Issue no. 153 4 April 2013
Top Story
China raises the media flag in Africa with investment in both technology and content with mixed motives
Both private and state-owned Chinese companies are investing heavily in Africa. Part of this media push into Africa is about winning new friends and influencing the right people. The other part is straightforwardly looking to create new markets for both its technology and content. Sylvain Beletre, Balancing Act’s Broadcast Analyst looks at how the impact of the new Chinese media presence will affect Africa.The biggest part of the new Chinese media presence is from its state-owned media. China's government has reportedly allocated 45bn yuan ($7.2bn) to fund the global expansion of state media. As China increasingly becomes a more powerful…
Broadcast
Africa sees fast pay-TV expansion, esp. in DTT
Morgan Stanley have issued a report on Naspers, the ultimate holding company of the Multichoice/DStv pay-TV business, and says that Southern Africa is doing well for the business. Naspers is…
Broadcast
Chinese DTT partnership in Nigeria nears a million subscribers, expands coverage
"While most Africa pay-TV attention is usually focussed on MultiChoice and its DStv satellite operations, Chinese-backed NTA StarTimes is building a solid pay-TV business in Nigeria using digital terrestrial TV.…
Broadcast
South Africa: SABC3's new schedule took effect 1 April
New schedule took effect 1 April 2013 - One hour weekday news broadcast to air.SABC3's new viewing will take effect from Monday 1 April. Most noticeably with an hour-long in-depth…
Broadcast
Multichoice takes lead sponsorship of popular 'Broadcast, Film and Music Africa' (BFMA) conference - Organisers to grant media awards
Aitec Africa has confirmed to Balancing Act that Multichoice Kenya will be taking up lead sponsorship for 'Broadcast, Film and Music Africa' (BFMA) conference, a popular creative content and electronic…
Broadcast
Broadcast - In Brief
- BBC Africa: In case you missed this TV report on Catholicism in Ghana from ‘Focus on Africa’ TV programme, watch it here - Liberia: The Renaissance Communications Incorporated, operator…
Content
South African film writer Hanneke Schutte wins chance to make short film in Hollywood
Three talented film writer and directors will be heading to LA for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make their short film with Trigger Street Productions starring Willem Dafoe.One of them is…
Content
Buni TV releases its first comedy series
Buni TV , the fast-growing video-on-demand site for African content, is releasing its first comedy series produced exclusively for the platform. “We at Buni TV believe that the future of entertainment…
Content
SuperSport: Zimbabwean football is a sleeping giant
Supersport believe Zimbabwean football is a sleeping giant with great potential and they are willing to help unlock its true value in their five-year journey with the local league.Speaking at…
Content
Zimbabwe’s first ever tabloid television series: ‘Skandal TV’
If you do not have a DVD copy of Zimbabwe’s first ever tabloid television series titled ‘Skandal TV’ then you are certainly missing out on the new crazy and comic…
Content
Content - In Brief
- Haute Tv in collaboration with 37th state launches a new web series that focuses on influential players in the Nigerian fashion industry, both home and abroad. The first episode…
Distribution
Malawi: lack of market affecting local movies
Renowned Malawi film maker, Charles Shemu Joyah, has said Malawi lacks a market for local movies. He was speaking when he addressed students of the two-week long Film in A…
Distribution
Chinese TV series gaining popularity in Africa
Chinese TV shows that depict young people's lives in modern society are crossing the cultural divide and attracting a growing set of global audiences. One of the examples is the…
Distribution
Nigeria: StarTimes Increases Channels to Mark Easter
As part of strategies to sustain the growth of NTA Star TV- StarTimes - in the DTT market, handlers of the pay TV brand have announced a new offering to…
Distribution
Cape Verde TV distributed by Thema/Eutelsat in Africa and in Europe
Cape Verde TV has chosen Thema to act as its exclusive distributor in Europe.The acquisition of a playout dedicated to the international signal of the channel, the installation of a…
Distribution
Distribution - In Brief
- The Kenyan crime drama, Nairobi Half Life, which was Kenya’s selection for the Best Foreign Language Oscar in 2012, making it just the second film from Kenya to be…
Investment
Zuku: Top quality Swahili content broadcast across East Africa
Zuku, the Wananchi Group’s triple play and pay-tv business, has announced the launch of a channel dedicated to showing movies in Swahili, one of the fastest growing languages in the…
Investment
Google in Ghana: YouTube took-off in the birthplace of Azonto!
