HiTV Rewards Subscribers with Geely Cars as it acquires Gamji TV

In an effort to reward its customers during this period of the year, HiTV is rewarding subscribers with Geely cars. Within the week its 250,000 subscriber drove home with one of the cars. ROLAND OGBONNAYA writes

Oluleye Abayomi still cannot believe he is the owner of a brand new Geely saloon car even after the management of HiTV handed him the car keys on Tuesday. He could not find words to express his joy that morning. For him, he just came to buy a decoder and the dish with a friend and was later to be called that he has won a car for being the 250 subscriber. He described last Tuesday as one of his happiest days because, according to him HiTV has changed his level. When he found his voice, Abayomi expressed his appreciation to God and the pay television organisation for sponsoring such promotion for customers at this period of the year. He said that HiTV has shown its customers that its not about making money, but about rewarding subscribers at certain point in time.

The keys of the car were handed over to Abayomi by a veteran producer, Mr. Tunde Kilani in a brief ceremony at HiTV corporate headquarters in Ikeja, Lagos.
The Managing Director of HiTV, Tunde Subair before the presentation said his organisation will continue to do better despite tall challenges. He said that HiTV has come a long way and will continue to find opportunities to serve the customers better. In the more than two years of existence of the organisation, it was never given a chance to survive,  a reason he has to thank the customers for keeping faith.

He said despite making inroads overseas, especially London, France and the USA, HiTV is working with quality and respected producers and TV content providers like Tunde Kilani to make viewing exciting.
Speaking briefly, Kilani admitted working with the pay TV company in developing contents, promising that viewing in the feature would be more exciting than it is  now.
Meanwhile, top Nollywood stars have commended HiTV for the acquisition of Gamji Hausa movie channel as well as Fox Entertainment on its platform. HiTV recently added Fox Entertainment to its robust Premium bouquet while Gamji is on all bouquets-Premium, Classic and Correct Bouquets.

Comedy actors Victor Osuagwu and Chuma Nwudiwe, General Secretary, Actors Guild of Nigeria, AGN said HiTV has again set the pace with Gamji. Nwudiwe said: “That HiTV has been in the forefront in the promotion of the local cinema culture has never been in doubt, with its Hi Nolly channel that shows top class Nollywood films. Now, it has extended it to our sister industry in the north with Gamji television channel that shows Hausa movies 24 hours every day. This is an improvement and HiTV deserves to be commended.”

The AGN scribe who spoke at a function in Lagos urged Nigerians to watch Gamji TV on HiTV, “just as they have watched Hi Nolly these two years. With the little I have watched since Gamji began airing, I must say that I have been enlightened about the deep cinema culture up north and our brother filmmakers have really improved. I see Nollywood growing out of bounds in the near future with the likes of Gamji,” Nwudiwe submitted.

Osuagwu, a renowned comedian could not hide his excitement. “I never knew that Hausa films have improved a lot until I started watching Gamji TV on HiTV. Really, I am thrilled because there is a lot of improvement. Perhaps soon, I will begin to appear in some of their films if I am contracted. It will be a delight to see Victor Osuagwu speak Hausa language, abi?
Anyway, I am glad HiTV has decided to open the eyes of the world to the Hausa film culture but then HiTV being a Nigerian company has always blazed the trail in promoting indigenous entertainment culture, who will do it for them? I enjoin HiTV to keep it up,” Osuagwu said.

Nollywood superstar and former president, AGN, Ejike Asiegbu said the introduction of Gamji and Fox Entertainment channels on the HiTV bouquets is a testimony to the fact that HiTV is out to take entertainment to its height as well as promote the local industry. “Nollywood is happy that HiTV is giving voice to the Hausa film industry, it gave voice to its English counterpart through Hi Nolly and now, Gamji is giving voice to the Hausa language film industry. I watch Gamji and I am happy with the level of improvement of Hausa language movies.”

Mrs. Kemi Fashina, the company’s brand/marketing manager in a statement signed by HiTV’s Public Relations Manager, Justin Akpovi-Esade, recently disclosed that the introduction of Gamji, a 24-hour Hausa movies channel as well as a lifestyle channel, Fox Entertainment among others will make television viewing a pleasurable experience this Yuletide season.
“In the next couple of days, viewers of HiTV will get to see a 24-hour Hausa movies channel, Gamji that will show top class movies from Hausa producers. All can enjoy the movies because it is subtitled in English. I do not need to remind you that there is a thriving movie culture in the north; this is what HiTV wants the world to know through Gamji. We all know Fox Entertainment and its fun value, they are all for grabs on the HiTV platform now.”

Being the number one in sports, especially live football content, Fashina promises all subscribers and potential ones the fun of their lives “as all the matches in the UEFA Champions League, Carling Cup, Barclays Premier League and the Europe Cup, will be brought to you live. If you are still not on the HiTV platform by now, then you must be missing a lot. Let me surprise you further.

This month, HiTV is unleashing 50 new films on Hi Nolly channel, 50 top Nigerian movies that have never been shown on any platform before; it is going to be a bomb as the subscriber will be treated to two films a day beginning from this December. That is for the Nigerian film lovers. For lovers of American films, soaps and sitcoms, new action flicks have been shipped in to strike a balance.

“We have totally reorganized our Hi Nolly, Hi Movies and Hi Mix movie channels and I make bold to say that if you do not find them a delight, hold me accountable. The young ones are not left out in this season as the ongoing Hi Xmas children organized by HiTV’s Hi Kids channel in collaboration with E Centre, Yaba-Lagos, is taking care of them. It is billed to end on January 2, 2010. It starts every 10am,” the statement said.

Because it is going to be a busy festive period, HiTV, Fashina said, has perfected plans to make payment of subscription a lot easier with several payment options. Subscribers can now pay their monthly subscription from the comfort of their homes or offices online using the ATM card. All the subscriber needs to do according Fashina, is to visit HYPERLINK “http://www.hitv.com.ng/”www.hitv.com.ng, “go to the segment of ‘Pay Subscription’ and follow the prompt.
“It is as easy as eating a meat pie. It is a safe and faster way of paying subscription anywhere in the country. It is hacker proof, so one’s ATM PIN is protected. The mode of payment has been tested and certified safe for our subscribers before we rolled it out,” she said.

Fashina said the introduction of the recharge PIN or scratch card which can be obtained from any HiTV dealer’s outlet nationwide will ease the stress of paying subscription, especially in areas where people had to make a trip to the nearest GT Bank branch.
“This is aside paying the monthly subscription at any GT Bank branch in this country, which has been made less cumbersome unlike in the past. We now guarantee almost instant activation when the fee is paid. Any delay will be experienced only when the subscriber makes a mistake when filling in his smart card number in the bank teller.”

Also, subscribers of HiTV would no longer have any difficulty in getting across to the company as its state-of-the-art Customer Care Department, stationed in the company’s office complex on Isaac John; GRA Ikeja area of Lagos is fully operational now.
For any inconvenience any subscriber had suffered in the past in trying to reach the customer care unit, Fashina said, would be forgotten in record time. “We are poised to serve the customer better. On one dial, somebody will be there to solve any problem you may have. We have received commendation from our subscribers since the customer care centre opened some time ago and we are delighted that people are happy about the development.
“At HiTV, all what we do, our everyday operation is centered on the customer that is why we make sure they (customers) are satisfied all the time.”

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