Charles Odongtho the show host and creator of Frontline, a political show on NBS TV, has resigned- CEO East Africa Magazine can exclusively reveal.
According to our deeply placed sources at NBS TV, he handed over his resignation over unclear reasons.
“Yes, he handed in his resignation this morning. May be NBSTV will make a statement today, maybe not,” said the source.
Frontline is NBS TV’s premier talk show. According to Geopoll’s Q1, 2019 Media Measurement Report on Uganda’s most popular TV and Radio Programmes, the programme beat NTV’s On the Spot to the top spot as Uganda’s top political talk show. Frontline scored a rating of 3.1, narrowly beating On the Spot with 3.0.
When we reached Odongtho, via his WhatsApp inbox, he declined to respond to our inquiry, but according to www.chimpreports, he resigned due to “many issues” which he had raised with MR. Kin Kariisa, the station’s CEO “to address but have never been resolved.”
“These include his preference to work with some people. This has created internal tension and intrigue,” Odongtho told Chimpreports.
Odongtho was also reportedly frustrated by a certain female manager “who talks directly to Kariisa and issues orders in total disregard of our plans.”
How Stanbic Bank CFO Ronald Makata Blends Governance, Technology and Human Leadership to Drive Performance“One spends an entire week planning for the show only to receive orders at the last minute on whom to host and what to discuss,” Odongtho reportedly said.
We tried to reach Paul Lwanga the HR Manager for the TV Station, but he was not available by press time.
Who is Charles Odongtho?
Odongtho joined NBSTV in 2015 when he was invited by the station’s CEO Kin Kariisa to do a Special Election analysis for the 2016 elections with Ronnie Mayanja who now lives in the US. After a good job, he was asked by Kariisa to stay around and create a political talk show that would rival NTV Uganda’s On the Spot.
According to insider sources, Odongtho came up with the concept- NBS only changed the name of the programme to Frontline.
“The whole idea of a debate show that was lacking in Uganda at the time, to the panel, to the mode of invitation, to the execution etc. were all Odongtho’s idea. He personally spoke to Norbert Mao, Ofwono Opondo and Miria Matembe to convince them to start a new debate show with him at NBS who then introduced them officially to Kariisa who endorsed the planned show,” said a source familiar to the matter who declined to have their name divulged.
