The Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON), a coalition of public and private broadcasters serving as the umbrella union of over 100 members that collectively own more than 260 radio and television stations in Nigeria, has announced the flag-off of the maiden edition of its professional merit award aimed at motivating practitioners in the nation’s broadcast space tagged ”The Nigeria Broadcasting Awards]” (TNBA).
Announcing the flag off of the awards in Lagos on May 24, 2022, BON President, Mr John Ugbe, who disclosed that the awards are scheduled to hold in October, unveiled the awards logo as well as the categories for the awards.
Mr. Ugbe, explained that the decision to come up with the awards event stemmed from the need for the association to do things differently, after more than three decades of being in the nation’s broadcast space.
He said the recognition event, open to members and non-members of the association, is designed to celebrate practitioners in the broadcast space, responsible for daily information dissemination, public enlightenment and entertainment, for their works of excellence.
He explained that the event, scheduled for October, this year, and which is designed to be in 13 categories, will celebrate outstanding achievements in Television and Radio; while also recognizing distinguished achievement and meritorious service in broadcasting.
According to Mr. Ugbe, the broadcasting award categories include Radio station/Best Television station of the year, Best Radio station/Best Television- News in English, Best Radio station/Best Television- ‘Indigenous language’, Best Radio/Best Television station-original production ‘English’, and Best Radio/Best Television station-original production ‘Indigenous language’.
Others are Best Radio/Best Television Station in Documentary/Feature -‘English’, Best Radio/Best Television station -Documentary/ Feature ‘Indigenous language’, Best Radio/Best Television Show-English, and Best Radio/Best Television Show- Indigenous language.
The award categories also include: Newscaster of the Year- Radio/Television, Reporter of the Year -Radio/Television, Presenter of the Year – Radio/Television and special contributions to the Broadcast Industry.
The award, according to BON Chairman, would go through thorough scrutiny by a steering committee, comprising membership drawn from public and private broadcast media houses and headed by Mr. Guy Murray-Bruce, president of Silverbird Group. He also disclosed the appointment of Strategic Outcomes Limited as consultants to the Awards Steering Committee
Explaining the Awards logo, Mr. Ugbe said the statuette, shaped in form of a woman, depicts fertility of ideas, since broadcasting represents a profession of ideas developed and implemented by fertile minds. He added that the raised hands clutching a star, symbolise triumph, borne of excellence that the broadcasting awards seek to recognize, celebrate and reward.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the Awards Steering Committee, Mr. Murray-Bruce called on practitioners in the space to avail themselves of the opportunities presented by the Awards, expressing the optimism that the annual event would go a long way in revolutionising the nation’s broadcast space.
Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON) was formally established in 1988 to serve as a coalition of public and private broadcast stations. It is an independent, non-governmental association of all private, public, commercial and community electronic media organisations in Nigeria with more than 300 media houses as members.
It was duly registered by the Corporate Affairs Commission, as the nation’s umbrella body of Terrestrial Radio, Television (TV), Direct-To-Home (DTH) Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) and Multimedia Distribution System (MMDS).
