Issue no 141 25 October 2012
Top Story
Discop: Africa’s largest video news agency AFP now has the capability to offer SMS news services to the continent’s broadcasters and telcos
They are several international news agencies with global reporting networks but few with a strong presence in Africa with the exception of AFP, Reuters and Xinhua. Balancing Act met with AFP's Marketing Manager Sylvain Risse and International Commercial coordinator François Bohn, at AFP's HQ in Paris to highlight what AFP has been doing on the continent so far and what it can offer to African media and corporate players in the future.AFP is a global B2B news agency delivering fast, in-depth coverage of the sensitive events shaping our world in 6 languages: English, Arabic, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and German. The…
Broadcast
Benin: quarrel between national television and telecom operator BBCom
On 20th. September 2012, the Office of Radio and Television of Benin (ORTB) seized equipment at Bell Benin Communications (BBCom). The problem is that at the same time, officers seized…
Broadcast
Cape Town TV has lost over 600,000 viewers due to digital switch
The Cape Town TV community station has lost over 600,000 viewers because its frequency was changed to accommodate digital terrestrial television trials, it said on Friday.Station manager Karen Thorne said…
Broadcast
South Africa: Popular musical reality show hits SABC 3
The Sing Off - the popular American musical reality show – hits SA’s TV screens for the first time on SABC3 on Wednesday the 3rd of October at 8pm for…
Broadcast
Channel changes at MultiChoice Uganda
MultiChoice viewers of NTV Uganda can now access it on DStv Channel 283 instead of 141, following an automatic migration on the pay TV platform which occurred last week, 1…
Broadcast
Broadcast News - In Brief
- Three countries that have not yet held PAMRO’s conference were proposed (Madagascar, Namibia and Zambia). Ballots were collected and counted after the meeting. The votes were announced at the…
Content
CFI is helping to foster professionalism in African TV series
Ten sound editors/mixers from Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Niger and Ghana met in Ouagadougou from 17 to 28 September 2012 to work on improving the soundtracks of the TV series they…
Content
Announcing the first-ever Billboard Digital Music Africa Industry Conference
The AfricaCom Team has partnered with Billboard Africa to bring the Billboard Digital Music Africa industry conference, taking place at the CTICC on the 13th of November 2012.This one-day conference…
Content
Kenya: Mwangaza premiere drama series launched
Mwangaza, a premiere drama series produced by Africa Community Development Media (ACDM) and De-Capture in partnership with Centre for Rights Education and Awareness (CREAW) and QTV and is anchored around…
Content
A24 Media provides programmes on heart diseases
One world, one home, one heart is this year’s theme of World heart day. With cardiovascular diseases claiming millions of lives each year, World heart day aims to raise awareness…
Content
Content News In Brief
- You enjoy African francophone TV series? Watch episodes of "Noces Croisées" on TV5 Monde "Web TV Afrique" here- The 12 Algerian writer-directors selected for the Côté courts project furthered…
Distribution
News from Côte d'Ivoire’s Bogolan Distribution
Côte d'Ivoire’s Bogolan Distribution, producer of the popular comedy TV series “where are we here?” (“On est où là?” In French) gave Balancing Act some fresh news. Bogolan Distribution Ana…
Distribution
Tension rises between Nollywood and Ghollywood
In August 2012, a new stage in the worsening of the relations between Nollywood and Ghollywood was reached: Nigeria is to impose an embargo on Ghanaian films. The gap is…
Distribution
French-language summit: special CFI programme for 29 African TV partners
Further to an initiative by the Congolese broadcasting corporation RTNC, CFI is providing its TV partners with special programmes on the French language summit to be held in Kinshasa from…
Distribution
Distribution News - In Brief
- South African communications minister Dina Pule is “surprised” by e.tv’s high court application against her in which the free-to-air broadcaster accuses her of acting unlawfully in appointing Sentech to…
Investment
The IABM Training Academy Launches Two New Courses
The IABM Training Academy Launches Two New Courses Targeting Engineers Within the Broadcast Tech Sector Classroom Courses Address Network Essentials and Compression Fundamentals and Applications. The IABM (International Association of…
Investment
African Movie Channel inks carriage deal with StarTimes
African Movie Channel (AMC) has signed a carriage agreement with African DTT operator StarTimes, which will see AMC launching on StarTimes' platform at the start of August. AMC started in…
Investment
Eutelsat 21B launch set for November 9
Eutelsat has said that its new Eutelsat 21B satellite has arrived at the European Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.The launch will take place on November 9 onboard an Arianespace Ariane…
Investment
Buni TV partners with 3 African film festivals to support emerging filmmakers.
Buni TV announced today that it had partnered with three high-profile African film festivals, the Africa in Motion (AiM) festival in Scotland, the Kenya International Film Festival (KIFF), and London’s…
Investment
Investment News - In Brief
- From March to May 2012, CFI lent its support to young Egyptian directors of short documentaries, during a new, 8-week introductory workshop organised in Cairo with the Association of…
Regulation & Policy
Prison for pirate film sellers, says film-maker
Filmmaker and actor Rapulana Seiphemo believes people caught selling pirate copies of films should be given long prison sentences. Seiphemo said the local film industry suffers huge losses through pirating…
Regulation & Policy
Somali Journalists Call for the Kenyan Government to Free detained Somali TV Journalists
In Somalia, October 2, 2012, the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) calls for the Kenyan government to safely release three television journalists who the Kenyan police arrested at the…
Regulation & Policy
Regulation & Policy - In Brief
- A Tanzanian TV journalist was killed on Sunday during a confrontation with police over the arrest of another journalist, according to several local journalists who witnessed the shooting. The…
Technology & Convergence
CNBC Africa commences mobile tv trial
CNBC Africa in partnership with Mobile TV, have commenced trials on the Korean Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB) technology."We are hugely excited by this development as it has the potential to…
Technology & Convergence
Exset Launches Digital Monetisation System to Empower African Digital Transition
The Africa Page is a new and unique way of increasing operator revenues in value-based digital television networks On October 3, 2012, Exset, pioneers of TV ecosystems for emerging markets,…
Technology & Convergence
Africa: Fewer than 10% of countries will achieve analogue switch off by 2015
IBC 2012 in AMS: Fewer than 10% of countries in Africa will achieve analogue switch off by their target date of 2015, according to Christoph Limmer, senior director SES marketing…
Technology & Convergence
Tanzania: Seven Regions Adopt Digital TV Tech
Seven regions in Tanzania mainland have adopted digital television broadcasting through the Star Times, the company announced in Dar es Salaam. The Star Times Sales Manager, David Kisaka, told a…
Technology & Convergence
Technology & Convergence News - in Brief
- Simfy Africa, the local version of a European music streaming service, was launched last month. Some see services like Simfy as a godsend for local labels and musicians, but…
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Events
The Colours of the Nile International Film Festival (CNIFF)7-11 November 2012 venue: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia The inaugural CNIFF will introduce the best of African cinema to African audiences. The festival…
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People
Loerie Awards: 2012 Winners Congratulations to all 2012 Loerie winners! The Loerie Awards - published in Sept. 2012 - aims to recognise, reward and foster creative excellence in all areas…
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Opportunities
Call for Films: "ONE Country ONE Film 2013" Entries for the 2013 ONE Country ONE Film International Festival are now open until the 31st of March 2013. The 4th edition…
