Tajudeen Adepetu, media entrepreneur, is at the helm of one of Nigeria’s biggest media conglomerates. His company, Consolidated Media Associates, owns Soundcity, ONTV, Televista Movies, Spice TV, Village Square, Business Television, and Front Row Sports TV. The 51-year old media mogul, who has been a top industry player in the Nigerian entertainment scene for over a decade, has provided many TV viewers with TV soaps such as Saints and Sinners, Candlelight, Treasures, One Love, Everyday People, Domino and others. His flagship channel, ONTV serves as Africa’s premier destination for content cutting across music, movie, soaps, Telenovela, fashion, sports and more even as it seeks to provide unrivalled entertainment screen value to TV audience across the continent. Recently, Adepetu, a graduate of the University of Jos, met with some select journalists in Lagos and speaks on his latest value offering, ONTVMax which recently berthed on DStv. FUNSHO AROGUNDADE was there

Why did you decide to launch ONTVMax on DStv and GOtv?

Our aim whenever we launch a channel has always been to provide an avenue for all to watch all our channels’ creative content. Now with DStv and GOtv, viewers are able to see our other channels’ programmes like the telenovelas which hitherto only broadcast on Televista. Access is the key point of television, ONTVMAX provides for her various viewers that access to a more enriched viewing experience.

What sort of programmes should viewers look forward to with the launch of ONTVMax?

Our key drivers for content include, sports; the Omnisports daily global sports news package, which comes up every night and the highlight show of the same package, which gives breaking news and updated sports news six times a day.

•Tajudeen Adepetu

We have an extensive library of telenovelas, be it Mexican, Filipino Brazilian or Indian and our viewers have come to expect the best from us. And we are yet to let them down. We also take news seriously, and provide headline news service six times a day. We provide a wide variety of quality productions on our Nollywood movie belt, whilst also providing a wide library in original drama productions. This we believe is the reason we have been rated number one for two straight years. For fresh music, we have partnered with Soundcity and we dare say we are the first to bring viewers the best Nigerian and Pan African music hot from Nigeria’s talented artistes and global artistes. And for lifestyle, we have an array of decent shows and delightful content from Spice TV, the only fashion channel in Africa.

Are you going to rest the original ONTV channel with the coming of ONTVMAX?

No. It will still be running.

So, what is the difference between the two?

ONTVMAX is a further rebranded extension of the ONTV experience and it will broadcast other syndicated content from other channels owned by Consolidated Media Associates Group on DStv and GOtv. These include contents from Trybe Movie Channel, Telenovelas, music videos and exclusive contents from Soundcity, fashion and lifestyle content from Spice fashion channel and actualities/news information from Access24. With ONTVMAX, we are creating a complete television package experience unrivaled by any platform currently in operation.

For how long has ONTV been in existence?

ONTV has been in existence now for 3 years, and from inception has consistently been rated the number one terrestrial station in Lagos.

With the addition of ONTVMax, how many channels do you now have under your stable?

With this latest addition, we now have four channels on the DStv and GOtv platforms.

What have been your key drivers?

The CMA television brands and products have grown to be admired by vast television groups and audiences across Africa. The company, as a national and continental player, over the years has strategically developed different television brands to suit and cater for clients and households. These channels cut across different spheres and genres in television viewership thereby maintaining a tailor made open-window for different advertisers. The success achieved by the company and her offerings over the years has created huge followership for each of our individual television channel brands. That has also defined the success of ONTV. ONTV meets the expectations of viewers in their various spheres of need, so if it’s drama, movies, music, telenovella, news, kiddies content and other family programmes and shows you will find ONTV there.

How would you describe your relationship with MultiChoice?

Our relationship with Multichoice is a unique one, where we provide the best of thematic channels for their various bouquets.