Issue no. 108 - 7 July 2011
Top Story
Africa’s bumpy road to the digital transition in broadcasting – issues that have to be faced
The front-runners in the race to make the transition to digital broadcasting are now facing a range of issues including: who runs the signal carrier?; how those who can’t afford a decoder will pay for it; unrealistic deadlines and the absence of any public campaign to explain the process. The politicians seem scared by a process that could affect their citizen’s ability to watch television and are seeking to control the discussion about what’s going to happen. Russell Southwood looks at the early news from the front-runners.Making the transition to digital broadcasting was never going to be easy for any…
Broadcast
Tunisia: New authorities fail to issue broadcast media licences
Reporters Without Borders deplores the failure of Tunisia's new authorities to issue any broadcast licences in the six months since President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali's ouster. They are supposed to…
Broadcast
Zimbabwe: ZBC’s equipment obsolete, audience low
Equipment at all Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) studios for both radio and television is too "old, obsolete and incompatible" with new technologies in the broadcasting sector, a recent parliamentary committee…
Broadcast
Kenya: NMG invests in broadcasting and digital media
The Nation Media Group (NMG) is diversifying its business across East Africa as part of the strategy to tap into the expected rise in demand for media services as the…
Broadcast
Morocco: Information Minister has two Dubai TV journalists fired
Reporters Without Borders is appalled to learn that Moroccan information minister Khalid Naciri obtained the dismissal of Dubai TV chief editor Omar Makhfi and his brother, Jalal, the station's Morocco…
Broadcast
Broadcast - In Brief
- Concord Times (Ibrahim Tarawallie, 25 June 2011, Freetown) highlighted that in Sierra Leone, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) called for an Audit of Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) Finances.…
Content
Nollywood’s Akolawole Olootu: “Piracy, bad market drove me out of movie production”
Akolawole Olootu has been an independent presenter on radio for thirty years but has also doubled as a Nollywood producer. He speaks to Segun Adebayo on why he stopped producing…
Content
Key wins at Encounters International Documentary Festival
Opening up the world to South Africans each year, Encounters is widely acclaimed as Africa’s most prestigious documentary festival. This year’s selection featured 37 films from 14 countries and five…
Content
Videovision Entertainment and Supersport celebrated 2010 WC anniversary with new film
In June 2011, Producer Anant Singh announced the World Premiere of the film “2010 - Once In A Lifetime: The Movie” which focuses on the 2010 FIFA World Cup in…
Content
Sierra Leone: 'Media is an effective tool for change'- Dr. Thomas
Former Director-General of the Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) has said that the mass media, if effectively utilized, has the potential to improve on the socio-economic and political development of…
Content
Content - In Brief
- Health-e News is the proud winner of the yearly prestigious Global Health Council's 2011 Excellence in Media Award for Global Health (Category: Community Media) for its documentary "Thula Mama"…
Distribution
CFI’s TV partners in Africa distributed music programmes
African TV stations broadcast to the pace of the ‘Make Music celebration’ on 21 June 2011. CFI worked to support them as they programme a special musical schedule. Throughout May,…
Distribution
SA 'First Grader' scores in the United States and Cannes
The First Grader the first co-production between South Africa, the United Kingdom and Kenya which was released in the United States by National Geographic Entertainment on 13 May 2011 has…
Distribution
Distribution - In Brief
- Cote Ouest Audiovisuel has released its total number of hours distributed over 2010 which amounted to approximately 20,000 (this includes repeats from TV channel clients). The company’s recent expansion…
Investment
Tunisia: CFI helps TV/radio media rebuild
In the wake of the Tunisian revolution and with a view to assessing and prioritising needs properly, CFI dispatched Philippe Chauvet to conduct an assessment jointly undertaken with the European…
Investment
Disney Junior launches in South Africa
The Walt Disney Company has announced the launch of Disney Junior on Wednesday, an all-new multiplatform preschool channel for children aged 2–7.Disney Junior will air daily and become the home…
Investment
Investment - In Brief
- Rumours in South Africa reported that M-Net will officially announce that the pay broadcaster has secured the biggest South African TV programming coup of the year by securing the…
Regulation & Policy
Zimbabwe: BAZ rejects licence applications
The Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (Baz) has turned down five applications from aspiring broadcasters in the last decade for what the authority called failure to meet its licensing requirements.According to…
Regulation & Policy
Tanzania: Action brought against documentary on Tutsi genocide
hree Rwandan citizens living in France have brought an action before a tribunal in Paris to request the right to watch a documentary on the 1994 genocide before its broadcast…
Regulation & Policy
Regulation & Policy - In Brief
- Local journalists reported on 23 June 2011 that Government militias raided and shuttered two radio stations in Somalia in separate attacks. An armed group with links to the hardline…
Technology & Convergence
DStv to launch BoxOffice VOD service
MultiChoice is set to launch its own commercially extended video-on-demand (VOD) service, called DStv BoxOffice, as early as during July, according to a source familiar with the matter.DStv BoxOffice will…
Technology & Convergence
Nigeria: ‘70% of Citizens can't afford digital broadcast'
Over seventy percent of Nigerians will not be able to pay for digital broadcast in the country from 2015 when migration from analogue is completed, a lawyer and IT activist,…
Technology & Convergence
Technology & Convergence - In Brief
- In a 1st July 2011 communiqué from STC and Google, Arimr Kesisoqlu, director of Google Middle East and North Africa, said: "More than 100 million Arabs log on to…
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Events
20 - 22 July 2011Mediatech Africa 2011 ExhibitionVenue: The Coca-Cola Dome - Northgate - Johannesburg (South Africa)Mediatech Africa SA's only all-inclusive broadcast, media, entertainment and AV trade. It showcases cutting…
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People
Kenyans shined at the 2011 CNN MultiChoice African Journalist of the Year Awards with Daily Nation's Kamau Mutunga winning the Sport Award at the event held on Saturday Night. Fatuma…
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Opportunities
Call for entries: SA’s Next Top Filmmaker 2011Following the Success of SA’s Next Top Editor 2010, General Post in partnership with Curious Pictures have announced that entries are now open…
