel of judges, with only 12 categories that are voted for by the public - 36%.

Although still shockingly low, it is an improvement on the 25% of 2018 in which Africa's viewers only got to decide the winners in 7 out of the 27 categories at the AMVCAs.

People and production companies that want to enter the 8th AMVCAs must prepare a 5-minute long showreel under 300 MB and log on to the Africa Magic website at www.africamagic.dstv.com, click on the AMVCA 8th edition banner and go to the submissions page where the submission form must be filled, and the clip uploaded.

A participant can submit multiple entries in different categories.

A reference number will be allocated for every completed online submission. A hard drive of the submitted project must then be sent to the head office of the relevant African region (Nigeria in West Africa, South Africa in Southern Africa, Kenya in East Africa).

Nigeria

Busola Komolafe, Africa Magic, 4 Industrial Street, Ilupeju

South Africa

Sibongile Mabel Nkosi, Magic Center, 137 Bram Fischer Drive, Randburg, 2123

Kenya

Margaret Mathore, 2nd floor, M-Net offices, Local Production Studio, Jamhuri Grounds off Ngong road

MultiChoice Nigeria's South African exec and chief customer officer Martin Mabutho (47) dead after short illness.

by Thinus Ferreira

MultiChoice Nigeria's chief customer officer Martin Mabutho has died. He was 47.

MultiChoice staff was told of Martin Mabutho's death on Tuesday. 

Martin Mabutho, a South African born Martin Gaone Mabutho, worked in Nigeria for the pan-African pay-TV company and his death comes shortly after the passing of MultiChoice's content boss Aletta Alberts from Covid-19 complications last month

Martin Mabutho died in Cape Town after a short illness after he travelled to South Africa for a vacation. He is survived by his parents, wife Thato, and their four children.

Martin Mabutho joined MultiChoice Botswana as a customer service supervisor in 1999, and later became a brand manager at M-Net in 2003.

"He led the marketing and sales effort for DStv Mobile in Sub-Saharan Africa before his appointment as MultiChoice Nigeria's general manager, sales and marketing in 2013.

In 2018 Martin Mabutho was appointed as MultiChoice Nigeria's chief customer officer, responsible for driving the MultiChoice Nigeria customer group strategy.

John Ugbe, MultiChoice Nigeria CEO, in a memo to MultiChoice staffers said that "It is with deep personal grief that I inform you of the passing of Martin Mabutho, our chief customer officer. Words cannot adequately express our sadness at this moment. We have lost a friend, colleague, mentor and a genuine amazing human being"

"Martin passed away earlier today, Tuesday 24 August 2021, after a brief illness. He was a valued member of our team and an industry stalwart for many years. He will be sorely missed."

"We are grateful for the opportunity we had to work with him and experience his exemplary drive. As colleague and as a business, we will continue to honour his memory in all that we do."

"Martin was not just a colleague but a very close friend and most trusted adviser. He was well-loved by everyone for his energy and hard-work, his warmth, good humour and the creativity and positive attitude he always brought to the team. He will be greatly missed."

The 6th season of MultiChoice and M-Net West Africa's Big Brother Naija to start with a double-show launch on 24 July after it will run 72 days, drops SMS voting so the rest of Africa can vote.

by Thinus Ferreira

The 6th season of Big Brother Naija will start on Saturday 24 July but in a change will see a double launch event with two launch-show programmes - one on Saturday night and another on Sunday night 25 July after which it will run for 10 weeks and 72 days until the winner announcement finale on 3 October.

With Idols Extra currently running on DStv channel 198 in South Africa, the Big Brother Naija channel that will run on DStv channel 198 in Nigeria, will be placed on some other DStv channel, in South Africa - something that neither MultiChoice, MultiChoice Africa nor its Duma Collective PR agency could bother to specify before the publishing of this report, even after being asked about it specifically in a media enquiry in Monday.

Big Brother Naija highlight programmes will run on some or other of the various Africa Magic channels that MultiChoice and M-Net also couldn't bother to specify for the different markets where the reality series will be seen. 

In Nigeria, the Big Brother Naija launch will be simulcast according to MultiChoice Nigeria on M-Net's channels of "Africa Magic Showcase, Africa Magic Urban and Africa Magic Family".

MultiChoice in South Africa and elsewhere in Africa doesn't offer M-Net's Africa Magic Showcase channel, with no indication of whether it's meant to be the Africa Magic Epic elsewhere outside of Nigeria.

Big Brother Naija will be accessible to subscribers of DStv Premium, DStv Compact Plus, DStv Compact, DStv Family and DStv Access, as well as GOtv Max and GOtv Plus subscribers.

