Broadcast, Film and Convergence in Africa - Issue no. 340 20 May 2020
Top Story
Meet The Adebanjos talking to Netflix about a new season, signed licensing deal on platform – Andrew Osayemi, MTA Productions on how to get the best from VoD deals
20 May 2020
For African content producers there’s something rather beguiling about deals with the new generation of VoD platforms. But you have to work hard to make sure your content is seen. Andrew Osayemi, CEO, MTA Productions talked to me about the Meet The Adebanjos Netflix deal and making VoD work. MTA Productions suffered from what a lot of African content producers do. It was producing comedy content that was widely liked but not getting enough money to keep producing that content:” You need to produce volume to make it work. It’s hard with a young company. The key decision was to…
Broadcast
Zambia: Govt Urges Prime TV To Make New Application For Its Broadcasting License
20 May 2020
Zambia’s government has reportedly urged the privately-owned TV station Prime TV to submit a new application for its broadcasting license. The Permanent Secretary of Zambia’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting…
Broadcast
Nigerian subscriber group rejects new MultiChoice tariff
20 May 2020
Nigerian subscribers under the aegis of the Association of Telephone, Cable TV and Internet Subscribers (ATCIS) have rejected the proposed hike in the monthly pay-TV subscription during the coronavirus pandemic,…
Content - Film
Boko Haram-inspired movie,‘The Delivery Boy’, makes Netflix debut
20 May 2020
‘The Delivery Boy’, a Boko Haram-inspired film by a Nigerian filmmaker, Adekunle, ‘Nodash’ Adejuyigbe, has debuted on Netflix. The movie, which bagged 12 nominations at the 2019 Africa Movie Academy…
Content - Film
Watch a New Mini-Documentary On The Story of Zamrock
20 May 2020
Get to know the musical and political history behind Zambia's much-talked about 1970s fuzz rock sound. Zamrock was born in 1970s Zambia out of influences from James Brown's funk and…
Content - Film
Fierce Females on Front Lines of Africa’s Poaching War Are Focus of Doc Breaking Their Silence
20 May 2020
Breaking Their Silence: Women on the Frontline of the Poaching War When filmmaker Kerry David first started researching the poaching crisis in Africa —criminals killing endangered animals for profit —…
Content - Film
First for South Africa. Durban Filmmakers Have Just Won the Best Short Film Award at Enfoque International Film Festival.
20 May 2020
Alone, a locally made short film with a powerful message that resonates with all experiencing the isolation of lockdown, has scooped the best short film award at the Enfoque International…
Content - Film
SXSW Launches Virtual Cinema Competition on Oculus TV
20 May 2020
South by Southwest, the film festival held in Austin, Texas, will show seven competition projects from its virtual cinema program on Oculus TV from May 22 to May 31. …
Content - Television
New Beginnings Can’t Hide Old Secrets - We’re counting the days to Netflix African Original Blood & Water
20 May 2020
We’re counting down the days before the highly anticipated Netflix African Young Adult series Blood & Water hits our screens on 20 May. And if the second official trailer that…
Content - Television
South Africa: ‘Gomora’ Becomes Most-Watched Show On DStv – Uncrowning 'The Queen’
20 May 2020
Gomora has only been on South Africa’s screens for a month, and yet it has reportedly taken the world of entertainment by storm. From casting some of the country’s most…
Content - Television
Zimbabwe Local Film 'Cook Off' Makes History With Netflix Deal
20 May 2020
The Local film "Cook Off" will make history when it becomes the first local production from Zimbabwe to show on the global VOD service Netflix which has more than 160…
Content - Television
BBC Africa Rolls Out 'The Breakdown' For Weekly COVID-19 Coverage Across The Continent
20 May 2020
BBC Africa has rolled out The Breakdown as a weekly COVID-19 TV special which will provide a summary about the spread of the deadly coronavirus, targeted specifically for African viewers.…
Content - Television
Bundesliga returns to beIN Sports in MENA
20 May 2020
International acclaimed sports channel, beIN Sports will welcome Bundesliga back live on May 16 for viewers to watch exclusively Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 games across the MENA region. beIN…
Content - Television
WarnerMedia and Canal+ strengthen African partnership
20 May 2020
WarnerMedia and Canal+ Group have launched TNT and Cartoon Network within Les Bouquet’s Canal+ pay-TV offer in Rwanda. This follows Canal+ Group’s move to reinforce its English-speaking channel proposition…
Content - Television
In brief
20 May 2020
MBC Group and TCL Electronics have collaborated to offer MBC’s video-on-demand streaming platform Shahid on all TCL Android televisions. Shahid is now available via its app across all TCL Android…
Distribution
MultiChoice is axing the SABC Encore and Sundance TV film channel as well from the end of May after carriage contracts with the SABC and AMC Networks International are not renewed.
20 May 2020
At the end of this month DStv subscribers are losing the SABC Encore (DStv 156) rerun channel from the South African public broadcaster after 5 years and the Sundance TV…
Distribution
Timeless Drama Channel and Gametoon go on StarTimes
20 May 2020
SPI International and the African digital TV operator StarTimes have expanded their distribution agreement to include Timeless Drama Channel (TDC) and Gametoon. The agreement builds on the distribution of Filmbox…
Regulation & Policy
South Africa: ICASA’s Local Content Quota Exemption Receives Luke-Warm Response From Producers’ Organisation
20 May 2020
The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa’s (ICASA) decision to exempt TV broadcasters from local content quotas during the COVID-19 national lockdown could destroy the sector, which is already struggling…
Regulation & Policy
Malawi: Civil Society Organisations Take Legal Action Against Public Broadcaster MBC
20 May 2020
Malawi’s Civil society organisations (CSOs) are reportedly demanding immediate suspension of the provision of broadcasting services by the nation’s public broadcaster Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) for allegedly beaming on its…
Regulation & Policy
COVID-19: FG grants 2-month licence fee waiver to broadcast stations
20 May 2020
The federal government has granted a two-month licence fee waiver for terrestrial broadcast stations in Nigeria to cushion the effects of the Coronavirus disease COVID-19 pandemic in the industry. Minister…
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People
20 May 2020
The Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) board has appointed its Non-Executive Director Ms Helliate Rushwaya as the national broadcaster’s new acting Chief Executive Officer. A communications and media training specialist with…
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Opportunties
20 May 2020
MultiChoice Talent Factory Host New Series For Film Students The Multichoice Talent Factory has commenced its new series tagged ‘Produce Like a Pro’. The series kicked off of its virtual…
