Issue no. 132 21 June 2012
Top Story
Orange’s music streaming service Deezer enters Africa’s burgeoning music platform market – TV programmes to follow?
There are now several online and mobile music TV platforms that have started in Africa. Some like Iroko Partners started with Nollywood film and went into music, whilst others like Spinlet have started with music and could easily go into TV programming. For broadcasters, these platforms represent another way to get to their audiences and a potential opportunity for new revenue streams. Sylvain Beletre, Senior Research Analyst, Balancing Act talks to the key players.Over the past few years there have been several online music services in Africa including radio stations streaming. Nigeria’s Spinlet , a mobile music management and storage…
Broadcast
Airtel Africa and DSTV partner to launch Africa Football show
Airtel Africa and DSTV have partnered to launch Africa Football show whichwill explore a range of football-related topics including pro-footballer profiles, insights on youth football culture across Africa and highlights…
Broadcast
S.A.: Clash of the SABC titans hots up
SABC group CEO Lulama Mokhobo has taken disciplinary steps against her news chief, Phil Molefe, and is charging him with refusing to accept her authority, the Mail & Guardian has…
Broadcast
Nando's ad: Banned from TV... Goes to print
Fast food franchise, Nando's, has had a print version of their banned television advertisement published in the Sunday Times [video]. "Unlike our broadcasters, we're giving you the right to choose,"…
Broadcast
SES opens new Africa office
Global satellite operator SES has opened an office in Johannesburg with newly appointed Africa head Ibrahima Guimba-Saidou at the helm. The office is situated at Montecasino and will complement two…
Broadcast
Broadcast News - In Brief
- Zuku plans to create original content, as well as partner with other production companies. The company has partnered with Tanzania’s Steps Entertainment to produce two Swahili language music shows,…
Content
Ultimate Fighting Championship imminent in South Africa
The Ultimate Fighting Championship has been aggressive with its world expansion, and the promotion soon will add another part of the globe to its list.UFC president Dana White on Tuesday…
Content
SuperSport: Olympic Games on 8 DStv dedicated 24 hour channels
The 30th Olympic Games, which commence next month in London, will be given eight dedicated 24 hour channels on sub-Saharan African pay-TV platform DStv by broadcaster SuperSport.Among the channels will…
Content
Big Fish School of Digital Filmmaking selected by Siemens
Big Fish School of Digital Filmmaking has recently been selected by Siemens in the UK as one of 12 international film and TV schools invited to submit proposals for making…
Content
South Africa: Encounters Documentary Festival
Encounters is Africa's premier documentary festival, with 16 world premieres and 52 documentaries, including winners from the Oscars, Emmys, Berlin, Hot Docs, SXSW and The European Film Awards. • Two of…
Content
Content News - In Brief
- The URTI (International Radio and Television Union) Jury just ended the screenings of the award-winning list of the 31st International URTI Grand Prix for Author's Documentary - Arman Trophy.…
Distribution
Online distribution offers global reach, helps sidestep pirates
As increased Web access and mobile phone penetration transform the way more than 1 billion Africans live and do business, a growing number of websites are looking to solve the…
Distribution
Bafana TV deal worth R28m
SABC and SportFive formalised the three-year agreement on Bafana Bafana's competitive away matches on the continent on Thursday. The France-based company holds media and marketing rights to all Confederation of…
Distribution
iROKOtv, the “Netflix of Africa”, reaches 500,000 subscribers in less than six months
iROKOtv, the “Netflix of Africa” and the continent’s first legal online source of Nollywood films, is delighted to reveal that it has recorded over 500,000 registered users in less than…
Distribution
Distribution News - In Brief
- Channel O, part of the DStv pay-TV bouquet, celebrated Africa Day from Monday 21 May until Friday 25 May with programming that put African music in the spotlight. Africa…
Investment
Pay-TV broadcaster StarTimes launches in Kenya
StarTimes is now available across Kenya following the launch of the Chinese-owned pay-TV service by the Pan African Group - the country's second national digital television signal distributor - on…
Investment
Al Jazeera could launch French-language news channel for Africa
Al Jazeera plans to launch a French-language news channel for Africa between now and the end of the year, according to a report in French newspaper Le Figaro.According to the…
Investment
Investment News - In Brief
- 29 May 2012: Pay television channel M-Net has bought the rights to flight the SABC's weekly soapies - Isidingo and Generations. The move means that DStv subscribers across Africa…
Regulation & Policy
South Africa adds to post production incentives
Changes to the incentives for foreign film and television productions will enable local post-production companies to attract work that is not necessarily filmed in South Africa, helping to sustain and…
Regulation & Policy
Zimbabwe: Faithful Marketing recently won licencing for Sole dealership of MyTv Africa
Faithful Marketing recently won a partnership deal to provide prepaid satellite television services for MyTv Africa. The company started trading on the platform last month. NewsDay Business Reporter Tarisai Tahungai…
Regulation & Policy
Regulation & Policy News - In Brief
- Thierry Michel’s tragicomic film about the political assassination of human rights activist Floribert Chebeya has been banned in Congo. But after its release in Europe and the US where…
Technology & Convergence
SA home fibre player makes progress
The company previously known as i3 Africa is to begin building its trial fibre network in Umhlanga in the next few months and is now eyeing other cities for expansion.…
Technology & Convergence
Technology & Convergence News - In Brief
- Middle East digital content provider Istikana has partnered with Samsung Gulf Electronics to launch an Arabic video on demand (VOD) service for users of internet-enabled smart TVs. Over 3,000…
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People
Robert de Niro in Gabon: need for a more stable business climateNew York Forum AFRICA / Report on the second dayJune 11, 2012– The second day of the first New…
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Opportunites
DISCOP Africa to subsidize the attendance of content buyersBasic Lead, organisers of the annual DISCOP Africa which focuses on the film and television content market, has announced that they will…