As reported earlier, Ebuka Obi-Uchendu will be back as the host for the 6th season of Big Brother Naija.

Viewers in the United Kingdom will be able to watch on Showmax.

Frustratingly, MultiChoice Nigeria held a press briefing on Monday to announce the launch date of Big Brother Naija with MultiChoice that excluded media from the rest of the continent from following virtually, although the 6th season will again be shown across MultiChoice's pan-African satellite pay-TV network in various other countries.

Except for Nigeria, MultiChoice didn't make any plan to give media across Africa access to the press conference with Martin Mabutho, MultiChoice Nigeria customer officer, and Bisola Tejumola, MultiChoice head of content for West Africa, and there was no prior media advisory or notification that any announcement would be made today.

MultiChoice only issued a basic press release on Monday afternoon, and only after media enquiries had to be made. 

MultiChoice also said nothing about the possibility of Big Brother Naija content being made available again for the 6th season on its video streaming service Showmax that during the 5th season carried customised additional content around the reality show.

MultiChoice and M-Net are also doing away with SMS voting for the 6th season of Big Brother Nigeria in order to make it possible for viewers in countries outside of Nigeria to vote, although MultiChoice didn't make information or details about that available, other than a generic press release noting that SMS votes have been canned.

All voting will be on the Big Brother Naija website and mobile site as well as on the My DStv and My GOtv apps.

The 6th season of Big Brother Naija will run for 10 weeks and across 72 days and end on 3 October 2021 with the winner getting N90 million (R3.17 million), with the selected housemates who have already been quarantined before they are to enter the Big Brother Naija camera-filled house over the weekend.

"With each season of Big Brother Naija we task ourselves on delivering great content that will take the excitement a notch higher and meet the entertainment needs of our customers. For this sixth season, we are pulling all the stops to give our customers a show like never seen before from Nigeria with end-to-end production best practices under global health and safety standards," says John Ugbe, MultiChoice Nigeria CEO in a press statement.

Given the danger of Covid-19 and the dramatic surge in the Delta-variant in South Africa, Nigeria and across the African continent, MultiChoice Nigeria says that DStv subscribers can be assured that "global best practices, precautions and preventive measures will be followed throughout the show".

"To find out more about this and other information on the sixth season, visit www.africamagic.tv/bigbrothernaija ," says MultiChoice in its press release, although the website contains absolutely no information about the show's Covid-19 safety production protocols or "more about this".

UPDATE Monday 19 July 2021 - 16:16: The Duma Collective PR agency tells TVwithThinus that the Big Brother Naija 24-hour channel will be placed on and run on MultiChoice's DStv channel 197 in South Africa. 

SMS voting has been removed from Big Brother Naija in order to make it "completely free and more inclusive for fans outside Nigeria".

ALSO READ: Ebuka Obi-Uchendu back as host of the 6th season of M-Net West Africa's Big Brother Naija.

Ebuka Obi-Uchendu back as host of the 6th season of M-Net West Africa's Big Brother Naija.

by Thinus Ferreira

Ebuka Obi-Uchendu will be back as the host of the 6th season of M-Net West Africa's Big Brother Naija that will start within a few months in Lagos, Nigeria.

Ebuka Obi-Uchendu announced his return as the show's host on social media, saying "Well, guess who's returning as the host of the next season of Big Brother Naija. Let's go again, guys!".

Ebuka Obi-Uchendu who was a housemate in the debut season of Big Brother Nigeria in 2006, has been hosting the reality camera house show since 2017, with the upcoming 6th season that will mark his 5th time as host.

"We are strengthening our investment in quality content with another season of Big Brother Naija that has become one of the most anticipated TV events across Africa and this season promises to be even bigger and more entertaining," says John Ugbe, MultiChoice Nigeria CEO, in a statement.

Online auditions for the 6th season started on 3 May in Nigeria and will end on 16 May, with people who have to record a 2-minute video of themselves to explain why they should be picked as a housemate.

For the upcoming 6th season that will once again be done from Lagos, Nigeria, the Big Brother Naija grand prize money was upped from N85 million to N90 million (R3.11 million) although ironically the eventual winner will in reality get less money, given the fast-depreciating Nigerian currency.

The N85 million prize money for the 5th season in 2020 of Big Brother Naija was worth R3.66 million just 10 months ago.

M-Net West Africa will again run Big Brother Naija as a separate 24-hour channel, together with highlight shows on its Africa Magic channel, on MultiChoice's DStv pay-TV service in Nigeria as well as across sub-Sahara Africa.

MultiChoice will very likely also once again stream Big Brother Naija on its Showmax video streaming service as well. The Showmax offering will likely carry again carry its own additional customised shows for that service. 

