StarTimes Enhances Pay TV with New Igbo Channel
Emma Okonji
Pay TV network, StarTimes has further enriched digital TV viewing and family entertainment in Nigeria with the launch of a new lifestyle Igbo channel called Isi Mbido.
The new channel, which came live on StarTimes pay TV platform channel 172 (on DTT/antenna model) on Monday, was introduced to provide rich entertainment for Igbos and Igbo speaking people in and outside Nigeria following the successful launches of ST Dadin Kowa and ST Yoruba for Hausa and Yoruba people and viewers respectively.
Announcing the new channel, StarTimes Chief Operating Officer, Tunde Aina, said: “the new channel called Isi Mbido which means The Source was a niche channel designed to entertain and propagate the rich Igbo culture, targeting the youth, the young at heart and the older generation, and in fact, the entire family primarily with movies, music, lifestyle and general entertainment content.”
“The new channel seeks to fully explore the depths of culture and traditions of Ndi Igbo, their history, lineage, religious inclinations, business prowess, and so many other factors that make them unique in their own way. Some interesting Igbo movies, soaps and series are from time to time added to the mix, to give the viewer a well-rounded viewing experience,” Aina said.
“This is the true and authentic source of Igbo culture, tradition and lifestyle. It tells the true, unadulterated Igbo story, but from a modern perspective. It also serves as an effective bridge between the old and the new brigade, so that the language, culture and tradition of an entire tribe will not be drowned by modern and contemporary cultures and traditions and the proud heritage of Ndi Igbo will not diminish or be lost in translation,” added Aina.
He noted that they hope to entertain viewers with over 1,000 hours of fresh content in the next one year.
“We hope to excite both Igbo people and lovers of Igbo culture within and outside Nigeria. We have series of events lined up and every form of collaboration will be utilised to make it one of the best channels. The channel is strictly Igbo with all the contents in Igbo but the movies will be subtitled in English for better understanding by non-Igbo people who want to enjoy quality entertainment.”
Some of the key programmes and shows lined up on the channel are: Ututu Oma Nu, Oge Anuli, Umunwayin Agbara Ohuru, Omumu Asusu Igbo, Oge Ekene, and Ihe N’eme Na Obodo.
“Ututu Oma Nu is an exciting, entertaining and culturally rich daily morning show. It is our day starter and therefore packed with information, education, mass enlightenment and more. It is targeted more at the intellectually sound audience; therefore, it aims at delivering on knowledge as well as entertainment while Oge Anuli is a high energy, daily lunch time entertainment package. Lunchtime is generally fun time, a time of relaxation and rebooting after putting in a lot of work all morning. There is therefore the need for a show that is loaded with lots of exciting and entertaining content. These and many more are programmes that will glue viewers to stay tuned always,” he said.
