Issue no. 199 12 March 2015
Top Story
Vice’s African News Coverage offers different ways of explaining things and reaches the digital-savvy younger audience
Vice is an international multimedia brand with assets in print (which it started out with), TV and online. It should be interesting to African broadcasters for two reasons. Firstly, it does news coverage that connects with young people, the demographic who are beginning to slip away from African broadcasters. Secondly, it covers news in general differently but also specifically news about Africa. Russell Southwood spoke to Vice Media’s Managing Editor Ryan Grim and Senior Editor and on-screen reporter Benjamin Shapiro at DISCOP Istanbul 2015. The constant refrain about coverage of Africa is that it doesn’t really show what’s happening on…
Broadcast
Conax a driver for Africa's pay-TV expansion with strong regional track record in secure digital migration - robust operator roadmap to ensure future-oriented business
Conax, part of the Kudelski Group and provider of total service protection for pay-TV service providers, content owners and entertainment services, today announced its continued commitment to furthering African pay-TV…
Broadcast
German video-on-demand launches in South Africa
ProSiebenSat.1 Welt has announced the launch of a video-on-demand mobile app and website that allows German expats based in South Africa and 15 other countries to view German produced shows…
Broadcast
M-Net swops Series for the City
M-Net is finally dropping the "M-Net Series" brand name after 17 years, renaming and rebranding the last remaining M-Net Series Zone (DStv 115) channel as the "new" M-Net City. by…
Broadcast
Idris Elba Documentary ‘Mandela, My Dad and Me’ To Premiere In April
Idris-ElbaA forthcoming documentary will center on Idris Elba‘s preparation for the part of Nelson Mandela, the South African music project that resulted, and the British actor’s relationship with his late…
Content
CAK orders local producers to allocate 60% to local content
Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) has ordered local producers to increase local content on television from the current 40 percent to 60 percent in a move to promote local talent…
Content
Localised BET channel to feature on DStv Premium
Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN) Africa is partnering with MultiChoice to launch a new localised BET channel on DStv Premium in South Africa. Designed to reflect, respect, and elevate the…
Content
October 1 and The Meeting gets honored at the Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards
Kunle Afolayan’s October 1 and Mildred Okwo’s The Meeting, emerged the biggest winners of the night, as the 2015 edition of the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards took place on…
Content
Thomas Sankara's spirit shines at Burkina Faso film festival
Fespaco, Africa’s largest film festival, breathed politics but suffered from a lack of funding in the fragile aftermath of the country’s revolution, reports Oris AigbokhaevboloFor years the African continent’s most…
Content
French-Moroccan filmmaker takes top prize at FESPACO
Fievres movie posterHicham Ayouch, a French-Moroccan filmmaker, won the Palme d'Ouagadougou prize for his film Fievres at the Pan-African Film Festival of Ouagadougou (FESPACO) on 7 March. FESPACO is held…
Distribution
Top British Series including Downton Abbey coming to Vidi in April
Downton Abbey - the award-winning and critically acclaimed British period drama which has become one of the most widely watched television drama shows in the world – is coming to…
Distribution
Scatzy bags top SA movies, TV shows for US and worldwide VoD
Scatzy.com has announced that they have bagged the top SA theatrical titles for release on their US and worldwide platforms aimed at the South African diaspora. Titles include "Semi-Soet", "Liefling",…
Distribution
PCCW embarks on strategic expansion of OTT video business Joining forces with Vuclip, a leading mobile video service provider for emerging markets
In line with PCCW’s group strategy to address opportunities in the increasingly digital world as consumers embrace digital lifestyle, PCCW Media has entered into an agreement to acquire a controlling…
Distribution
Azam Media Scales up Capacity with Eutelsat to Expand African Pay-TV Offer
Azam Media, owned by Tanzanian conglomerate Bakhresa Group, is ramping up satellite capacity through a new transponder leased on the powerful EUTELSAT 7B satellite. Complementing capacity used on the copositioned…
Distribution
Now KBC directed to hand over Signet
The Kenya Broadcasting Corporation has been directed to relinquish to the National Treasury its shareholding in digital signal distributor Signet.The management of the national broadcaster, which at 99 per cent…
Distribution
Now KBC directed to hand over Signet
The Kenya Broadcasting Corporation has been directed to relinquish to the National Treasury its shareholding in digital signal distributor Signet.The management of the national broadcaster, which at 99 per cent…
Distribution
New satellite for Middle East and North Africa broadcast markets to host new advanced features
Dubai Paris, 9 March 2015 – The EUTELSAT 8 West B satellite of Eutelsat Communications (NYSE Euronext Paris: ETL) is in the final stretch of manufacturing and on track for…
Distribution
Distribution – In Brief
MultiChoice and AMC Networks International Zone (AMCNI Zone) have entered into a distribution deal. As a result, MultiChoice will add a Latin American telenovela TV channel, Eva, to its DStv…
Investment
Naspers plans to boost Nigeria TV offer
Naspers, Africa’s largest company by market value, plans to use new products and services to attract more customers to its $58-a-month television offering in Nigeria as a weaker naira increases…
Regulation & Policy
South Africa: Cabinet approves STB access control
The digital migration amendment policy, advocating STB access control, has been approved by Cabinet.The digital migration amendment policy, advocating STB access control, has been approved by Cabinet.The digital migration amendment…
Technology & Convergence
Deadline for the switchover from analogue to digital broadcasting in the UHF Band remains 17 June 2015
Despite stories appearing in the Kenyan press to the contrary, the deadline for the switchover from analogue to digital broadcasting in the UHF Band remains 17 June 2015, and this…
Technology & Convergence
South Africa will not meet digital TV deadline
South Africa’s Department of Communications has confirmed that the country will not meet the allotted deadline for the switch-off of analogue television signals.The primary objective of digital migration in South…
Technology & Convergence
Digital migration delay worries Ghana's operators
The Ghanaian government's inability to meet the set deadline for the migration from analogue to Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) is proving a costly setback for telecommunication companies hoping to bank…
Technology & Convergence
Kenya: CA given authority to invade NMG, Standard and RMS transmitters in Menengai
The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) has obtained court orders allowing its agents to switch off upcountry analogue transmissions by three television broadcasters it has been battling in a contentious…
More
Events
17 au 22 March 2015Le Festival de films africains de Luxor (LAFF) Egypt.24-25 March 2015Digital Broadcasting Industry Summit in West AfricaAbudja, Nigeria - The Sheraton Hotel & Towers in AbujaOrganiser…
People
Ojuju director wins at AMVCA
Up-and-coming Ojuju director C.J. Fiery Obasi received the Trailblazer Award at the Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards (AMVCA) 2015, which took place on 7 March in Lagos, Nigeria. The award…
Opportunities
Slum Film Festival call for entries
Slum Film Festival logoThe annual Slum Film Festival (SFF), which runs from 23 to 29 August in Kibera and Mathare in Kenya, is a platform featuring stories by filmmakers from…
