Silverbird Group

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-Bruce 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 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 concern
Management
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 Nigeria 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.
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,, 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 [http://www.silverbirdgroup.com/?Silverbird=Press%20Releases# 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 title
Criticism
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 Nigeria (Nigerian Television Authority)

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