John Momoh at AIB Africa event

John Momoh signs an agreement with BBG at AIB’s 2014 event, “Africa’s Digital Media Future”

The story of Channels TV is in some ways the story of the modern Nigerian broadcast industry. John Momoh started it in 1992, sometimes shooting, editing and presenting all himself. Now Channels TV is Nigeria’s biggest broadcaster with aims to become a channel for Africans all over the world. John Momoh will be a speaker at AIB’s #iamabroadcaster Global Media Summit, hosted by the Assocation for International Broadcasting, on 18-19 February at London’s Royal Institute of British Architects.

What has been the reason for Channels TV’s success?

I think it’s a combination of the fact that we’re very blessed, very lucky, and that from the onset, we carved a niche for ourselves. What I did when I set up Channels was to get a new crop of broadcasters, so there would be a departure from the government-controlled organisations. We tried new ways of doing things, in modes of dressing, presentation, production. We introduced graphics for the first time, we introduced sets. We were doing a lot of things that hadn’t been done before, and that put us in the eyes of the public. It was 24/7 in those formative years, and even up to now. It’s been one long journey, with a lot of hard work and a lot of dedicated staff.

You had a wide variety of broadcast experience in your early years. How did that help in starting Channels TV?

Initially I had to take the lead. I used to go out with a camera, put it on my shoulder and shoot, go back to the studio and edit, then read the news. Sometimes the newscasters would direct. And my wife, Olusola, who was a stabilising force for me, would also do a lot work. In those formative years, I would take a lot of the equipment at hhome in my car. It was all hands-on.

Channels TV will be starting in the UK this year.

Yes. We hope to settle everything by February or March 2015. We’ve pretty much done everything. We’re waiting for Ofcom to give us a licence. Every other thing is in place. There have been some challenges. We’ve had to tweak our application, but I think now we’ve got things right. And we’re just waiting for the approval.

 

Tickets are still available for AIB’s #iamabroadcaster Global Media Summit. Featuring two days of conversation by top figures from the global media industry, and the inaugural David Frost Memorial Lecture, #iamabroadcaster will be held at London’s Royal Institute of British Architects on 18-19 February.

In addition to John Momoh, other speakers include, Peter Limbourg, Director General of Deutsche Welle; Tom Roope, Creative Director of The Rumpus Room, and Neeraj Arora of MSM Asia Limited/Sony Entertainment Network. Download the summit agenda here.

(read this interview in its entirety in the next issue of AIB’s print magazine, The Channel)