Big Brother Naija continues to serve as a subscriber uptake driver for MultiChoice. 

With DStv, Big Brother Nigeria helps to combat churn and subscriber losses while it also promotes upselling to higher packages. 

With Showmax, leveraging of the reality series helps with the educational process of SVOD familiarisation under Africa's consumers, product marketing cross-promotion and boosting Showmax revenue and subscribers as well.

The 5th season of Big Brother Naija: Lockdown broke a Showmax video streaming record to become the most-watched entertainment live stream on Showmax in Nigeria, with a significant portion of the viewing also happening in South Africa and Kenya.

ALSO READ: Big Brother Naija Lockdown season draws record Showmax streaming viewership in Nigeria, South Africa and across the Africa continent.  

M-Net West Africa and MultiChoice Nigerian bringing Nigerian Idol back for a 6th season in 2021 after a 5-year break.

by Thinus Ferreira

After a 5-year break M-Net West Africa has renewed Nigerian Idol for a 6th season in 2021.

The new season of Nigerian Idol comes as the 16th season of Idol in South Africa on Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) produced by [SIC] Entertainment, is nearing an end in two weeks. 

While Idol will very likely be renewed for a 17th season in South Africa, the 6th season of Nigerian Idol will be broadcast on M-Net West Africa's Africa Magic channel in 2021.

Nigerian Idol online auditions are currently taking place in Nigeria with people between the ages of 16 and 30 who can enter and who must upload a video of themselves singing by the closing date of 13 December 2020.

John Ugbe, MultiChoice Nigeria CEO, says in a released statement that "Nigeria is at the heart of music excellence and we are excited to announce that Nigerian Idol is officially back, starting with the online auditions. For us at MultiChoice it has always been about talent development and giving our subscribers superior content that they can relate to and engage with."

"Idols is a show with a track record of producing the most popular music idols around the world and we are happy to bring season 6 of Nigerian Idol to your screens."

Coronavirus: Nigerian government orders no-show MultiChoice Nigeria boss John Ugbe to be tested for Covid-19.

by Thinus Ferreira

After his failure to appear before them in a sitting citing illness, Nigeria's House of Representatives on Wednesday ordered the country's MultiChoice Nigeria boss, John Ugbe, to be tested for Covid-19.

John Ugbe failed to appear before Nigeria's national assembly currently debating the regulations around pay-TV in the West African country, and said in a note that he fell ill after having taken an airplane flight.

Gozie Onumonon, MultiChoice Nigeria's head of regulatory affairs, in a note to the committee said that John Ugbe can't appear on Wednesday.

"We regret to inform the committee that we would be unable to appear before it today due to a sudden illness of our CEO, after arriving in Abuja yesterday for this meeting. Because of the abundance of caution needed to be taken in line with the current pandemic, we believe it is necessary that the meeting be deferred until he has regained his health and is cleared by his medical doctor."

The committee passed a resolution that the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) "should locate the CEO of MultiChoice Nigeria, John Ugbe, and make sure he is tested for Covid-19, since he alluded that he is having a cough and is not feeling well".

M-Net West Africa renews Big Brother Nigeria for a 5th season in 2020 amidst Covid-19; 'global best practices and preventative measures will be followed' to produce the camera-house show during coronavirus pandemic.

by Thinus Ferreira

M-Net West Africa has renewed its camera house reality competition show Big Brother Nigeria for a 5th season in 2020 that will again be produced from Lagos, Nigeria for a second consecutive time with MultiChoice and M-Net that say the pay-TV service will follow "global best practices, precautions and preventive measures" to produce the season amidst the Covid-19 novel coronavirus pandemic still present in the country and Africa.

MultiChoice will once again broadcast Big Brother Naija in Nigeria on DStv, as well as on its satellite pay-TV service across sub-Saharan Africa, including South Africa.

The fourth season of Big Brother Naija was the first to be produced from inside Nigeria with the previous three seasons that were done from Johannesburg, South Africa.

The upcoming fifth season of Big Brother Naija will hold online auditions in which people have to send in a 2-minute video, instead of physical auditions and queuing at various venues across Nigeria following M-Net's disorganisation with the 4th season's audition process at stadiums, as well as the dangers of the Covid-19 novel coronavirus that is present in Nigeria as well as across Africa.

John Ugbe, MultiChoice Nigeria CEO, says "Big Brother Naija has been widely regarded as one of Africa’s biggest entertainment exports, being the biggest showcase of Nigeria’s diversity outside of core Nollywood".

"This fifth season promises to be more adventurous, exciting and entertaining, and will undoubtedly be the biggest thing on African television in 2020."

