Silverbird Group
Encyclopedia
The Silverbird Group is one the largest entertainment companies in Nigeria
and Africa
. Consisting of Silverbird Entertainment, Silverbird Cinema, Rhythm FM and MBGN, it is thought to be third largest media entertainment company in Western Africa.
Founded by Ben Murray in 1980, the group has grown to a diverse holding of Radio, TV, beauty pageant sponsor and movie distribution via its Cinema holdings in Nigeria, Ghana, Zambia and Kenya . The group is credited for bringing back Cinema to Lagos, Nigeria in 2004, and establishing the Ghana's first-ever Cineplex of five theaters fully equipped to international standards and with Dolby digital surround sound and contiguous with a media store.
pageant. Through this medium, talents like Bianca Onoh
(later wife of civil-war General and Biafran Warlord- Chief Ojukwu) and future Miss World, Agbani Darego
were discovered. Today, MBGN remains the foremost beauty contest in Nigeria with winners featuring prominently on the global stage and advancing to promising careers.
Indeed, the group has acquired Nu Metro Cinema at Ceddi Plaza in Abuja by the acquisition of its Kenyan parent- Nu Metro Group , as a well as opened up its own 9 theatre offering in its modern Abuja plaza.
The opening of Silverbird Showtime in PortHarcourt also promised new growth with 8-screen cineplex, a kingpin restaurant and Baglios ice cream. Silverbird Lifestyle Store and Games Arcade are also on the card See Article
According to news-reports the group is also laying the groundwork for operations in Zambia with the signing of a lease at the re-modeled Manda Hill Shopping Centre for a planned opening in 2010
Political connections of the Group's Chairman to the Olusegun Obasanjo administration has also been of interest, especially the controversies concerning his appointment and removal as DG of the government owned Television- NTA (Nigerian Television Authority
)
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
and Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
. Consisting of Silverbird Entertainment, Silverbird Cinema, Rhythm FM and MBGN, it is thought to be third largest media entertainment company in Western Africa.
Founded by Ben Murray in 1980, the group has grown to a diverse holding of Radio, TV, beauty pageant sponsor and movie distribution via its Cinema holdings in Nigeria, Ghana, Zambia and Kenya . The group is credited for bringing back Cinema to Lagos, Nigeria in 2004, and establishing the Ghana's first-ever Cineplex of five theaters fully equipped to international standards and with Dolby digital surround sound and contiguous with a media store.
Early history
Ben Murray-Bruce a Bayelsa state born, and American trained Entrepreneur reportedly founded the organization with a 20 000 naira loan from his father and working from a small office space rented from the same. Armed with the contacts of his elder brother, Michael Murray-Bruce, the second of 10 children made early forays into event organizing, organizing 20 big time music festivals in Lagos, Benin , Port Harcourt and Ife between 1980 and 1983. Musical groups like Shalamar and Dynasty and Evelyn King were brought to an appreciative audience by his start-up concernManagement
The group is managed by the three Murray-Bruce brothers - Ben, Roy and Guy ( styled as executive directors).Beauty Pageants
Capitalizing on the downward spiral of Daily Times organized Miss Nigeria, the Silverbird Group won rights to the Miss World Pageants and put together a rival Most Beautiful Girl in NigeriaMost Beautiful Girl in Nigeria
The Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria pageant originally began as Miss Universe Nigeria in 1983, and was created by Silverbird Group. It was later re-named Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria in 1986. Winners represent Nigeria in Miss World and, until recently, Miss Universe – currently, only the...
pageant. Through this medium, talents like Bianca Onoh
Bianca Onoh
Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu is a Nigerian businesswoman, former lawyer, and government official, recently appointed as Nigeria's Special Assistant on Diaspora Affairs . -Pageants:...
(later wife of civil-war General and Biafran Warlord- Chief Ojukwu) and future Miss World, Agbani Darego
Agbani Darego
Agbani Darego is a Nigerian model, best known as the first Sub-Saharan African Miss World.-Early life:...
were discovered. Today, MBGN remains the foremost beauty contest in Nigeria with winners featuring prominently on the global stage and advancing to promising careers.
Radio & TV
Radio and TV remains Silverbird's most important strides especially in the 90s. Rhythm 93.7 FM dominated the Lagos Airwaves and today is growing into other countries in the West Africa sub-region. Silverbird TV is a popular syndicate of foreign program including 24 , Lost and Desperate Housewives. The award winning programming of SiTV is to be noted.Cinemaplexes & Malls
Widely credited with bringing back popular Cinema to Lagos, the offerings of the Silverbird Group include the flagship Galleria Mall in Victoria Island that opened in 2004 with four modern screens, and in Kenya a state-of-the-art Cineplexes, with a total of 18 luxury theatres, and two media stores selling the latest books, music, apple computing and filmed entertainment products. In Ghana, Silverbird has established the country’s first-ever Cineplex.Indeed, the group has acquired Nu Metro Cinema at Ceddi Plaza in Abuja by the acquisition of its Kenyan parent- Nu Metro Group , as a well as opened up its own 9 theatre offering in its modern Abuja plaza.
The opening of Silverbird Showtime in PortHarcourt also promised new growth with 8-screen cineplex, a kingpin restaurant and Baglios ice cream. Silverbird Lifestyle Store and Games Arcade are also on the card See Article
According to news-reports the group is also laying the groundwork for operations in Zambia with the signing of a lease at the re-modeled Manda Hill Shopping Centre for a planned opening in 2010
Growth
The group's Chairman sets it sight on expanding to Uganda and Tanzania. He was reported to have said, “After Zambia, the Group has set its sights on expansion into Uganda and Tanzania,” link titleCriticism
Critics have challenged the Eurocentric and Foreign nature of its contents. Local movie industry promoters have challenged the little room for local movies by roup's wide distribution network. The group has defended the low quality of Nollywood movies as a reason locally produced movies are not screened at its theater.Political connections of the Group's Chairman to the Olusegun Obasanjo administration has also been of interest, especially the controversies concerning his appointment and removal as DG of the government owned Television- NTA (Nigerian Television Authority
Nigerian Television Authority
The Nigerian Television Authority - also known as NTA - was inaugurated in 1977 and is the government-owned body in charge of television broadcasting in the country. The NTA claims to run the biggest television network in Africa with stations in several parts of Nigeria...
)