Issue No 112, 31 August 2011
Top Story
Iroko Partners finds a You Tube business model selling Nollywood and is set to move into music video sales
Nigeria’s Iroko Partners has hit upon a way of distributing Nollywood content legally, making money and giving some of that money back to the artists who made it. In under a year it has generated around US$1 million in advertising revenues from 2.2 million views and is now expanding into offering music video clips on the same basis. Russell Southwood spoke to its CEO and founder Jason Chukwuma Njoku at Mobile Entertainment World in Cape Town last week. (see the interview video clip link at the bottom of this article).Jason Njoku is Nigerian-British and noticed how things were changing:” “Suddenly…
Broadcast
Uganda: Vision Group launches “Urban TV”
Vision Group's investment in broadcast is growing tremendously following the launch of an English television station, Urban TV. The new television channel went on air on Saturday. Urban is a…
Broadcast
Kenya: Poghisio Defends Vernacular Stations and says KBC will launch 10 by end 2010
Minister for Information Samuel Poghisho has defended the licensing of vernacular radio saying they are useful in promoting culture and languages in the country.Poghisho said those running vernacular stations should…
Broadcast
Lesotho: Privately-owned radio stations off the air amid demonstrations
On 17 August 2011, four privately-owned radio stations went off the air for most of the day, on the third climactic day of protests against the government.In the early hours…
Broadcast
Al Jazeera English: New TV series demystifies European paradise
Picture this scenario: A wealthy holidaymaker checks their chihuahua into a 'dog hotel' before jetting off into the sun, meanwhile you have to work long hours doing a crummy job…
Broadcast
Broadcast - In Brief
- The South African Football Association (SAFA) has identified innovative ways to communicate its activities to its wide-ranging constituencies. It has created two television packages to support its new broadcast…
Content
What hosting the Emmy Awards semi-final will mean to Nigeria
Nigeria recently hosted the semi-final of the 2011 international Emmy Awards for the first time. Catherine Agbo writes on the relevance of that milestone to the motion picture industryThe profile…
Content
Ghana Movie Awards 2011 launched
Movie producers are expected to submit their work for second Ghana Movie Awards ceremony which is slated for 25 December 2011. The closing date for the submission of entries is…
Content
Rwanda: Media urged to offer quality products
In order to advance professionalism and develop the industry in the country, media practitioners have been advised to critically publish and broadcast well researched and balanced news stories to attract…
Content
Hollywood-selected South African screenplay filming in Jo’burg
Mukunda Michael Dewil, whose screenplay Vehicle 19 made it on to Hollywood's 2010 hit list for the year's 'best original screenplay', is directing the action thriller in Johannesburg with international…
Content
Content - In Brief
- An all-new technology show for tweens and teens, Technorati, is flighting on SABC3 on Saturday mornings, educates viewers on the latest gadgets and technological trends. The 26-part series looks…
Distribution
Kenya: Kiss TV wins English Premiership and Champions League rights
Kiss TV on Friday won the exclusive live soccer rights for the world famous Barclays English Premier League (EPL), the Uefa Champions League, Bundesliga and the Europa League.The multi-million shilling…
Distribution
SuperSport acquires TV rights to SA football league
South Africa’s Premier Soccer League (PSL) has awarded a $277 million, five year television rights deal to the country’s SuperSport satellite channel, operated by media conglomerate Naspers. The deal, which…
Distribution
DStv launches DTT platform: GOtv launches in Africa on DVB-T2
Africa’s first commercial operations using the next generation Digital Video Broadcast standard - DVB-T2 - have been rolled out with the launch of GOtv in Lusaka, Zambia (29 June 2011)…
Distribution
Distribution - In Brief
- NewsFlash News Agency, founded in 1995 specifically to provide news to radio stations, including stations that were going on the air for the first time countrywide, has announced that…
Technology & Convergence
Uganda: Chinese loan for digital migration project blocked amidst overpricing fears
The Ugandan government has halted a USD74 million loan from the Import and Export Bank of China (EXIM) that was to be used to fund a digital migration project. Although…
Technology & Convergence
Multichoice Kenya launches mobile decoder
Kenyan pay television service provider Multichoice Kenya has launched a new mobile decoder into the Kenyan market that will enable its subscribers have access to mobile television services.The new mobile…
Technology & Convergence
Technology & Convergence - In Brief
- In Benin, Robert Aouad, CEO of Isocel Benin has told Balancing Act that he plans on setting up a 1000 m2 data centre in the country. The centre could…
Regulation & Policy
South Africa: ad valorem duty for monitors and TV
The SA Revenue Service (Sars) has come out in strong defence of a new ad valorem duty on computer monitors, saying it’s meant to protect the television industry, despite strong…
Regulation & Policy
Media statement on meeting between President Zuma and media owners
President Jacob Zuma today, 5 August 2011, held his first consultative meeting with media owners, representing both print and the broadcasting industry. The meeting took place in Pretoria.President Zuma welcomed…
Regulation & Policy
Regulation & Policy - In Brief
- Local radio stations in Ghana have been urged to refocus their reporting and discussions on basic issues that affect their communities rather than allowing national issues to dominate their…
Investment
$10,000 for short films in Africa
$10,000 in financing for pre-production, production and/or post-production on narrative short films has been granted in continental Africa.The Focus Features Africa First Short Film Program was conceived to be a…
Investment
Safa says TV rights valued at R150m a year
The South African Football Association (Safa) values its television rights at between R130-million and R150-million a year, an official revealed this week. "The figure is the association's own evaluation after…
Investment
Inverstment - In Brief
- The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) has applied for R6.9-billion in government funding over the next three years, according to the national treasury. - TV channel broadcasting continued to…
More
Events:
July - Sept. 2011 (final dates tba)African film festival (AFF) in NYCVenue: NYC, USAOutdoor Summer Screenings in NYC Parks. Featuring dance, music, food and of course films. AFF programs year-round;…
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People
Gagasi 99.5FM has appointed Vukile Zondi as its new Programmes Manager with effect from 01 September 2011. The station has also announced that it is getting an additional transmitter that…
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Opportunities
SAFTAS - NFVF Call for entry The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) organizers of the popular industry awards, South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTAS) calls for local productions…