"As the new edition draws near, fans and viewers can get ready for the excitement and entertainment that this season will bring as they enjoy weeks of unending drama, intrigue, romance, Friday night games, the famous Saturday night parties and an overall battle of wits as the housemates vie for the ultimate prize."

"The timing of the show is also particularly important, given the dominance of the Covid-19 pandemic; auditions for the fifth edition will now be held online and viewers and stakeholders alike can rest assured knowing that global best practices, precautions and preventive measures will be followed throughout the show," says John Ugbe.

Coronavirus: Nigeria warns that the thousands of MultiChoice and M-Net guests at their 7th AMVCA have very likely been exposed to Covid-19.

by Thinus Ferreira

In an announcement that sent shockwaves through MultiChoice, M-Net and the African continent's TV and film industry, the office of the Lagos state's ministry of health in Nigeria warned that the 7th Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards could have exposed the thousands of guests who attended to the Covid-19 virus since someone who had tested positive attended the awards show.

A year after not holding its pan-African awards show in 2019, MultiChoice decided to forge ahead in 2020 with the 7th AMVCAs that took place on 14 March at the Eko Hotel in Lagos, Nigeria on the same night as MultiChoice and M-Net's 2020 DStv Mzansi Viewers' Choice Awards took place for South Africa in Johannesburg at the TicketPro Dome.

MultiChoice pressed ahead with the 7th AMVCAs in Nigeria despite Covid-19 cases that had already tested positive in Nigeria, as well as with the 2020 DStv MVCAs in South Africa where no cases were positive yet although the government and companies cautioned people to limit movement and large-scale social interaction and gatherings.

The Lagos State ministry of health has now warned that "all participants at the Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards held on 14 March at Eko Hotels may have come in contact with one of the confirmed cases in Lagos and are most likely to have been exposed to the Covid-19 infection".

The large awards show with attendees from West, East and Southern Africa was filled with TV and film executives from across Africa including MultiChoice Nigeria CEO John Ugbe, as well as filmmakers, on-screen stars and behind-the-scenes crew, media and including multiple MultiChoice and M-Net staffers and executives from across the African continent who all returned to their home countries on the Sunday morning.

The health ministry urged all attendees of the 7th Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards to "observe strict self-isolation, to call Nigeria's toll-free coronavirus-helpline if they notice symptoms and to practice self-distancing.

The MultiChoice Group's Africa division didn't immediately respond on Wednesday morning to a media enquiry asking for comment and what it's doing now for M-Net and MultiChoice staffers - those who attended and those who came into contact with them upon their return, as well as regarding guests who attended.

When comment is received it will be added here.

UPDATE Thursday 26 March 2020 16:54 -  Reatile Tekateka, the head of corporate affairs at MultiChoice Africa, says that MultiChoice has no comment.

MultiChoice Nigeria starts 5 new DStv and GOtv packages for the Nigerian market, revamping the GOtv Max offering.

by Thinus Ferreira

MultiChoice Nigeria is starting 5 new DStv and GOtv packages specifically for the Nigerian market and is revamping the GOtv Max package.

The new packages by MultiChoice Nigeria that remains under pressure in the West African country, is an attempt to try and combat churn, increase revenue and to provide more different price-options to potential customers who might have money to spend on pay-TV but didn't have an option at the price-point that they can afford.

The new packages with Nigerian-centric names include recently-added DStv channels for sub-Saharan Africa like the educational Da Vinci Learning channel, WarnerMedia's TNT channel for Africa, and Discovery Networks' Real Time.

From 1 December MultiChoice Nigeria will operate 3 new DStv packages: DStv Confam, DStv Yanga and DStv Padi.

DStv Confam has been designed as a "family package" with 120 channels and includes Viacom Africa's BET, Da Vinci Learning and TNT at a monthly cost of NGN 4500 (R183.24).

DStv Yanga has 94 channels including Viacom Africa's MTV Base, Discovery's Real Time, ROK2, EbonyLife and Africa Magic Epic for a monthly price of NGN 2500 (R101.80).

DStv Padi with 51 channels has a monthly cost of NGN 1800 (R73.30).

MultiChoice Nigeria is introducing 2 new GOtv packages: GOtv Jolli with 68 channels at a cost of NGN 2400 (R97.55) and GOtv Jinja with 47 channels at a cost of NGN 1600 (R65.03) monthly.

"The new packages are exclusively curated from Naija and for Nigerians, driven by great programing and affordable prices," says John Ugbe, MultiChoice Nigeria CEO.

"With improved package options available to our valued customers, they can choose a subscription plan that best fits their needs and budget. We remain committed to give millions of television viewers in Nigeria the opportunity to enjoy world-class entertainment."

