Issue no 22 8 February 2008
Top Story
Multichoice Africa’s CEO Eben Greyling looks to 20-30% growth over “the next couple of years”
As the long-time player in the African market, Multichoice is the largest Pay TV operator in all Anglophone markets. Last year a range of new competitors entered the market and before long there will be new competitors in South Africa. Russell Southwood spoke to Eben Greyling, CEO – Sub-Saharan Africa Pay TV, Multichoice Africa about how the new competition has affected them and what they’re planning in the coming year. Q: What do you think the impact of competition has been on the market? If you look at it from various angles, the increase in competition in the market increased…
Content
Namibia: Hundreds Audition for Local TV Drama Series
Some 500 first-time, established and would-be Namibian actors have auditioned for Namibia's first fully fledged 26-part television drama series soon to be shot on location in the capital. The series…
Content
Kenya: Vernacular Radio Blamed for Fuelling Hatred
Vernacular radio stations that air comments referring to communities as "baboons," "weeds", or "animals of the west" are being singled out as a partial cause to the ethnic bloodletting in…
Content
Kenya: Government Lifts Ban on Live Broadcasts
The Government has lifted the ban on live coverage of political events. In a statement signed by Information and Communications permanent secretary on Monday, 4 February 2008, the Government said…
Content
Uganda: Museveni Criticised Over CNN Deal
The Democratic Party (DP) has criticised President Yoweri Museveni for allegedly playing a key role in the $1million (Shs. 1.7billion) six-month deal with CNN to market Uganda as a top…
Content
Content In Brief
- SABC’s suppliers are suffering delayed payment difficulties because it has just installed SAP software for payment among other things. The most high-profile non-payment has been the delay in getting…
Content
Namibia: NBC Strike Called Off
The strike at the Namibia Broadcasting Corporation (NBC), which started on Tuesday morning, was suspended yesterday morning after the NBC management and the workers' representatives reached an agreement. The industrial…
Content
Cameroon: New Appointments Deepen Conflict At CRTV
A battle royal has commenced at the Cameroonian state broadcaster CRTV between the General Manager of the station and a number of journalists who oppose the changes he is making…
Content
Gambia: Ban On RFI Broadcasts Lifted After 10 Days
On 25 January 2008, the Gambian authorities lifted their ban on Radio France International (RFI), a French public broadcaster, transmitting on FM in Banjul. Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA)…
Content
South Africa: Icasa may shut new free broadcaster
The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) warned on Friday that it could block Free2View's satellite signal, or take other action, if the UK-based free-to-air broadcaster continued operating without…
Content
Broadcast In Brief
- African TV liberalisation is gathering pace. Botswana regulator BTA is licensing four more television stations and the Malawian regulator three new stations. Joy TV was closed down because it…
Distribution
Africa: ZTV Screens Nations Cup
Zimbabwean soccer fans from last night joined in the fun and action at the 2008 African Cup of Nations finals after the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Holdings secured the rights to beam…
Distribution
Kenya: Pay-TV Firms Plan More Content At Reduced Rates
Local Pay-Television viewers will enjoy more content at reduced prices as competition for subscribers among two players hots up. The protagonists- MultiChoice Kenya and GTV- have unveiled their game plan…
Distribution
Distribution In Brief
- Sierra Leone’s Communications Minister Alhaji Ibrahim Ben Kargbo praised the GSM providers in Sierra Leone for coming to the aid of the country's state broadcaster Sierra Leone Broadcasting Service…
Technology & Convergence
Kenya: LG Electronics launches digital TV sets
LG Electronics has launched its digital broadcasting TV set in the Kenyan market laying the foundation for the country's plan to switch to digital broadcasting. The launch comes eight months…
Technology & Convergence
South Africa: State Plan for Digital TV to Go to Cabinet
The communications department says it will give the cabinet its long-awaited proposals on the move from analogue to digital terrestrial TV by the end of March. The strategy will include…
Regulation & Policy
Egypt: Al-Jazeera Reporter Arrested By Authorities
Reporters Without Borders called on the Egyptian authorities to stop harassing reporter Howayda Taha of the pan-Arab satellite TV station Al-Jazeera, who was arrested on 28 January 2008 together with…
Regulation & Policy
Uganda: IFJ Calls On Govt to End Harassment of Journalists
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today called on Ugandan authorities to put an end to the harassment of journalists in the country after five journalists and editors of the…
Regulation & Policy
Regulation & Policy In Brief
- Ghana has its first community TV station, Cape Coast TV, covering the area of the same name. It is currently conducting test transmissions. - Mauritius MMDS Pay-TV operator is…
Investment
South Africa: Revised Film and Television Production Incentive
The Department of Trade and Industry (the dti) is pleased to announce the amendments to the film and television production incentive. The revised film production incentive, which is intended to…
Investment
Location Film and Television Production Incentive
The Location Film and Television Production Incentive will replace the Large Budget Film and Television Production Rebate, which the dti implemented in 2004. This component is only available to foreign-owned…
Investment
South African Film and Television Production and Co-Production Incentive
The South African Film and Television Production Incentive is being introduced in order to provide more financial support for locally-owned productions and co-productions. This component is available to both South…
Investment
South Africa: Cape Town backs 'film city' with R30m
The City of Cape Town is making R30-million available to restart the development of the Dreamworld Film City project, which is still hoping to turn the eastern suburbs of Cape…
Investment
Investment In Brief
- Telkom Media is going “deep-pockets” in its forthcoming battle to win a presence in the Pay TV market. According to an interview with CEO Mandla Ngcobo. Absa has given…
More
Technology & Convergence In Brief
- DStv will take delivery of four more HD Outside Broadcast (OB) vans in time for 2010. It already has the first HD OB van that was delivered in December…
