Seventeen years since the first television station started in the country, a new TV station, Mai TV has gone to air this afternoon.
Mai TV Managing Director, Richard Broadbridge said it’s a dream come true and he is lucky enough for people to trust him with money as he has had to source funding for the TV station to go to air from today.
Broadbridge who is also the free-to-air TV station's Programmes Director said he is happy that Mai TV is able to deliver something different for the viewers.
He said he has also gained experience and established a lot of contacts during the years he was working for his competitor, Fiji TV, and that is now one of his biggest strengths.
"That is a strength. It’s certainly an advantage too. I was programmes head there for five years, News Director as well for five years. Obviously you learn along the way. One thing in programming or when you’re acquiring content, everything has to be purchased. Everything that we play we’ve paid rights for. And when you’re going out there internationally to buy programmes, you can’t simply just pick up the phone and call the vice president of CBS and so forth. That comes from relationships as well. I was lucky enough over the five year period to meet all these people. And so we have some sort of reputation out there about me. So one thing we have to make sure is to pay our bills and keep our reputation going because it could easily get tarnished." Richard Broadbridge.
Although Broadbridge said they are not aiming to be the biggest TV station in the country, he said they know many people have been looking forward to competition in the TV market.
Mai TV has programmed top TV series, Walker Texas Ranger featuring Chuck Norris up against Fiji TV highest rated, One National every evening after 6pm and Broadbridge is confident Walker may produce the desired results for the station.
"We’ll see if the market has changed. When I was the News Director we had ratings twice a year and one ratings period Shortlies topped Fiji One News for the first time. I almost resigned that day. I was truly embarrassed. At one stage Walker Texas came in at number two and number three, which is fantastic. I’m still confident – we still have nine seasons of Walker Texas which we’ve stripped everyday from Monday to Saturday. Walker has no swearing, no sex scenes. Good guy always wins. And not much thinking required so maybe Walker might be our bright little shining star." Richard broadbridge.
Local programmes include a current affairs programme, a music show featuring Tony and Aliti from FM96, a programme called We Ni Yava and Mai Corner for children. Other programmes include Survivor Fiji, CSI, Pacific Way and Sixty Minutes
Mai TV is now on air from the Navua to Nausori corridor. Broadbridge hopes to go to air in the west by August.
Fiji TV executives were in a meeting and could not be reached for a comment on the start of the new free-to air TV station.
