Issue no. 175 13 March 2014
Top Story
Kenya’s Buni TV launches its Buni+ pay for premium subscription service (VoD)
Picture above: Buni TV’s CEO, Marie Lora-Mungai As the world celebrates Lupita Nyong’o’s Best Supporting Actress Oscar win and global attention turns on African talent, Buni TV, the leading video-on-demand (VoD) platform for high quality African content, says there is more where this came from as it launches its premium subscription service Buni+ on March 3rd, 2013. Balancing Act's market analyst Sylvain Béletre, co-author of the first report on “VoD and Africa” talks to Buni TV’s CEO, Marie Lora-Mungai on Buni+ service. Buni TV is a VoD service of Buni Media, a multi-media company with offices in Nairobi, Kenya and Los Angeles, California. Buni…
Broadcast
Zimbabwe: football, Dembare Demand U.S $30 000 From ZBC
Giants Dynamos want ZBC to pay them US$30 000 to beam live their Champions League tie against AS Vita at the National Sports Stadium this Saturday. DeMbare will host the…
Broadcast
Eurochannel makes African push
TV network Eurochannel has expanded into Africa, as part of a wider expansion effort that has also seen it increase its European footprint over recent months.The channel, which specialises in…
Broadcast
Trace and MTG look to Africa for growth
Trace’s strength in Africa was a key factor in Modern Times Group’s decision to acquire a controlling stake in the sports lifestyle and music broadcaster and the pair will jointly…
Broadcast
MTG and Trace TV: A Synergy of Convenience
Trace and MTG have announced a strategic partnership that is based on a pragmatic, synergetic and visionary business alliance, according to Mr Olivier Laouchez CEO of Trace. For Balancing Act’s…
Broadcast
Intelsat FY 2013: oversupply environment in Africa affects pricing
Intelsat Reports Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2013 Results. Key highlights:• Fourth quarter revenue of $642.8 million; fiscal year 2013 revenue of $2,603.6 million• Fourth quarter net income attributable to…
Broadcast
Broadcast - In Brief
The international division of Discovery is launching its TLC HD channel in the MENA region, sealing a carriage deal with OSN.The pay TV platform will exclusively carry the female-skewing channel…
Content
Can South Africa become the new blockbuster hotspot?
Miles of sun-kissed beaches, breathtaking mountains and lush rainforests bathed in ethereal lights, South Africa's varied and dramatic landscape has provided a photogenic backdrop for an increasing number of Hollywood…
Content
MultiChoice Nigeria: Ultimately, we hope to arrest piracy through Box Office (VoD)
John Ugbe, Managing Director of Multichoice Nigeria recently spoke to a cross section of Journalists in Lagos about the pan-African entertainment company's passion for growing African Cinema.The maiden edition of…
Content
Nigeria: Pop duo, PSquare, has announced the launch of an animated TV series titled, The Alingos.
According to Square Image Associates, publicists to Psquare, the Alingos was inspired by the need to create a unique content for children and fill the vacuum in the media sphere…
Content
The Africa Channel UK launches a new programme on African Art Masters: Rising Stars
This exciting second series of African Masters uncovers the new wave of African contemporary art and its emerging artists.The programme started exclusively on the The Africa Channel UK on Feb.…
Content
Content - In Brief
In February 2014, Wananchi-owned East African pay TV operator Zuku TV has commissioned an original, locally produced political drama series, State House.A co-production between Wananchi Programming and Kenyan production company…
Distribution
Hollywood distributor to release SA crime drama “iNumber Number” in US spring 2014
Los Angeles-based production and distribution company Wrekin Hill Entertainment has acquired the North American rights to 'iNumber Number', the South African thriller written and directed by Donovan Marsh. The story…
Distribution
StarTimes reaps US$143M a year in African TV revenues
Chinese pay-TV operator StarTimes had 1.5 million active subscribers across Africa by the end of 2013, with annual revenues of US$143 million, according to a report from Dataxis.StarTimes currently has…
Distribution
Namibia: projection of ‘Kolmanskop’ film
AfricAvenir and FNCC, with support of M-Net presents Kolmanskop (NAM/SA), by David Pupkewitz, from 1983, on 12 March 2014.Directed by David Pupkewitz in 1983, the 60-Minute film "Kolmanskop" is set…
Distribution
SA animation makes history with DVD release in 3 languages
In a first for South African film, 'Khumba' – the 3D, computer-animated adventure comedy –will be available on DVD in English, IsiZulu and Afrikaans.The film, which took the number one…
Distribution
MIPTV: Côte Ouest, premier distributor of content for and from Africa, brings award-winning drama to Cannes
Côte Ouest, the premier distributor of content for and from Africa, brings award-winning drama to Cannes this April. Headlining Côte Ouest’s impressive slate of programming will be the Emmy-award winning…
Distribution
Distribution - In Brief
