Irene Logan, winner of the maiden edition of the Stars of the Future music talent contest could not contain the excitement that welled up in her on the completion of the video based on a track from she and Jane Awindor’s ‘Unveiled’ album.

She glowed with delight about the possibility of getting maximum television exposure for the work but her enthusiasm has somehow been dimmed by the inability of TV3, out of the four local networks, to air the video.

Irene Logan and Jane Awindor, first runner-up in the contest which was organised by Charterhouse, came together as a duo, calling themselves Irene and Jane. Charterhouse, as part of the prizes for the young ladies, was obliged to record and promote an album for them.

The resultant album was ‘Unveiled’ and a video was made of one of the tracks called ‘Heated Up’.

TV3, which produces Mentor, refused to show the video last May because it was produced by Charterhouse, a competitor in the music talent hunt field.

In a chat with Showbiz, Irene said she was surprised and disappointed that TV3, refused to show the video. “It’s on the other three television networks and I hoped TV3 would also show it so that more people would see it. I watch Mentor and I like it but if TV3 says it cannot show something connected in any way to Stars of the Future, then there is nothing Jane and I can do about that”.

According to Fred Darko, Head of Event Production s at Charterhouse, he delivered a copy of the video and a cheque to cover payment for airing for a month to TV3 and they were duly accepted. After waiting for a while and not seeing the video on TV3, he made an enquiry and was informed that the station would not play the video because it was from Charterhouse, a company with a music talent hunt product similar to TV3’s Mentor. His cheque and video were returned to him.

“I was surprised at that because Charterhouse features Mentor stars on its Agoro programme on GTV and also at some of is outdoor shows”, Darko told Showbiz.

When contacted, Nana Kutin of TV3’s Marketing Department confirmed that the station had turned down a request from Charterhouse to show a video of Jane and Irene. He, however, explained that it was faulty judgment on the part of an officer who did not have the power to decide on an issue like that.

“TV3 has its own products to promote. Someone felt we should pay more attention to our own stuff, which is Mentor, rather something from a competitor. Since the product is a Jane and Irene work and not necessarily promoting Stars of the Future in a direct manner, we reconsider the decision if Charterhouse is still interested in showing the video on TV3”.

Mentor and Stars of the Future are in their third and second runs respectively. Fans of the two programmes have been debating which one has a better crop of singers.

Incidentally, singer Bibie Brew is a judge on Stars of the Future whilst her sister Rama, is a judge on Mentor.