Issue no 144 6 December 2012
Top Story
African broadcasters : Rapid Blue can help you fund better productions
Rapid Blue is an independent TV production house with headquarters in South Africa and branches in Nigeria and Angola. In terms of turnover, it is probably one of the top 3 production and digital media companies in South Africa. In an interview with Balancing Act's Sylvain Beletre, Duncan Irvine (Rapid Blue CEO) and Brett Levy (MD Rapid Blue Digital said that there was an abundance of content opportunities on the continent.Part of Rapid Blue's success lies in its ability to proactively secure various types of funding from licensing, ad funding, airtime barters to strategic deals with satellite and terrestrial channels.…
Broadcast
South Africa: New era of TV consumption
Viewership of linear TV is growing strong every year with traditional TV channels dominating online TV viewing, according to a study conducted across 10 countries in the Central Eastern Europe…
Broadcast
DRC: TV5MONDE accessible in Lubumbashi
Since 12 November 2012 the francophone TV channel is now available in Lubumbashi, Congo (DRC) second largest city, on channel 45. Supported by the French and Swiss embassies as well…
Broadcast
Tunisia: Al Horra News, the first 24/24 Tunisian information channel will launch in March 2013 on Nilesat
The company Al Horra Productions announces the launch of the first Tunisian rolling news channel, to be called symbolically Al Horra: the Free one. The launch of such a project…
Broadcast
South Africa: MUTV no longer on TopTV
South African satellite pay-TV operator TopTV has announced that the contract to broadcast MUTV (Manchester United TV) on its platform has been terminated with immediate effect. TopTV extends an apology…
Broadcast
THAICOM Expands its Markets into Africa with the Launch of Africom by Thaicom and Africom-1
THAICOM PLC., one of Asia's leading satellite operators announced the launch of AFRICOM by Thaicom and AFRICOM-1 to provide satellite services in Africa. AFRICOM-1 is the payload dedicated to Africa…
Broadcast
Broadcast - In Brief
- Channel O marks its 15th year anniversary as Africa's first 24-hour music TV in Lagos.- Reminder: Kenyans in Nairobi will have to purchase a set top box by December…
Content
NYC: 20th African Diaspora International Film Festival Opens w/ 'Doctor Bello' (60+ Films In 19 Days)
The 20th annual African Diaspora International Film Festival (ADIFF), here in New York City, kicks off its 2012 edition (also its 20th anniversary, a milestone year), TONIGHT, November 23rd, running…
Content
"Festival international du film documentaire": a thematic menu for the fifth edition
Twelve films produced between 2011 and 2012 representing the Maghreb, the Middle East, Europe, Asia, Latin America and Africa will contribute to the ranking of the fifth edition of the…
Content
The Namibian Movie Collection list is now available online
The Namibian Movie Collection, initiated by Joel Haikali, founder of Joe-Vision Production, consists of films made by Namibian filmmakers and foreign films with relevance to the Namibian film landscape. For…
Content
UK Africa in Motion 2012: Wrap Up
The seventh edition of the Africa in Motion (AiM) Film Festival focused its attention on films and events which reflected the overarching theme of Modern Africa. We invited audiences and…
Content
Content - In Brief
- The Television commission of the French audiovisual production Fund for the South (La commission Television du Fonds francophone de production audiovisuelle du Sud), which met in November in Bujumbura…
Distribution
Senegal: www.tele-ecole.tv to boost schools' performances
The "cabinet de communication et de management "Show me," will on 5 December 2012 in Dakar launch the "first online television channel specifically dedicated to education and training", with students…
Distribution
Nigeria: EbonyLife Signs TV Rights deal With Multichoice
EbonyLife, a leading media and entertainment platform has announced the signing of its Channel Distribution Agreement with Multichoice to broadcast on the DStv platform.The ceremony was sequel to an earlier…
Distribution
Positioning BFMA to meet the educational and marketing needs of an emerging electronic media industry
Now entering its fourth year, BFMA has established itself as a valuable annual industry event, providing a platform for film-makers, broadcasters and music producers and distributors to share knowledge and…
Distribution
Distribution - In Brief
-To avoid misinformation and polemics, LC2 has clarified the situation of TV and radio broadcast for the ORANGE CAN South Africa in 2013 within the territories of Cape Verde, Ethiopia…
Investment
Kenya: Sharp unveils Sh1m TV set
Kenya has become a launching pad for smart television sets now targeting the growing middle class within the East African market.Technology firms companies are citing improved information technology (IT) in…
Investment
China woos buyers at Africa TV mart - Pavilion shows off formats, execs build relationships
At the recently wrapped Discop Africa TV content market, which took place in Johannesburg from Oct. 31 to Nov. 2, it was impossible to miss the bright red pavilion sponsored…
Investment
Afrique Telecom lists on Euronext Paris and may add TV to its portfolio
On Thursday 22 November 2012, French-headquartered African Vsat operator Afrique Telecom officially announced that it has listed on the Euronext Paris "Marche Libre" unregulated market during a ceremony attended by…
Investment
Investment - In Brief
- Naspers Limited 27 November 2012, announced its results, consolidated revenue of R23 billion (a 22% increase), for the six months ended 30 September 2012. After recording net growth of…
Regulation & Policy
Tanzania to Switch Off Analog TV Broadcasting On December 31
Tanzania will stick to its Dec. 31 deadline for switchover from analogue to digital TV broadcasting, even as experts express pessimism over the capability of the African continent making it…
Regulation & Policy
Somalia should release BBC journalist held without charge
Somali authorities must immediately release Ibrahim Mohamed Adan, a correspondent for the Somali service of the BBC, who has been held for nearly a week in Mogadishu without charge, the…
Regulation & Policy
Kenya: CCK May Shut Down Citizen in Some Areas
The Communications Commission of Kenya has directed Royal Media Services to stop broadcasting using some frequencies it says are being operated without a license. The commission has now given the…
Regulation & Policy
Regulations & Policy - In Brief
- Nigeria: The idea of the Nollywood visiting the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) didn't look appropriate but it took that visit from the Actors Guild of Nigeria to prize open…
Technology & Convergence
Exset's Digital Monetisation System Assists in Drive Towards UN's Millennium Development Goals
Exset, pioneers of TV ecosystems for emerging markets, has today revealed how its pioneering Digital Monetisation System (DMS) will assist governments' vital information dissemination across Africa as they continue to…
Technology & Convergence
African Movie Channel (AMC) officially launched its African Movie Channel iPad app
African Movie Channel (AMC) last week officially launched its African Movie Channel iPad app - the first ever iPad app dedicated to On-Demand Nollywood and African films and TV series.…
Technology & Convergence
Orange pay-TV has 71,000 customers in Africa and the Middle East - principally Egypt
Pay-TV services again delivered a much-needed prop for France Telecom/Orange in the third quarter of this year, as overall revenues declined once more due to increasing competition and price erosion…
Technology & Convergence
Technology & Convergence - In Brief
- Tanzania: A statement issued by Vodacom in Dar es Salaam said Vodacom customers will from today be rewarded 1,000 bonus airtime once they pay for services or buy goods…
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Events
5-26 May 2013 Festival de Cannes venue: Palais du Festival, Cannes, South of France. The Festival de Cannes has celebrated the cinema for more than 60 years. Over the years, the French…
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People
South Africa: Call For nominations for marketing and distribution Advisory panels The NFVF Council hereby establishes the Advisory Panels in accordance with the National Film and Video Foundation Act. (No.…
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Opportunities
Call for entries: The 9th Aljazeera International Documentary Film Festival, which will be held in April 2013 in Doha, Qatar, has officially opened its call for entries and will accept…
