Issue no. 180 5 June 2014
Top Story
The African marketplace is now worth half a billion US Dollars in annual TV content wholesale sales – double the figure from 2010.
According to Basic Lead, Africa’s TV content market programmes sales and advertising revenues generated by the African audiovisual industry has doubled over the past 4 years. Balancing Act’s Sylvain Béletre interviewed Patrick Jucaud-Zuchowicki, General Manager of BASIC LEAD, the organisation behind « Discop Africa » and Discopro events. Discop Africa and Discopro are to date the continent’s leading Television industry events. Discop Africa gathers 2000+ exhibiting and non-exhibiting delegates from 90 countries representing 1000+ companies driving TV content business and digital changes across and with Africa. Over 2,000 participants are expected to attend again this year. Launched in 2012, DISCOPRO is…
Broadcast
DTT in Africa: the deadline is now just over 12 months away
Balancing Act has kept track of recent DTT developments up until June 2014 as an update to its recently published market report: "DTT: Analogue to digital migration in Africa -…
Broadcast
AFRICA 24 Media celebrates African broadcasters, tour on the way
Africa24 MEDIA, the continent’s premiere Pan African international quality media production house, announces the Mohamed Amin African Media Awards (MAAMA’s), to be inaugurated in Nairobi in 2015. To get ready…
Broadcast
Oscar Pistorius TV channel a massive viewership success
MultiChoice's Oscar Pistorius Trial TV channel is a massive viewership success story for DStv, lifting ratings on the South African satellite pay-TV platform to unprecedented levels and making the channel…
Broadcast
TBN's Al Horreya Network reaching nearly 400 M in the world
Al Horreya TV, Trinity Broadcasting Network's Arabic language faith channel, continues to take hope and healing to viewers across Egypt, the Middle East, and around the world.Less than a year…
Broadcast
Broadcast - In Brief
With over 20 privately owned radio stations and migration from analogue to digital broadcasting, Rwandans have now (since early 2014) started to view local private television channels. There are currently…
Content
How (African) media could play a role in the Millennium Development Goals
With the Millennium Development Goals set to expire in 2015, the international development community is pondering what comes next.World leaders agreed upon eight goals as part of a United Nations…
Content
African films: AMAA 2014 winners
The Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) announced and celebrated its winners in Bayelsa, Nigeria in May 2014.WinnersEfere Ozako Award for Best Short Film: Dialemi (Gabon)Best Animation: Triggerfish's Khumba (South Africa)Best…
Content
Germany: African Film Festival Cologne in September 2014
The 13th edition of the African Film Festival Cologne will take place from the 18th to 28th of September 2014.The event will screen around 80 films from 25 african countries…
Content
Content - In Brief
Commercial from South Africa: Cape Town has become the star of the latest British Airways online video to promote its ever-growing fleet of new aircraft.Full story here: South Africa is…
Distribution
Alibi On TV one of the largest entertainment deals
In what looks like one of the biggest entertainment deals to have been sealed in Africa, the Chairman of Anis Guards, Isaac Fayose, has signed an agreement with an American…
Distribution
Nigeria: Star Partners DSTV to Bring Mundial to Nigerians
The beer brand has partnered DSTV to beam all the football matches of the upcoming FIFA Football Mundial in June, to TV audiences. This is to ensure that Nigerians can…
Distribution
Zimbabwe: Resolve GOtv impasse
Zimbabweans have been stunned by GOtv’s switch-off — launched amid great pomp and fanfare just over a year ago — by Multichoice Africa and Transmedia.Transmedia, on behalf of the Zimbabwe…
Distribution
Nollywood films distributed from Paris
The Nigerian Diaspora has always been the main vehicle of Nollywood’s expansion, namely in cities like London, New York and Toronto among other places. The city of Paris on the…
Distribution
Distribution - In Brief
RSA in Cannes: The curtain raised on the 67th International Cannes Film Festival on Wednesday, as thousands of filmmakers, movie-goers and journalists, together with a handful of A-list stars, head…
Technology & Convergence
