EXCLUSIVE: Cool FM, Beat FM to float TV stations

Chris Ubosi, CEO of Megalectrics and Amin Moussalli, CEO Globe Broadcasting and Communications Limited

Urban radio stations, Cool FM and Beat FM are spreading their tentacles into television as they float TV stations in the coming months.

According to NET investigations, Globe Broadcasting and Communications Limited who are owners and operators of Cool FM, Wazobia FM and Nigeria Info FM 99.3 are almost ready to kick off a television station, World Entertainment Television (WE-TV).

A staff of the organization who spoke to NET correspondent in confidence said that the management is still being discreet with most of the information as a few operations are yet to be put in place.

The source stated, ‘Plans to launch WE-TV have been on since last year. As a matter of fact, the first set of recruitment for the staffing of the station was had a few months ago. Depending on what the management decides, test transmission should begin before the end of the year.’

NET also gathered that some of the shows on radio will have TV versions when WE-TV begins transmission and will be hosted by the same hosts on radio. The management also hopes to create and own its own content too.

‘We are working on creating our own contents for the channel so that we don’t have to depend entirely on content providers’, an official told us over the weekend.

Run by Lebanese-born Amin Moussalli, Cool FM has since 1998 been one of the choice radio stations in Lagos.

Meanwhile, as part of its expansion, Megalectrics Limited, operators of popular urban radio stations, Classic FM, Beat FM and Naija FM are also gearing up to float their own television channel.

Although the management did not want to reveal much, an insider tells us that the details of the project are still under wraps, but what is certain is the interest of the organization to launch into television programming in the coming months.

‘For now, the plans are still a bit sketchy. We are all aware of the plan and the preparations that are being made but we are still unclear when the station will kick off’, an insider told NET.

Owned by Chris Ubosi, Beat FM started off in 2008 and now rivals long timers, Cool FM and Rhythm FM to become the leading urbane music station in Lagos and environs.

Since the establishment of the first television station in Nigeria, Western Nigeria Television (WNTV) in October 1959 in Ibadan and the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) 1973, it was only until the 90s that a new wave of television stations began to emerge.

The launch of Galaxy Television in May 1994 registered the emergence of privately owned television stations which presently has increased greatly in number with most of them located in the commercial city of Lagos.

The most recent terrestrial television station, ONTV, owned by Tajudeen Adepetu’s Consolidated Media Associates (CMA), was launched in August 2011.

Lately, many media investors have become more interested in TV, with many favouring pay TV platforms.  Mo’ Abudu’s EbonyLife TV and Ayo Animashaun’s Hip TV are the most recent entrepreneurs towing the line.

With more than 30 terrestrial and satellite television stations, Lagos now has the highest number of television stations in a city in Africa.

For now, it is unclear if the new channels are going to go on terrestrial or satellite, but if and when these TV stations set rolling, they will join the leagues of organisations like Daar Communications (Raypower/AIT), Silverbird (Rhythm FM/STV), Murhi International (Star FM/MITV)and Continental Broadcasting Service (Radio Continental/TVC) who operate both radio and television stations in Lagos.