Infant Coporate with Eyes Trained on Digital Switch

By Nyagaka Hesborn Nyakundi

Driven by enthusiasm— or so it appeared--- they flocked into Nairobi’s Uhuru Park on that date in May 2011 in what would turn out to be a memorable stride in their avid entrepreneurial strides. It was slated for 4pm, but with the arrival of attendants ahead of schedule the meeting hit the road at about 3pm.

It was a soggy afternoon, as attendants later reported, yet more than half of the 2011 journalism class at the Kenya Polytechnic University College turned out.

At about 6pm the ad hoc launch ceremony for the infant corporate came to a cheerful close, with the appointment of interim officials and staff. They collectively agreed with the late Claire Adhiambo that the organisation be named Bamboo Media Association, a name that was to be dropped later on account of concerns that it sounded as if it were a SACCO.

So it was renamed Bamboo Media Group, and Edwin Tiego became the first group chairman.

But unknown to Mr Tiego and all the others, was the fact that this was the beginning of a long, treacherous journey into a future of both challenges and accomplishments.

But today BMG is well on course having completed a number of projects among them the early episodes of a thrilling television series named Machungu that is yet to première.

“We have made a lot of strides so far, but we are not yet where we want to be”, says Edwin Tiego.”
“We are actually looking at completely revolutionalising both the television and film industries in the country for the better in this country”.

Today, barely two years into its birth, the group has about 20 members with professional qualifications and experience in a wide array of specialities in both electronic and print media.

‘I believe we have some of the best brains the industry can offer working here. We have a very versatile team of professionals, equal to any job in the industry can offer”, adds Tiego.

According to BMG’s website, the organization consists of trained journalists, photographers, actors/actresses, scriptwriters, PR practitioners, camera operators, among others.

Ms Maryann Ochieng’, the group’s information officer, says they have a lot to celebrate so far, identifying Machungu as one of the most exciting projects to date.

‘That was one of my best experiences. You could easily tell we were heading somewhere as our crew set up equipment and worked in amazing harmony. It was so exciting, thrilling even’, says Ms Ochieng’ who doubles up as the group’s assistant video editor.
< The comprehensive production of Machungu gets underway in June
With the much hyped ongoing digital switch for television broadcast, the group hopes to fill the huge gap the country faces in producing the demand for local content that is set to rise.
According to the law laid down to facilitate the digital migration, it would be mandatory for television stations to air a huge percentage of their content as local programmes, a requirement Ronald Nyakweba,who writes scripts for BMG, is worried about as the government has not made plans to meet with the demand.
‘I personally feel that as a country we are not ready for the shift in the broadcast platform. I am particularly concerned about the lack of sufficient local content .We all know that our local film industry is growing now, and unless something is done the government might be forced to rethink its self-imposed deadline.”
BMG says it is one of the corporate groups, however small, alive to the challenge that will undoubtedly affect the digital switch and doing something about it.

As part of its ambitious effort to improve the film industry, BMG is intent on producing several works, already scripted. They include: Tears of Love, Tongues of Fire (a film on the post-election Violence), and others making up the group’s long list of programmes and films it hopes to produce.

“One of the reasons why we feel we can make this content contribution is the fact that we have staff that can adequately do the job”, says Helen Scandy, the group’s event organizer.
” We have every reason to make the contribution, with foreign productions flooding our market. It is incumbent on us as Kenyans to create our own industry, tell our own stories to the world”, she adds.
However, BMG is facing a huge financial challenge which it hopes to beat through partnerships with training institutions as well as media organizations.
“We will not let anything dampen our hope for the future. Our greatest hope is that our local film industry gets to its feet”, says Tiego