Government’s policy harming broadcast industry —Mursty Adinoyi

Mursty Adinoyi, presenter-producer of the award-winning TV entertainment programme, Hitlist N Cruzin, in this interview with SEGUN ADEBAYO, speaks on government’s policy on the broadcast industry and how it has affected its growth.

The digital revolution is taking over the world now. How is it affecting you?

I think it’s a good development. It’s good because here we’re talking about clear pictures. You know what high definition means. High definition is better pictures. At Emrose Adinoyi Productions, we’re already digitalised. Our flagship show, Hitlist N Cruzin, is 100 per cent digital. When you see it, you’ll believe me that the picture quality of HNC is top notch. But when we give it to TV stations, because they are still on analogue, the quality will definitely drop. By the time Nigeria is fully digitalised, exactly what we produce in our studio is what you’ll see on TV. And that raises a concern in the country itself. When we digitise, the advantages are enormous, but again, we should not be just looking at the advantages, we should as well consider some other things. When you digitize Nigeria TV stations, some of them might not be able to stay in business. Like TV stations in some inner towns. When digitalisation allows the people in such towns have access to many more channels, will they still be interested in the station in their town? So do you think such stations will survive? As it is right now, many stations are struggling to survive.

Is it that you have a TV station?

We don’t have a TV station for now. We’re just an independent producer. But, I’m telling you that it’s not easy to survive. Some years back, you’ll see some alcohol brands advertising on some belts; then they pushed them to certain belts like the 10pm belt. Before, you could see alcohol adverts on daytime on Nigerian TV. Now, they have pushed them to 10pm and those guys discovered that they are not getting enough reach from that particular time. So, what did they do? They now advertise on sports, and football is being played in the daytime. If you can’t watch it in your house, you go to a viewing centre. So, that same advert they don’t want people to watch or be exposed to in the daytime, is now being exposed in the daytime. And now the market is completely off Nigeria. Meanwhile, that money is made in Nigeria. So if we digitise, and we now allow our TV stations to air such adverts at anytime, the competition now becomes more balanced.

You’ve spoken so far based on your own sector and its needs. What policy do you think Nigeria should make that will be for all Nigerians’ benefit? 

I think that is very obvious. Nigeria will only move forward properly and even become the best country in the world when every serving government official, from the president down to the lowest ranked official, and across all tiers of government, executive, legislative, judiciary, are banned from seeking medical attention abroad, and their children also are banned from acquiring education abroad. If we do this, Nigeria will become the best country because they will now ensure everything at home works. Our hospitals will be the best because that’s where they will have to go to. There won’t be ASUU strike again because their (lecturers) children school here. Our roads will be made okay because their children use them when going to school and they don’t want them to have accidents. So Nigeria will become the best country because our politicians will have no choice but to make Nigeria work in the right manner as everything they do must be done here.

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Now you know what the problems are. What are you doing about them?

The best I can do in my own capacity is to make sure I have good content. And I can assure you that apart from HNC, we still have other content that we are waiting for approval to start. Also, the way I’ve spoken out now is part of it so that the relevant authorities can hear and look at what I’m looking at that it’s better for our TV stations … The way it is right now, some TV stations cannot even pay salaries, so you can imagine. Where are we going? And then look, if we have stronger TV stations made by Nigeria, owned by Nigerians, the issue of unemployment will reduce. That will boost our economy. I’m somebody who believes in the physical than what someone tells me about my own country. If you tell me Nigeria is doing well, I want to see that doing well in people, not just the word. If I have to still drive to filling station and buy fuel at N140, N130, one whatever, I don’t think that is okay for Nigeria. But in a situation where we now start to buy fuel at N40 per litre, then I will say there’s development. If I now hit the road, no pothole from my house to my office and from there to anywhere I’m going, that is development. But you can’t tell me there’s development and I’m not seeing it physically. Now, TV stations are struggling to survive.

When you digitize, competition becomes high. That is to say, you need to have more content. How do you get more content? You need to spend more money. So where is that money to spend on content when they can’t even pay staff? Yet they don’t allow them to air alcohol adverts. Only a single entity is making the money from alcohol adverts. Whereas that money should cut across all TV stations.

Why are the TV stations not fighting for their rights?

I think some months back, TV owners were talking about something like that, that when you box the TV due to digitization, they say it’s going to be free, right, but they say again that people will pay for it later. And I say if we’re paying even just one naira, it’s not free any longer. SoundCity we’re talking about today is a product of AIT. Go there. You’ll see many people working there. HNC is a product of TVC. Look at how many people are working for us. Go round to all independent producers. You’ll see that the TV in Nigeria has been able to create jobs for a lot of people. The stronger the terrestrial TV are, the better for the country, because from HNC, someone will leave to establish his own company and get bigger as well. That is how you can grow the economy.

What I’m asking is why can’t the TV stations fight for their right to show alcohol adverts which are being shown on satellite TV?

I don’t know why they are not doing that.

You are a TV producer of many years standing. And the government says alcohol adverts should not be shown in the afternoon. Do you support the government in that decision? Is it that the adverts are actually harmful?

Of course, we all know medically that alcohol is not good. But some people do take it, am I right? So if you say our TV stations shouldn’t show alcohol adverts in the daytime, let it go across the board. After all, the pay TV as well are broadcasting in Nigeria. Who are those watching them? Nigerians. And they want to block the adverts because of Nigerians, because of the kids, because of a certain age, yet those same particular age are watching the cable TV. So if the law affects the terrestrial TV, let it affect the satellite TV too. So it’s that level playing field I’m requesting for as it’ll help Nigerian TV stations, Nigerian companies and our economy. And Nigerian TV stations is what Nigeria needs. They will report Nigeria in the right manner as nobody can report Nigeria more than Nigerians. And the stronger our TV stations are, the better for all of us.