When azonto was first performed by dance groups in Ghana, no one would have guessed how far it would go. Today, the fact that the world is intrigued by azonto…
Investment
Ethiopia Prepares for Digital Age
New regulation for effective management are required with deadline for digital TV switch fast approaching.Set-top boxes will be used to convert the digital television transmissions to analogue, until all televisions…
Investment
Investment - In Brief
- Canal + Afrique – the pay TV service provided in 30 African countries - added 14 new TV channels and 14 radio stations (incl. 9 from Africa) to its…
Regulation & Policy
Cameroon: Media Houses Sanctioned Over Ethics
The National Communication Council issued a press release on Thursday, March 28, 2013. Several television and radio stations as well as a few presenters in the country have been sanctioned…
Regulation & Policy
Kenya seeks to learn from Dar on switch to digital TV
EACO was established to strengthen and promote cooperation in the development and provision of postal, telecommunications and broadcasting services in the East African Community. Kenya is hoping to learn important lessons…
Regulation & Policy
Somalia: killing of media worker with Abduwaq radio
UN Special Representative for Somalia statement on killing of media worker:On March 25, 2013, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Somalia, Dr. Augustine P. Mahiga is shocked and saddened…
Regulation & Policy
Zimbabwe: Police Go Door-to-Door Searching for Radios
Police in Rusape went door-to-door to houses belonging to known MDC-T supporters, in search of shortwave radios. But the MP for Makoni South said they found nothing.Pishai Muchauraya said the…
Regulation & Policy
Regulation & Policy - In Brief
- Tanzania DTT: Many Arusha and Moshi residents woke up to grayish television screens on Monday as the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority switched off analogue broadcasting in the Northern Zone.…
Technology & Convergence
Botswana: Japanese DTT standard adoption criticised
The Southern African Digital Broadcasting Association (Sadiba) has criticised Botswana for choosing a Japanese digital television standard over the more commonly practiced European one. HumanIPO reported Botswana adopted Integrated Services Digital…
Technology & Convergence
Malawi broadcaster demands top notch equipment to replace outdated items
Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) has asked government to consider procurement of new state of the art equipment to replace the existing old and damaged ones that are short-changing its operations.Evance…
Technology & Convergence
Microsoft and Google perform trials for TV White Spaces in Africa
While Microsoft is working on providing TV White Space Internet connectivity in Kenya, Google announced on Monday, March 25, that it would perform trials for TV White Spaces in Cape…
Technology & Convergence
Kenya: Safaricom to sell more smartphones
Kenya’s biggest mobile operator, Safaricom, has said it will stop selling feature phones in its own retail stores an effort to increase smartphone penetration and bolster the East African country’s…
Technology & Convergence
Technology & Convergence - In Brief
- The cost of acquiring digital converters will pose the greatest challenge to the envisaged migration to digital broadcasting by African Countries. The average cost of acquiring a set top…
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Events
3 Apr. -27 May 2013-02-19African Film Festival Inc. Venue: Lincoln Center, the Brooklyn Museum of Art, and Brooklyn Academy of Music - NYC, USA.African film fest of NYC presented annually…
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People
Nigeria: Mahen Bonetti - Why I Started African Films FestivalMahen Bonetti is the founder and Executive Director of African Film Festival, Inc. (AFF), a non-profit arts organization founded in 1990.…
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Opportunities
In 1998, the Festival de Cannes created the Cinéfondation to inspire and support the next generation of international filmmakers. Since then, with the help of the Festival, the Cinéfondation has…