On 11th March 2014, audience of the Eutelsat-Nilesat 7/8° West video neighbourhood breaks barrier of 50 million homes in Middle East and North Africa. Eutelsat announced headline results of its…
Technology & Convergence
Nigeria: WTS Broadcast expands across Africa
WTS Broadcast has become a leader in broadcast services offering broadcast solutions to clients all over the African continent. The company stocks and distributes the largest volume of broadcast equipment…
Technology & Convergence
MEA: My-HD ultra-low pay TV platform gets over 100,000 subscribers
My-HD, one of the leading and first ultra-low pay Direct to Home (DTH) platforms in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, has steadily experienced a significant market growth…
Technology & Convergence
South Africa: Telkom Extends VoD Tender Application
In Pretoria,Telkom extended an invitation to industry to bid for the provisioning of Video on Demand (VoD) services.Managing Director of Consumer Services and Retail Marketing, Manelisa Mavuso, confirmed the development…
Technology & Convergence
Technology & Convergence - In Brief
Telecel and MultiChoice Zimbabwe have signed an agreement allowing DStv subscribers to use Telecash to pay for their subscriptions through their mobile phones. Telecash – which launched in January 2014…
Regulation & Policy
Urgent call: Al Jazeera’s detained journalists in Egypt – Journalism not a crime!
• Global Day of Action called in support of journalists detained in Egypt • Stands of solidarity, vigils and events planned in 30 cities across the world Events supporting Al Jazeera’s…
Regulation & Policy
Nigeria: NCC Seizes N100m Equipment From Satellite Television Pirates
In Onitsha, the Nigeria Copyright Commission (NCC) said it confiscated equipment worth over N100 million from pirates illegally tapping broadband broadcast signals of right-owners in Onitsha area.The Zonal Head of…
Regulation & Policy
A second 24-hour Oscar Pistorius TV channel launching
Besides MultiChoice's Oscar Pistorius trial TV channel starting on Sunday on channel 199 on DStv, South African viewers are now getting an additional, second 24-hour Oscar Pistorius channel which will…
Regulation & Policy
UNITAR records high demand for Trade and Intellectual Property courses
The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) has just launched the 2014 edition of the online training courses in financial management, international trade and intellectual property. These courses…
Regulation & Policy
Regulation & Policy - In Brief
March 2014: The SABC has launched its latest audience services campaign to South Africans, using television, radio, print and cinema advertising, to inform South Africans of the plethora of TV…
Investment
Namibia: NBC Gets a N$1 Billion Despite Breaking Even
The Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) will get just over N$1 billion over three years in State funding despite reporting improved financial results last year.The State broadcaster has reduced losses in…
Investment
DTT in Malawi: Invitation for Bids (set top boxes)
GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF MALAWIMINISTRY OF INFORMATION - INVITATION FOR BIDS (FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT)FOR TENDER FOR THE SUPPLY AND DELIVERY OF DVB-T2 SET TOP BOXES (STBs)Procurement Reference number:330/IPC/INF/DGM/13-14/0011. The Government…
Investment
Egypt: Samsung to produce 8 million TV and PC screens
The South Korean electronics company Samsung seeks a plan to produce eight million television screens and computer monitors through its project in the Upper Egyptian governorate of Beni Suef within…
Investment
Africa: 2015 Orange Africa Cup of Nations - CAF and Morocco Assess Preparations, TV important
Marrakech or Rabat for the opening match of the Orange Africa Cup of Nations, Morocco 2015? The proposal of the Moroccan side to CAF will be made in the coming…
Investment
Uganda: Zuku University Basketball League (ZUBL) launched!
Zuku, the Wananchi Group’s triple play and pay-tv business, will launch the Zuku University Basketball League (ZUBL) in Uganda, partnering with with the National University Sports Federation of Uganda (NUSFU)…
Investment
Investment - In Brief
Investments from Azam TV in Tanzania starts to pay off as the pay TV service has reached slightly over 34,000 subscribers in less than 3 months, confirmed Efe Atiyio, Director…
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Events
April 5 – 10, 2014NAB ShowVenue: Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.NAB Show® provides a meeting for creative inspiration and next-generation technologies to assist audio and video executives…
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People
Koos Bekker steps down as Naspers CEOEnd of an era as the Naspers boss steps down as CEO of the company he has led since 1997.Naspers CEO Koos Bekker (image:…
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Opportunities
67th Cannes International Film Festival attendance - call for applications14 February 2014: The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) invites filmmakers who will be participating at and are attending the…
