Oluwatosin Enesi
The Silverbird Group is a diversified multi-media company with holdings in Radio, Television, Real Estate, and Cinemas, headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria.
The company was established in 1980 by Benedict Murray-Bruce.
The Silverbird Communications comprises the company’s radio station Rhythm 93.7 FM and Silverbird Television.
Rhythm 93.7 FM Lagos, established in 1997, is an English speaking commercial radio station located in Victoria Island, Lagos after it was moved from its base in Lekki, Lagos. The station broadcasts an urban contemporary radio format, playing a variety of music genres including R&B, hip hop, with a blend of culture and style. It is one of the most popular private radio stations in Nigeria. The broadcast area includes Lagos and Ogun State.
Others are Rhythm 93.7FM Port Harcourt established in 2002, broadcast area include, Port Harcourt, Owerri and Aba. Rhythm 93.7FM Jos, was established in 2008 to serve as the bedrock of entertainment in the media space on the Plateau.
Silverbird Communications later expanded its coast to Abuja and Yenagoa establishing Rhythm 94.7fm Abuja and Yenagoa
Silverbird Television is one of Nigeria’s leading TV stations owing a network license and broadcasting in many states across Nigeria. The main objective of the TV stations is to provide its audience with quality and wholesome family entertainment.
The founder, Benedict Murray-Bruce (OON), a business magnate was born on 18 February 1956. He attended Simpson College, Indianola Iowa (1975 – 1976), Iowa State University (1976 – 1977), and University of California (1977 – 1979) where he received a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration/Marketing.
He is a talented business and entertainment guru who significantly impacted the entertainment industry in Nigeria. He founded the Silverbird Productions involved in concerts promotion in 1980 as well as revolutionised the beauty pageant in the country with the establishment of the Miss Universe Nigeria and Miss Intercontinental Pageants in 1983, as well as the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria (MBGN) in 1986, which produced the first Black Africa Miss World in 2001.
Between 1999 and 2003, he was the Director-General of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA). In 2004, he established Silverbird Television as Nigeria’s fist Family Entertainment Television Channel. This climaxed into the establishment of the Silverbird Cinemas Limited with the first ever 5 Screen Cineplex at the Silverbird Galleria in Lagos Nigeria. Silverbird Cinemas now has about 65 screens and over 9,820 seating capacity in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Uyo, Yeagoa, Accra and Monrovia (Liberia), and it has become one of the top 5 cinemas in Africa.
He equally founded the Silverbird Film Distribution (W.A) Limited in 2007, an independent film distributor of theatrical and non-theatrical films, and sole distributor of Sony Pictures and United International Pictures in West Africa. He established the Dream Magic Studios (two studios with state of the art equipment, located in the heart of Los Angeles, California, USA) in 2010.
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