Existing DStv Access, DStv Family, GOtv Plus and GOtv Value subscribers will get a free 2-week preview of the new packages from 1 December until 15 December 2019.

TV CRITIC's NOTEBOOK. Journalists from across the continent on a Big Brother Naija TV junket with MultiChoice Africa showed off their dazzling feeding frenzy as they 'selfie'd just about everything - except for actually reporting the news and about the business of Big Brother.

If you thought there were going to be reams and reams of detailed, timeous stories as well as comprehensive reporting from the group of journalists from across Africa who went on a week-long TV tour with MultiChoice to Lagos, Nigeria to cover the launch of the 4th season of Big Brother Naija, you thought wrong - and haven't been keeping track of the trash level of what's passing as (non)coverage and reporting of Africa's entertainment and TV industry.

What we did get were selfies - lots and lots of them - food videos, what they drank, their gifts, their nightclub escapades, their dazzling pouting and even their red carpet strutting - because so-called journalists want to be photographed appearing on the red carpet themselves these days, instead of behind the rope line covering it.

While the gaggle of journalists that The MultiChoice Group invited enjoyed their multi-day stay at the Radisson Blu Anchorage Hotel on Victoria Island in Lagos last week in the lead-up to the live show launch event of the 4th season of Big Brother Naija on Sunday, you'd be hard-pressed, even days later, trying to find any story or any actual incisive reporting from any of the multiple media sessions or studio and set tours they did.

What exactly the return on the investment is for MultiChoice when so-called journalists from across Africa go on a week-long media junket and do little to absolutely nothing except taking selfies to make themselves look good, is anyone's guess.

For journalism and entertainment journalism, and in terms of reporting about the TV industry on the continent, it's however once again highly embarrassing - besides looking like a massive MultiChoice waste of money.

FOOD FOOD FOOD 🤸🏿‍♂️🤸🏿‍♂️💃.
##bbnaijaexperience19 @DStv_Ghana @GOtvNg @MultiChoiceGRP pic.twitter.com/1Uhh9o5U47

— Entertainment chic 👌🏿: @adwoaloudgh (@adwoaloudgh) June 28, 2019

Journalists did a media session with John Ugbe, MultiChoice Nigeria CEO; Femi Odugbemi, the West African director of the MultiChoice Talent Factory and students; Wangi Mba-Uzoukwu, M-Net West Africa channels director; as well as studio and set visits of SuperSport and M-Net's prime time soap Tinsel.

They saw, stayed in, and got to personally experience the Big Brother Naija house. They attended the new season's live launch event and afterparty on Sunday night.

The normal expectation is that there wouldn't and shouldn't just be at least one story about each of those, but multiple stories about all of it since journalists got on-location access as well as access to several TV executives, producers and on-screen talent over days.

Instead journalists did almost nothing - besides visibly pandering social media selfies and show-off videos like opening Big Brother Naija gift boxes (ooh, 12 spices!), their meals, their drinks, showing off their dressing up for nights out to have dinner and going to nightclubs - essentially anything but covering and reporting on Big Brother Naija and what they've seen, heard and were told about MultiChoice and its TV operations.

Where is the return on the investment? Where is the duty to the public?

Is Insta-posts from TV Tour, with the swirl of FX-glitter for effect, the level we've fallen to and all that the public get now when access media forsake what they're supposed to be there for?

Are you ready for the hottest season of #BBNaija starting this Sunday on @DStvUganda!?! My #bbnaijaexperience just got hotter with this welcome gift from Big Brother! pic.twitter.com/Z468beuMB4

— Charlie Denzel Mwiyeretsi 🇺🇬 (@DenzelUG) June 27, 2019

It's hugely problematic when on a TV junket, it's more publicly known that journalists went to Lagos' Lekki market, visited Freedom Park in downtown Lagos, visited the Nike Art Centre for Art and Culture and had a night out at N-tyce, than what it is to find any actual reporting on what the journalists were there to cover and report on workwise about the latest African version of the Endemol Shine Group's reality format show.

MultiChoice literally gave journalists the experience of staying over for a night in the newly-created Big Brother Naija camera-filled house - the first time in 13 years (since 2006) that a Big Brother production has been done from inside Nigeria, while M-Net and SuperSport gave access to their studios and shows.

Scour the interwebs and try and find stories from the overnight experience or the various other productions and what was said or seen there.

Beyond the lack of first-hand reports about the Big Brother Naija stay (of which there should rightly be several), there are no reports about the design, the construction, the production behind-the-scenes, the new broadcasting set-up from Lagos, or what went into the creation of the house.

Where is the coverage?

