There was a lot of tension and excitement on Thursday, December 12, during the launch of NCI, the new Ivorian channel.
We were there.
Thursday, December 12, 6:45 p.m., the countdown ends: This is not just another channel finally seeing the light of day: it is an ambitious new general-interest channel that is loudly and proudly asserting its bold positioning and already generating a lot of expectations and enormous interest.
The first bold move: offering a daily talk show recorded in front of a live audience that same afternoon.
"LA TELE D'ICI," the daily program hosted by Cheick Yvhane, is ambitious in more ways than one. Not only because of the number and diversity of guests (politicians, community leaders, artists, comedians, etc.), but also because of the quality and number of topics covered and the wealth of technical possibilities used for live music performances in particular (lighting, camera work, sound recording).
With distinguished guests, varied and original topics, a fast pace, a warm atmosphere, a modern and relaxed tone, and HD-quality images, this first program marks a real turning point in the way television is made in Côte d'Ivoire.
The second challenge was to offer a live television news program every day at 7:50 p.m. that could hold its own against the institution that is RTI's JT.
This first 18-minute edition of NCI NEWS, presented at a brisk pace by Ali Diarrassouba standing at his desk, went off without a hitch despite palpable tension: the gamble paid off.
The rest of the schedule, consisting of all kinds of programs (reports, films, documentary series, short fiction, music programs, magazines, etc.) will gradually take its place around a 100% Ivorian framework consisting of "LA TELE D'ICI," "NCI news," and "NCI reportages," starting at 6:45 p.m. and reaching prime time at 8:30 p.m.