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| MBC Entertainers Awards: A reality?,MBC Entertainers Awards: A reality? |
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by
George Ntonya,George Ntonya, 16 January 2004
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14:34:14
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Three weeks after the Entertainers of the Year Programme, in which individuals from different professions and careers received prizes for being “the best” in their respective fields in the just ended year, people are still divided over the selection process.
Some of the people who were voted the best in certain categories do no reflect the real situation on the ground, critics say.
“Some of those who were voted in the programme were not necessarily the best. In my view, they were simply the most popular to those who voted for them,” said one critic in Lilongwe, adding that organisers of the programme should have asked professional bodies to help them with the selection exercise.
Such critics say that National Sports Council and its affiliates, Media Council or National Media Institute of Southern Africa (Namisa), Music Association of Malawi (Mam) and similar bodies should have been involved in the selection process.
Sports Council Executive Secretary George Jana and President of Journalists Association of Malawi (Jama) Charles Simango agreed but were quick to say that Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC), organisers of the annual event, were at liberty to decide the selection criteria.
“I have been a judge before and I looked at the programme as being purely an MBC show. Maybe we need to define the parameters within which a person is voted the best in a particular category,” Jana said.
The best footballer or coach in the programme might not be the best in terms of professionalism, he observed.
“I think that is more of a social gathering than proof of expertise of professionalism,” said Simango.
The Nation newspaper was voted the best newspaper while its sister publication Weekend Nation scooped second position, relegating Malawi News, last year’s No 2 paper, to third position. MTL Wanderers was voted football team of the year and its player Joseph Kamwendo got the first position on the list of footballers.
Mike Mambo became referee of the year while Gilbert Chirwa was voted the best coach. For five consecutive years, Nation Publications Limited reporter Garry Chirwa has been voted the best journalist in the country.
“That professional bodies should be involved in the programme sounds a good idea but I doubt if journalists would vote if Namisa asked them,” Namisa’s information and research officer Innocent Chitosi said.
Chitosi said like in other competitions, the Entertainers of the Year Programme has its own rules and criteria, which have to be respected. But there is still room for improvement so that nonentities do not get voted best in some categories.
Chairman of last year’s organising committee could not be reached for a comment.
About six years ago, a little known netballer got voted the best although she had never played for the national team, let alone a club. It transpired later that she sent in her own votes and asked friends to vote for her. Others have also won prizes in the competition having used similar tricks.
Launched by MBC as an in-house programme to recognise talent among employees, the Entertainers of the Year Programme has over the years received a lot of support from different companies in terms of cash and items for prizes to those voted the best.
,
Three weeks after the Entertainers of the Year Programme, in which individuals from different professions and careers received prizes for being “the best” in their respective fields in the just ended year, people are still divided over the selection process.
Some of the people who were voted the best in certain categories do no reflect the real situation on the ground, critics say.
“Some of those who were voted in the programme were not necessarily the best. In my view, they were simply the most popular to those who voted for them,” said one critic in Lilongwe, adding that organisers of the programme should have asked professional bodies to help them with the selection exercise.
Such critics say that National Sports Council and its affiliates, Media Council or National Media Institute of Southern Africa (Namisa), Music Association of Malawi (Mam) and similar bodies should have been involved in the selection process.
Sports Council Executive Secretary George Jana and President of Journalists Association of Malawi (Jama) Charles Simango agreed but were quick to say that Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC), organisers of the annual event, were at liberty to decide the selection criteria.
“I have been a judge before and I looked at the programme as being purely an MBC show. Maybe we need to define the parameters within which a person is voted the best in a particular category,” Jana said.
The best footballer or coach in the programme might not be the best in terms of professionalism, he observed.
“I think that is more of a social gathering than proof of expertise of professionalism,” said Simango.
The Nation newspaper was voted the best newspaper while its sister publication Weekend Nation scooped second position, relegating Malawi News, last year’s No 2 paper, to third position. MTL Wanderers was voted football team of the year and its player Joseph Kamwendo got the first position on the list of footballers.
Mike Mambo became referee of the year while Gilbert Chirwa was voted the best coach. For five consecutive years, Nation Publications Limited reporter Garry Chirwa has been voted the best journalist in the country.
“That professional bodies should be involved in the programme sounds a good idea but I doubt if journalists would vote if Namisa asked them,” Namisa’s information and research officer Innocent Chitosi said.
Chitosi said like in other competitions, the Entertainers of the Year Programme has its own rules and criteria, which have to be respected. But there is still room for improvement so that nonentities do not get voted best in some categories.
Chairman of last year’s organising committee could not be reached for a comment.
About six years ago, a little known netballer got voted the best although she had never played for the national team, let alone a club. It transpired later that she sent in her own votes and asked friends to vote for her. Others have also won prizes in the competition having used similar tricks.
Launched by MBC as an in-house programme to recognise talent among employees, the Entertainers of the Year Programme has over the years received a lot of support from different companies in terms of cash and items for prizes to those voted the best.
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