It's as if some people were simply picked for a multi-day holiday in Lagos as part of a week of self-entitled feeding, frolicking and having fun without doing the work - which is to represent the hundreds or thousands of readers, listeners or viewers, and to report on the business of broadcasting and the business of Big Brother Naija.

It's inexcusable.


ALSO READ: From a male stripper to a lawyer and a police officer working in Londen are part of the 21 Nigerian housemates competing in the 4th season of M-Net West Africa's Big Brother Naija on DStv that is now done from a studio in Lagos.
ALSO READ: IN IMAGES. 50 photos from inside the house of the 4th season of Big Brother Naija and its colourfully designed interior.

From a male stripper to a lawyer and a police officer working in Londen are part of the 21 Nigerian housemates competing in the 4th season of M-Net West Africa's Big Brother Naija on DStv that is now done from a studio in Lagos.

The 4th season of MultiChoice Africa and M-Net West Africa's Big Brother Naija reality show started on Sunday night on DStv channel 198, shown across Sub-Saharan Africa including South Africa with the theme of "Pepper Dem", and including contestants ranging from a male stripper and a lawyer to a music video vixen and someone working as a police officer in London.

The 4th season, produced from Lagos, Nigeria this year, has been done before with Nigerian contestants housed in Johannesburg but has been shifted to an undisclosed new studio facility in Lagos.

The 4th season is the first time that Big Brother Naija has been done from Nigeria since 2006, after which production was moved to South Africa due to security issues, production and logistical challenges, high production costs, electricity interruptions and the fact that South Africa had an existing Big Brother house available that was used for Big Brother Africa.

Ebuka Obi-Uchendu is again the host of the upcoming 4th season of Big Brother Naija, with the former housemate who presented the second season in 2017 and the third season that started in January 2018.

MultiChoice and M-Net had a studio launch event for media for Big Brother Naija but didn't invite any South African press although journalists from elsewhere across the African continent were invited and included to attend in Lagos.

Journalists from various countries across Africa were given access in the run-up to the launch of the new season but MultiChoice excluded South Africa, although Big Brother Naija has a growing following in South Africa with many DStv subscribers following the reality show.

MultiChoice had journalists from various countries across Africa for a week in Lagos, giving them access to experience the preparations for Sunday's live show launch and having them spend a night in the Big Brother Naija house. 

Almost none of the invited journalists filed or reported stories beforehand, nor ran any interviews with MultiChoice or M-Net executives or the show producers, and the majority are yet to report anything they've experienced, the stay inside the camera-house, about what they've seen or background about the new studio and production this season, after the access they got.

While several journalists from across Africa attended a press conference with John Ugbe, MultiChoice Nigeria CEO, and Femi Odugbemi, the MultiChoice Talent Factory West Africa director, there's hardly been any reporting by any of the media about what was said there - for instance MultiChoice trying to explain the delay regarding the broadcast date of Big Brother Naija.

The 4th season of Big Brother Naija will now run for 99 days, a week longer than previously announced, although MultiChoice and M-Net didn't give a reason nor explained the adjustment.

Big Brother Naija will now end on 30 September.

During a 90-minute Big Brother Naija live show on Sunday night, 21 housemates identified by their first names only, entered the camera-filled Big Brother house: Seyi, Esther, Ella, Frodd, Omashola, Avala, Khafi, Ike, Tuoyo, Kimoprah, Isilomo, Jackye, Khafi, Nelson, Sir Dee, Thelma, Gedoni, Diane, Mercy, Tacha, Mike and Jeff.

The live show launch included musical performances by Teni like "Uyo meyo" and Burna Boy belting out songs like "Dangote", "On the low" and "Killin' dem", while DJ Neptune was the show's DJ.

The winner of the 4th season of Big Brother Naija will get N60 million (R2.34 million) in prize money.

Two daily highlight moments will be shared on the Big Brother Naija YouTube channel, and 8 daily highlight moments will be placed on the Africa Magic website.

 These internet channels will also feature additional Big Brother Naija content, including interviews with the music artists and the evictees after the Sunday eviction shows.

In a prepared quote attributed to John Ugbe, MultiChoice Nigeria CEO, in Nigeria he says "We're proud of the work everyone has delivered to bring this show to viewers' television screens and devices. Our customers are in for a treat and this season is going to be even bigger and hotter and more importantly, it’s taking place right here in Nigeria".

The same quote is attributed as being said by other MultiChoice executives who have their names attached to it and saying the same quote in other African countries, for instance Ghana.

Speaking about making Big Brother Naija content available on YouTube, John Ugbe says it's part of MultiChoice's plan to make Big Brother Naija content "more accessible to lovers of the show".

