The Nation Newspaper

Tag: EMCOAN

  • Now that EMCOAN is willing to help

    WHEN stakeholders really have a stake in a business, there are high hopes of success.

    I dare say that what happened on June 17, 2015 will reoccur if government or its agencies do not carry along private players in every sector of the economy.

    Now, you are scared, and seem to be asking; “Please, what happened on June 17, 2015 ooo.” Well, something terrible happened… Hmmm, on that day, which was the digital migration deadline set by the ITU for switchover from analogue to digital television broadcasting; Nigeria failed to comply… (Laughs). Now, you are relieved, but angry. Well, jokes apart; the fact that Nigeria, which prides itself as the giant of Africa could not meet a deadline on an agreement it was a party to in 2006 says a lot about the richest country in West Africa, especially when a small East African country like Tanzania surpassed all expectations on the project.

    I believe we should move towards a phase where everything should not be centred on government. That way, government agencies would not see themselves as Lords over the industry they regulate, but as partners in progress. Sometimes too, as a pressure group in expediting what government bureaucracy would ordinarily not let them achieve easily.

    When I learnt that the Electronic Media Content Owners Association of Nigeria (EMCOAN), has decided to join hands with the National Broadcasting Commission, to seek ways of realising another possible date, I considered it a beautiful development.

    Perhaps another reason for our shoddy preparation is because we continue to treat the Showbiz potential of Nigeria with kid gloves. If we know how Nigerian music, and movies ‘rule’ the continent, then, we shouldn’t be the country found wanting in this scheme- but it is not surprising because our policies and disposition to the non-oil sector are quite short-sighted.

    Tanzania started its digital migration process in December 2012, completing it on 30 April 2015.

    It is heart warming that President of EMCOAN, Debbie Odutayo, believes that a better and deeper collaboration with major stakeholders such as her association (which is responsible for over 85% of media content in Nigeria) would largely contribute to a successful actualization of the new date. I feel so too.

    Like Odutayo, I like the willingness of the NBC to partner with her association in a move towards a successful digitisation of the broadcast industry in Nigeria.

    Odutayo stated that the NBC is now taking the bull by the horns, with the facilitation of EMCOAN’s participation in international events such as MIPCOM, which holds in France next month.   This is a good step in the right direction, as there can be no effective switch-over if the content owners are not carried along in the process.

    According to her, digitization worldwide demonstrates that industry, and political considerations prevail in the discussions concerning the planning, and implementation of the digital switchover policies.  Regulators in Nigeria hitherto failed to recognize the inherent opportunities of using readily available expertise at its disposal, just as consultations across board were not wide enough.

    She particularly lamented the manner in which members of EMCOAN were left out of the entire process, even with its strategic position as a body of TV, and radio program producers.

    In the next eighteen months as extended by NBC, Nigeria can join the likes of Ghana, which appears to have gone ahead, and readily serves as benchmarkwhere a simulcast service is run by TV stations such that a set-up box could easily receive more than 20 DTT channels; as well as Tanzania, which has also made significant progress in the African television industry since it migrated to digital in December 2012, fully establishing it in April 2015.

    “EMCOAN is open to working with the NBC, if approached, to throw our heavy weight behind the regulatory body by deploying our viable platform, and resources to sensitizing the generality of Nigerians on the massive change of switching from analogue to digital broadcasting,” she said.

    With influential figures such as Wale Adenuga (MFR), Opa Williams, Agatha Amata, and Adeoye Roluga on the Board of EMCOAN, and an executive committee that has the likes of Debbie Odutayo, as President; Asiwaju Benson Akindeju -1st Vice President; Jibe Ologeh-2nd Vice President; Ganee Adewuyi-General Secretary; Kingsley Omoefe-Ass. General Secretary; Otunba Sesan Rufai-Financial Secretary; Obinna Okeke-Ass. Financial Secretary; Jerry Isichie-Treasurer; Toyin Ohio-Alegbe-PRO; Anita Agarry-Oke-Chief Whip; Seyi Adebanjo-Auditor; and Ariyike Oladipo -Welfare Secretary, let’s just give the digitalisation process another attempt, and see how far we can go.

  • EMCOAN: Content owners threaten showdown with defaulters

    EMCOAN: Content owners threaten showdown with defaulters

    It may no longer be business as usual between the Electronic Media Content Owners Association of Nigeria (EMCOAN) and media agencies, as its leadership is set for a showdown with some media agencies that seem be a pain of sorts in the heads of its members.

    To further underscore its new resolve, the leadership  of the association has directed its members to henceforth discontinue any business relationship with the erring agencies until further notice, as part of the actions being taken by  to get the affected agencies to pay up what it called the “huge debt being owed its members and to begin to project electronic media content owners as vital partners”

    In a release, the Executive Council of the association said it was time the media agencies recognised the invaluable contributions of its members to their operations.

    The President of EMCOAN, Mrs. Debbie Odutayo, said: “For some time now, the Association has complained about the manner in which media agencies treat independent producers, especially regarding payment. The affected media agencies default with reckless abandon on the agreement signed by both parties, completely oblivious of the harsh terrain, where producers go through thick and thin to produce programmes and battle TV stations to ensure transmission so that advert placements run at all costs.”

    The statement further alleged that the affected agencies had owed EMCOAN members millions of Naira for several years.

    “Apart from delayed and irregular payments, these agencies demand a ridiculous and unjustifiable 25% volume discounts, even when the contract being issued cannot be said to be in any volume.

    In some cases, some of these media agencies take more, even up to 40%, thereby stifling members to run at a huge loss,” the statement further stated.

    Consequently, the association has resolved to publish the names of the affected media agencies, if “they refuse to do due diligence within the specified time”

    The association started while some notable Nigerian producers were on a trip to Ghana in 2012, with the sole aim of bringing content owners under one umbrella, where their needs and challenges in the industry would be tabled with a view to proffering lasting solutions.

    The statement further stated that members of the association had always cried out against alleged injustice in the hands of other players like the media houses, advertising agencies, media monitors etc.

    “Television and radio stations demand pre-payment from content owners, knowing full well that the agencies who give them ads to run within their programmes never pre-pay.”

    Another challenge we face with the media houses is the non-transmission of programmes without prior information given to the content owners. This causes untold loss of revenues as the advertisements originally scheduled to run on affected editions cannot be billed to agencies or clients.

    On the other hand, agencies default on the agreed payment plans, thereby causing content owners to renege on their financial obligations to all concerned. Apart from delayed payments, the volume discounts and other extras they request content owners to oblige them are stifling. This affects profitability and the effect spirals down,” the statement said. The association further alleged that media monitoring agencies oftentimes delay reports and sometimes give error reports.

    “A lot of time is wasted on refuting their claims, at the end of which payment time is unduly prolonged or even an outright loss of revenue when stations refuse to produce off-air dub, claiming that the time interval is too long,” it stated.