MultiChoice Nigeria, has explained its decision for filming the ongoing Big Brother Naija reality show in South Africa.
In a statement issued by the leading pay TV company on Wednesday, the decision was informed by the desire to deliver the same high quality production that its subscribers are accustomed to on its platforms.
“It is with this commitment in mind that a decision was taken to stage the show in the fully-equipped Big Brother House located in South Africa. This Big Brother property has been previously used to stage other successful and seamlessly-delivered Big Brother productions, including Big Brother Xtremo (for Angola and Mozambique) as well as all past Big Brother Africa series,” MultiChoice said in the statement.
The statement added that both MultiChoice and its customers are currently experiencing tough economic times, which have compelled the company, as a business, to review its operations so it can continue to deliver the best entertainment value without compromising on quality.
“Staging the show in a Big Brother facility that already exists – and has been specially built for such purposes is not only cost-effective but has also allowed MultiChoice Nigeria to maintain the same excellent production values as with previous Big Brother editions whilst meeting tight timelines,” the company explained further.
The Federal Government on Tuesday directed the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to investigate the circumstances surrounding the reported shooting in South Africa of the ongoing reality show.
In a statement in Abuja, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed directed the NBC to determine whether Multi-Choice, by shooting the show in South Africa, has breached the Nigerian Broadcasting Code in any way.
He said the commission should also investigate the issue of possible deceit, since the viewing public was never told that the event would be staged outside Nigeria.
“As a country of laws, only the outcome of the investigation will determine our next line of action,’’ he said.
The minister said concerned Nigerians had bombarded his office with calls to complain about what they regard as an anomaly of shooting outside the country a show meant for Nigerians.
He urged them to remain calm while the NBC investigates the issue and submits its findings.
But Multichoice assured that the ongoing Big Brother Nigeria is a proudly Nigerian show featuring Nigerians as housemates, in the production staff, as Biggie’s voice, all led by a Nigerian series director.
It equally stated that the musical performances on the show, which runs for 11 weeks, also include some of Nigeria’s biggest and hottest stars.
“MultiChoice is a proud supporter and investor of local creative industries and currently has ongoing entertainment productions across the continent, including the much-loved Tinsel and upcoming AMVCAs which are filmed and produced in Nigeria and aired in several countries across Africa,” the statement concluded.
