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How inferno jeopardized Big Brother Africa 9

+All the millions lost

Big-Brother-9-The fire outbreak that engulfed Big Brother Africa’s house at Sasani Studios, Highlands North, Johannesburg, South Africa has dealt a devastating blow on the organizers of the show as well as the reality show itself.

The popular show which was scheduled to kick-off on Sunday, September 7, 2014, has been postponed indefinitely.

According to a press statement by Mnet and Endemol, South Africa, they announced the indefinite suspension of the reality show:

“Mnet and Endemol South Africa said that due to a devastating fire at the Big Brother house on Tuesday, September 2, 2014, Big Brother Hotshots will not launch this Sunday (September 7, 2014) as scheduled.

“The cause of the fire at this stage is unknown and investigations will commence as soon as it is safe to do so. At this stage, Mnet and Endemol are urgently looking for an alternative Big Brother house to film the production. However, as this production has highly technical infrastructure, cameras and editing requirements, an alternative is not immediately available. Every effort will be made to find a solution as quickly as possible to ensure that Africa’s biggest reality show will continue.”

Caroline Creasy from Multichoice Africa also said, “At this stage, no final decision has been made on the venue or the possible timing. The team is working round the clock to get the show on air.”

Information pieced together by ENCOMIUM Weekly revealed that millions of naira had allegedly gone down the drain as a result of the inferno. Insiders alleged that cameras, microphones, furniture and furnishings were badly affected by the fire outbreak, and all these run into millions of naira.

Sasani Studios

The additional cost of what has been incurred cannot be quantified. The reality show contestants are already camped in a hotel in South Africa, waiting for the show to commence. They were said to remain in the hotel until all logistics have been sorted out.

Contestants have to be moved from South Africa to the new location alongside the South Africa crew and producers. A new round of visa applications and changes as well as the shipping of some technical equipment cannot be left out.

Already, Endemol has dropped its selected Ghanaian contestant due to the stringent changes in South African visa regulation. A frantic search has already been embarked on in order to get a Ghanaian resident in South Africa to replace the original contestant. We also gathered that Rwanda and Sierra Leone contestants might be dropped because their travel documents were not processed on time.

Big Brother Africa’s house that was once studded with 53 cameras, 120 microphones boasts of sleek and sophisticated interior echoing opulence and luxury. It also has polished glass, gold finishes and delicate accessories. All these state-of-the-art interiors are now shadows of themselves.

The fire started around 3pm on Tuesday, September 3, 2014. The house is in Sasani Studios complex, Highlands, Johannesburg, South Africa.

Sasani Studios is a broadcast studio and post-production based facility, a multi-faceted production company with a depth of knowledge and experience going back to the early 80s. It is the technical partner to South Africa’s first and largest running soap-opera, Egoli filming for over 14 years.

Sasani Studios is also responsible for delivering Big Brother Africa for the past four years.

-SHADE WESLEY-METIBOGUN and DOLAPO AMODENI

Encomium

Written by Encomium

A media, tech and events company.

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