When Eddy Sendi, a Ugandan media personality, music critic, and entertainment analyst, speaks about television, it’s never just nostalgia; it’s a lived memory of an industry that transformed before his eyes.
He remembers a time when Ugandan music on TV felt almost improvised. A lone artist, an acoustic guitar, a single microphone, and maybe a tree for shade. Names like Kakumirizi floated in that era, talented, yes, but boxed in by limited production and even fewer platforms. That was before NTV came into existence, but when the Nation Media outlet opened its airwaves 20 years ago, things changed.
“It uplifted the standard,” Sendi reflects.
“Suddenly, musicians were being pushed to think bigger. Crisp visuals replaced grainy footage. Sound quality improved. And perhaps most importantly, opportunity expanded. Where artists once struggled to get a single song on air, NTV opened its doors wide, creating multiple programs and carving out space for music to thrive.” he said on Friday as NTV officially launched events to mark 20 years of existence.
He adds that audiences responded in kind as Ugandans weren’t just watching music anymore but were consuming it at a global standard.
He, however, feels that golden era became increasingly distant because over the past decade, he argues, the once-tight bond between NTV and music has loosened. The channel that once championed entertainment now leans heavily into politics and current affairs, leaving music lovers wanting.
“The amount of music they were churning out has gone down,” he notes, suggesting that the rise of sister station Spark TV may have siphoned off much of the entertainment content.
And while he acknowledges the importance of serious programming, Sendi insists something vital is being lost.
“Music soothes the heart,” he says. “It helps people relax. It feeds both the hungry and the angry.”
It’s not just music where he sees a shift. Sendi also points to NTV’s once-celebrated investment in local drama as shows like Hostel, Deception, and Tricksters which proved that Ugandan storytelling could be both authentic and world-class.
Those productions didn’t just entertain; they redefined what local content could look like.
While he acknowledges recent efforts to revive original programming, Sendi’s feels consistency matters and that innovation should not come in waves but it should be sustained.