In 2004, Nigerian Breweries Plc berthed the TV reality show movement in Nigeria with the “Gulder Ultimate Search” (also known as GUS) and it inspired others in quick succession. GUS series was the very first 100 per cent local content reality television programme in Nigeria, a survival type reality programme that highlights the struggle of contestants (10–30 persons, depending on the reference edition), their skills, endurance, ability to solve puzzles and ultimately their search for a hidden treasure that brings to the last person standing instant fame and fortune.
This sprang others like MTN Project Fame, Glo’s X-Factor, Airtel’s Nigeria’s Got Talent, Etisalat’s Nigerian Idol, Maltina Dance All, Knorr Taste Quest among several others. With more fans coveting the annual shows, every edition became what to look forward to until this year when no fewer than three of these shows came to a sudden halt.
The emergence of South African company, M-Net (originally an abbreviation of Electronic Media Network), a subscriptionfunded television channel broadcast with its sister company, MultiChoice’s DStv, into Nigeria in 1995 changed the game but not immediately. It began to show the Big Brother Africa in May 25, 2003 and since then, it had gained tremendous popularity mostly among Nigerian youths.
After a four-year hiatus from the debut, in 2007, the show continued non-stop until this year when anticipating viewers were shocked with the news that its 10th edition would not hold. Why? The cancellation of the widely followed TV show is due to the inability of the organisers of the show, Africa Magic and Endemol, to secure sponsorship for it.
A report by Razz newspaper in Ghana quotes a top MultiChoice Ghana official, Anne Sackey, as saying MultiChoice Ghana has received notice from M-NET that BBA would not hold this year. According to the report, she explains that M-NET did not give them any reasons but she thinks it’s due to sponsorship constraints.
“They didn’t give us any reason though, I think it’s mainly because of cash constraints as we all know the show is very expensive to put up,” she reportedly said. She added, “They don’t have fixed sponsors on the show. Every year the sponsor changes, sometimes it’s Coca¬ Cola, sometimes MTN and other companies from Ghana have sponsored before.” Tanzania’s Idris emerged winner of the 2014 BBA Hotshots while Nigeria’s Tayo Faniran emerged runner-up.Another coveted TV reality show that will not hold this year is the Glo-sponsored musical talent hunt, the X-Factor.
The show made its debut in 2013 offering a whopping N24million with a Sony music deal as its star prize and the biggest upon entry that year. For reasons we couldn’t get from Glo representatives as at press time, the show didn’t hold last year and it might have given way for another flagship entertainment show from the same stable- Dance With Peter. An anonymous source from the company said, “It has nothing to do with the size of budget. If you notice now, there are many music talent shows and the company decides to look inwards to sponsor the laudable dream of one of its ambassadors.
This will dwarf every other one you’ve seen anywhere else, mark my words. There’s not wrong in refocusing, you should know by now that we cannot offer anything that’s not the biggest.” Auditions for the show will be held in Lagos, Port Harcourt, Benin and Abuja in Nigeria as well as in Accra, Ghana.
Six dancers will be selected by the judges from each location for the real battle in Lagos. Globacom said that renowned dancers such as Peter Okoye, Kafayat Shafau Ameh, popularly known as Kaffy, and dance expert cum choreographer, Flexxy, will feature as judges in the show to be hosted by Ehis Okoegule of MTV Base.
Though not officially announced yet, speculations are rife that the Gulder Ultimate Search will not hold this year. The Nigerian Breweries Plc Corporate Media and Brand PR manager, Edem Vinda, however, said; “we’ve not announced to anyone that the event is not holding, so I have nothing to say because the year isn’t over yet.” Despite the reasons cited for the hiatus in these shows, not many are convinced that it’s not a reflection of economic nosedive.