"Big Brother Naija continues to amass a growing following across the continent and we want to guarantee fans that they're in for a thrilling season. With additional Big Brother Naija content on our Africa Magic YouTube channel, we are giving fans more reasons to follow and enjoy all the moments the show promises to bring".

In a new Big Brother Naija "social media rule book" issued to some media, MultiChoice is warning the media about the use of photography and video content from the show.

Here are the 21 contestants in the 4th season of Big Brother Naija:

Avala

Diane

Ella

Esther

Frodd

Gedoni

Ike

Isilomo

Jackye

Jeff

Khafi

Kimoprah

Mercy

Mike

Nelson

Omashola

Seyi

Sir Dee

Tacha

Thelma

Tuoyo


ALSO READ: IN IMAGES. 50 photos from inside the house of the 4th season of Big Brother Naija and its colourfully designed interior.

ALSO READ: TV CRITIC's NOTEBOOK. Journalists from across the continent on a Big Brother Naija TV junket with MultiChoice Africa showed off their dazzling feeding frenzy as they 'selfie'd just about everything - except for actually reporting the news and about the business of Big Brother. 

The 2 big reasons why MultiChoice Africa and M-Net West Africa decided to switch production of Big Brother Naija from South Africa to Nigeria.

Two big reasons have been the natural impetus behind MultiChoice and M-Net's move to switch production of its reality competition series Big Brother Nigeria from South Africa to Nigeria - both having to do with the pay-TV operator's intent to improve local TV production quality and standards in sub-Saharan Africa outside of South Africa.

This week MultiChoice Nigeria and M-Net West Africa announced that Big Brother Naija has been renewed for a 4th season that will kick off after the conclusion of the upcoming Nigerian general elections.

MultiChoice Africa and M-Net however also surprised by revealing that the new season would be produced in Lagos instead of Johannesburg, South Africa where the existing Big Brother house in Linden, production facilities and production company Red Pepper Productions are based and that had been used so far for Big Brother Naija as well as the continental Big Brother Africa versions.

Previous seasons of Big Brother Naija in 2017 and 2018 were done in South Africa with contestants, family members and some Nigerian crew flown in, and then broadcast to Nigeria and across Africa on a dedicated Big Brother channel for DStv subscribers.

MultiChoice Nigeria and M-Net West Africa repeatedly explained that producing the show in South Africa is cheaper, safer, easier and ensures higher production values for viewers across the continent than what is possible in Nigeria where constantly interrupted electricity supply, hard to find TV technical skills, security issues, and other production issues make Big Brother Naija impractical and would make production costs soar.

Behind-the-scenes however two crucial things changed, that combined led to MultiChoice and M-Net deciding to switch production of the Endemol Shine Group's reality series from Johannesburg to Lagos.

Firstly, with a long-term view, MultiChoice and M-Net saw the sense in trying to expand the existing TV production capacity in Nigeria and West Africa to try and raise over time both the physical studio floor space available to use for multi-production of various shows for the region, but also over time production quality and standards.

Secondly, MultiChoice Africa decided to launch its MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF) initiative in mid-2018 - a sub-Saharan film academy providing year-long internships for talented filmmakers in 3 hubs: Zambia for Southern Africa, Kenya for East Africa, and Nigeria for West Africa.

Having a dedicated real-world studio and studio space available in Lagos, Nigeria would help and provide a hands-on practical sphere where the intern filmmakers from across West Africa could observe, learn and hone their skills next to working production crew.

This lead to the decision to re-purpose an existing facility into new studio space in Lagos that will serve a dual purpose.

"Over the past two Big Brother Naija seasons, MultiChoice took a business decision to use the existing purpose-built facility in South Africa - which was not only cost-effective but also enabled the team to meet tight production deadlines without compromising on quality," Mokgadi Seabi, MultiChoice Africa spokesperson told TVwithThinus.

"This period also gave us time to start the process of replicating the set infrastructure and processes in Nigeria that we believe will deliver the same unmatched production quality that our valued customers have come to enjoy."

"The past two seasons gave us time to start building the infrastructure in Nigeria which, in the long term, will benefit our viewers as we will have a state-of-the-art studio to continue producing some of Nigeria and the continent's best-loved series, variety shows and sports programmes."

"It's also best to note another important factor - the MultiChoice Talent Factory. The West Africa MTF academy is based in Lagos, Nigeria and having this new purpose-built studio with varying functionalities in close proximity to them, will allow the MTF Academy's 20 West African students an opportunity to gain some valuable hands-on experience in various production techniques, through a live show production," says Mokgadi Seabi.

