TV broadcasting, is an admirable aspect of Media practice, among passionate Journalists, programme producers and other players in that line. There’s no forum that offers one the pride and opportunity, to address hundreds of thousands of viewers, watching a popular TV programme, especially when the media house offers a good and attractive brand.
It is exciting, to watch and listen to talented newsreaders as they inform the country about the latest social and political events through daily news reading. The likes of the late Bbaale Francis, achieved an iconic status after emerging as superstars, through a fantastic display of news broadcasting talent at a time when UTV was a TV service monopoly . Francis mastered the art of news reading, to a point of being turned into a household name and celebrity in the middle and late 90s.
His accent charmed the nationwide TV audience, besides driving the stress out of several viewers, watching the 10p.m newscast on UTV back in time .
The influence of his prowess was imposing. It relegated Bbaale’s newsroom colleagues, to a point of struggling for identity and recognition by the public. School children loved Bbaale Francis. Some of them composed plays with scenes in which they mimicked Bbaale Francis ,because of his unique and admirable style of News reading.
Bbaale’s star shone through an era in which TV broadcasting witnessed the dominant use of the black and white model of TV sets ,which have since become outdated and dumped by their former owners. The current generation of youths, is obviously detached from that era, in which clear TV signals were such a big issue. It was fun when a person purchased a TV , and then fix a wooden pole, on which an external aerial was hooked, with intention to have clear pictures for the TV screen. It was also frustrating, once the wind blew the pole, to a point of swinging and affecting the TV signal quality.
It is hard to find a news reader , worth admirable and talented as the late Bbaale Francis.
The latter also mentored several journalists, through engagement as a media school trainer and consultant. He remains a perfect model and great servant who was gentle and respected as an eminent media personality and elder . Bbaale was born in 1954 . He served with Radio Uganda and UTV from 1983 to 2005. He also lectured at the UMCAT school of Journalism between 1996 and 2005 . Francis became a training editor ,when radio Uganda and UTV were merged to form UBC.
His career suffered a setback, after being diagnosed with cancer of the bladder .He would then seek regular treatment from the Uganda cancer institute. The UBC management, spearheaded a public campaign towards supporting their own in battling the illness. The Bbaale Francis cancer fund, was launched to raise funds required for Bbaale’s treatment in India through an operation that required Shs129m.
A centenary Bank account was opened on which the public was encouraged to deposit funds aimed at facilitating the veteran news Anchor’s effort for survival.
It was painful to watch Baale Francis as he desperately appealed for financial help through a widely circulated video , months before his death. The clip was probably the last of what Ugandans witnessed of a man whose skills governed the national TV newsroom, for more than two decades.
It was indeed heartbreaking when Ugandans were greeted with the shocking news of the death of Bbaale Francis on April 2nd 2015. He died at 61 years. It was indeed disturbing because he was scheduled for the India medical operation, in May 2015. He was unlucky to die a month prior to a development that would have offered a breakthrough and perhaps guaranteed his survival.
The Bbaale life story, offers great insight to media practitioners.
He didn’t take advantage of his celebrity status, to be lured into joining politics . He instead remained true and dedicated to his calling.
By Tom Musira
A social commentator and writer