Sub-Saharan Africa: digital TV base to triple by 2020
An increase of 185% in digital TV homes from 2010–2020 to 1.68 billion will see a total global penetration of 97.9% according to a report from Digital TV Research.If realised,…
Technology & Convergence
Uganda: Epic pay TV battle
Pay TV providers in Uganda are bracing themselves for a bruising battle for market share. Already, a new player, Azam Media Uganda Ltd, has entered the market with an attractive…
Technology & Convergence
Detailed YouTube Revenue Analysis
As per Balancing Act’s recent analysis, YouTube is one of the fastest growing website across Africa: the VoD portal figures within the top 5 most visited websites in each African…
Technology & Convergence
RSA: resistance over encryption system
The minister of communications, Yunis Carrim who is pushing for an encryption system of free digital TV in South Africa, is being called out for apparent blatant lies, with the…
Technology & Convergence
Technology & Convergence - In Brief
In May 2014, Franco-German Arte TV channel broadcasts an alarming documentary about recycling electronic products (computers, televisions, tablets, phones ...) that end up in Africa or Asia, where men and…
Regulation & Policy
Malawi Govt Spends K3.5 Billion for Digital Migration
Secretary for Information and Civic Education Luckie Sikwese says media in the country needs to write more stories on digital migration in order to inform the masses.He said government has…
Regulation & Policy
Zimbabwe: TV Capacity to Increase - Mandiwanzira
Government is mobilising resources to enable Transmedia Corporation to spearhead migration to digital broadcasting ahead of the International Telecommunications Union 2015 deadline for the switch, which will see Zimbabwe capacitated…
Regulation & Policy
Zambia: State Launches Digital Migration Policy
Government has launched the digital migration policy to help scale up the implementation process and ensure a people-driven migration agenda.Information and Broadcasting Services Minister, Joseph Katema also called for an…
Regulation & Policy
Regulation & Policy - In Brief
The Online News Association this month is launching its “do-it-yourself” ethics code project. It’s a mechanism to help news organizations, small startups and individual journalists and bloggers create their own…
Investment
Corporate Nigeria rallies behind AMAA 2014
Corporate Organisations in Nigeria led by the telecommunication giant, Globacom, Sterling Bank, MRS Oil & Gas and First City Monument Bank have come out to sponsor the 10th anniversary of…
Investment
Nigeria: New TV Network to Advance Catholic Faith Hits Airwaves
A new cable television network to "advance the cause of the Catholic faith in Africa, Europe and parts of Asia" is to hit the airwaves on May 22.The station, known…
Investment
Mactar Silla launches Pan-African Television in 2014
The former Director General of the Senegalese national television Mactar Silla announced in Libreville, Gabon the launch of a pan-African TV channel and a radio station emitting from Gabon.The project,…
Investment
Restless Talent Management, first global management company to focus on African talent
Restless Talent Management (RTM) announced its launch today as the first global management company to focus on African talent. At a time where actors and directors of African descent are resolutely…
Investment
Investment - In Brief
Liquid Telecom Group reveals plans to spend about US$200m in fibre cable roll out across sub-Saharan Africa in the next 18 months, its CEO Nic Rudnick announced this month. Read…
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Events
Important events in the African broadcast, film and TV sector3 June to 25 July 2014Africa in Motion (AIM) Edinburgh African Film FestivalVenue: ScotlandA large festival aimed at introducing African cinema…
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People
His Excellency President Paul Biya and First Lady Chantal Biya of Cameroon to receive the Prestigious Special NAFCA Award in HollywoodHis Excellency President Paul Biya will be receiving a Lifetime…
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Opportunities
Arab and Mediterranean film festival accepting submissions [MENA]Deadline: 6/20/14Filmmakers and documentarians from the Arab world whose feature-length projects were produced in the last five years can submit their work to…