Red Pepper Productions will be the consulting production company in Nigeria, alongside a local production workforce featuring locally-sourced suppliers and in-house experts, says Mokgadi Seabi.

John Ugbe, MultiChoice Nigeria CEO says "this fourth season of Big Brother Naija promises to be even bigger than previous editions and underscores MultiChoice's position as the biggest investor and driver of entertainment content on the continent".

MultiChoice says the Nigerian government needs more laws to protect the TV and film industry and a lot more enforcement of laws to clamp down on content piracy and to protect content creator's intellectual property.

MultiChoice says the Nigerian government needs to do more to combat piracy of video content and more and better laws to protect intellectual property in order for Africa's TV and film industry to grow.

"One key thing which a lot of people overlook is piracy. The government - we need laws that protect intellectual property. That's the basic foundation. That's the best thing we need to do.We need to respect people's creativity," said John Ugbe, MultiChoice Nigeria managing director.

"Once we begin to do that, then people will pay for those products, because they're not freely available. You'll then see more investment come in,so we need the right laws bit not just laws - we need enforcement of the laws."

John Ugbe was asked what the Nigerian government needs to do to boost the film industry.

CNBC Africa (DStv 410 / Cell C black 512) interviewed John Ugbe on Saturday evening on the red carpet at the 6th 2018 Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards, where for the first time CNBC Africa had a dedicated spot and did interviews.

CNBC Africa asked John Ugbe what specific Nigerian laws MultiChoice wants the Nigerian government to review that would help the Nigerian film industry.

"It's more enforcement, as I touched on intellectual property. We need a lot more enforcement of anti-piracy activities. We need to stop people from selling that odd DVD on the street - that's stealing."

"No matter where the content comes from, pirated content ends up destroying the industry locally," said John Ugbe.

John Ugbe said there's big opportunities in Africa for filmmakers. "Africa, we have the best stories. We can tell the stories ourselves."

TV CRITIC'S NOTEBOOK. Why is nothing available - or being made available - to the press about the M-Net and MultiChoice executives panel discussion that preceded the 6th Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards 2018?

Why is nothing available - or being made available - to the press covering it, about the panel discussion that M-Net and MultiChoice executives had before the 6th Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards for 2018 that took place on Saturday night?

While panelists like Yolisa Phahle (MultiChoice CEO for general entertainment), John Ugbe (MultiChoice Nigeria managing director), Nkateko Mabaso (acting M-Net CEO), Wangi Mba-Uzoukwu (M-Net West Africa director) and the 3 MultiChoice Talent Factory directors Njoki Muhoho, Berry Lwando and Femi Odugbemi all attended in Lagos, Nigeria and spoke, neither M-Net nor MultiChoice bothered to release any press statements, audio or a rush-transcript for the media about it.

While M-Net and MultiChoice are multinational, pan-African companies and hold up the Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards as a continental type of awards show and competition, the organisers don't seem to really bother, or want to bother, with making the effort of properly including East or Southern Africa beyond the most superficial level.

MultiChoice and M-Net marketing exec and publicist haven't bothered to issue any information or even a bare-bones transcript, speeches or just notes with talking points, about the exec panel discussion.

The question is why. Are they lazy? Are they incompetent? Are they not aware that it matter? Are they really so clueless that there are media who find it important enough to cover and who would actually want to report on what the pay-TV provider's executives have to say?

Why make the effort of organising a public panel with company executives, and then not actually pass the final hurdle of communicating properly what was said there to media who can't physically attend?

Some press did attend but themselves haven't bothered to report anything about what was actually said at the panel discussion.

This again follows the established pattern of superficial coverage and largely non-coverage of invited media who annually end up doing very little at the Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards although their purpose is supposedly to cover the actual event and things like the panel discussion leading up to it.

The AMVCA organisers and M-Net and MultiChoice should be doing better with media relations and getting information out, and to, the actual journalists and media really covering the TV industry on the continent, but either doesn't know how, or doesn't care to do this better or properly.

The panel discussion apparently would have revolved around how MultiChoice and M-Net is growing original African television programming and investing in films, what these companies are doing to promote new talent, how the new MultiChoice Talent Factory works and what MultiChoice and M-Net are contributing to the continent's video entertainment sector.

The information and the opportunity for the Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards, as well as M-Net and MultiChoice to communicate all of this, would have been interesting but also valuable to not just the TV and film industry across Africa to hear, but also to the broader public who might be following what these companies do and what they are involved in.

Sadly that opportunity of course is lost.

There will however be lots of photos of women in pretty dresses as the Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards deliberately dilutes, through inaction, the focus of what it can really communicate to the public and the industry about what is being done to invest and help improve television and film in Africa.