Broadcast, Film and Convergence in Africa - Issue no. 222 - 25 September 2015
Top Story
Trace unveils ambitious and innovative plans for 2015/2016
At a press conference held in Paris in early September 2015, Olivier Laouchez, CEO and co-founder of the TRACE group, unveiled the group's strategy and announced the launch of new products, content and services. TRACE is an entertainment brand that’s now present in 160 countries and specializes in what it calls “urban entertainment”. It’s taken its traditional media channels in pay TV and FM radio and added mobile services and VoD, making it a multi-platform operator. Born in the streets and ghettos, urban culture has become mainstream and dominates many parts of the the global entertainment industry. Launched in 2003,…
Broadcast
MultiChoice announces the removal of ONE GOSPEL Channel on DStv and GOtv platforms
MultiChoice Africa regrets to announce that from Wednesday, 30 September 2015 at 10:59pm, One Gospel on DStv channel 331 and GOtv channel 71 will no longer be available on the…
Broadcast
Al Jazeera empowers African women in a new series hosted Femi Oke starting this Saturday
Launching this Saturday, Women Make Change is a new series on Al Jazeera showcasing women who have started impactful local projects in Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda, Brazil, Nicaragua, and Papua New…
Broadcast
The 14th Cambridge African Film Festival kicks off on Saturday 16 October with Love the One you Love
The Cambridge African Film Festival (CAFF) is proud to be celebrating its 14th edition from 16 to 24 October 2015. The longest running annual African film festival in the UK,…
Broadcast
Anti-poaching film wins international award
The Wildlife Conservation Film Festival has announced in New York that the film Horn, directed by South African filmmaker Dr Reina-Marie Loader, has won the 2015 award for Best Conservation…
Broadcast
Zimbabwe Film and Television Awards (ZFTA), hosted in collaboration with the Zimbabwe International Film Festival Trust (ZIFFT)
These awards will be held during this year's Zimbabwe International Film Festival (ZIFF) with the award ceremony being held on October 9, 2015. The Zimbabwe Film and Television Awards (ZFTA)…
Broadcast
Hot 91.9 FM to launch on DStv audio package
Hot 91.9 FM is launching on the DStv audio package (channel 922) on Thursday, 1 October 2015. Hot 91.9 FM, launched in November 2014, is a Johannesburg-based community radio station…
Broadcast
Journalists In Africa’s Newest Country Fear For Their Lives
The last time R saw his friend Peter Moi alive, they talked about how he could no longer cover politics as a journalist. It was too risky. I’m only reporting…
Content
Ernest Nkosi's Powerful Drama 'The Two of Us' Is South Africa's Best Foreign Language Film Oscar Entry
Ernest Nkosi's award-winning drama, "Thina Sobabili: The Two of Us," has been selected as the South African entry for Best Foreign Language Film Oscar consideration at the 88th Academy Awards…
Content
AfriDocs - The Supreme Price to air on 1 October
Critically-Acclaimed, Award-Winning Documentary ‘The Supreme Price’ About Women And The Pro-Democracy Movement In Nigeria To Air On 1st October – The Anniversary Of Nigeria’s Independence. The timely and powerful, critically-acclaimed,…
Content
Luister: the viral film exposing South Africa's ongoing racism problem
Almost two weeks after the documentary Luister exposed ongoing racism and discrimination at Stellenbosch University, students will march on Tuesday to submit a memorandum of demands while the university's management…
Content
MultiChoice aims to lift ad sales with viewer profile portal
MultiChoice's DStv has introduced a new media sales platform in order to boost its revenue from advertising across its African footprint. Stats 2 Go provides potential advertisers with comprehensive data…
Distribution
Vubiquity brings BBC to South Africa VOD
Vubiquity and BBC Worldwide have signed a deal to deliver content to South African video-on-demand (VOD) service MTN FrontRow. MTN FrontRow was the first OTT VOD service to be launched…
Distribution
11th All Africa Games brought to viewers by Globecast and Lagardère Sports
Paris, 24th September 2015 — Globecast, the global solutions provider for media, has announced today that it has successfully completed a major project with its customer Lagardère SPORTS to bring…
Technology & Convergence
CANAL+ Overseas partners Enensys for multi-country Africa DTT network roll-out
Rennes, France, 23rd September 2015: ENENSYS, designers and manufacturers of digital TV transmission technologies, today announced that it has been selected by CANAL+ Overseas as a key technology partner for…
Technology & Convergence
Vizrt previews instant Video-On-Demand for Studio Productions
Vizrt, a provider of production tools for the digital media industry, recently announced a new video-on-demand (VoD) workflow. It works seamlessly with existing studio workflows for highly automated publishing of…
Technology & Convergence
M-Net introduces Express to Explora
M-Net is bringing the latest international programming to viewers faster than ever before, this time for the benefit of DStv Premium customers with a DStv Explora. Instead of waiting for…
Regulation & Policy
MultiChoice under pressure
Pay-TV operator MultiChoice is feeling the pressure from local and international over-the-top (OTT) players. On top of that, the company believes the regulatory framework in SA is not protecting traditional…
Investment
Millions more switch on to MultiChoice
Cape Town - Pay-TV provider MultiChoice has increased its reach by almost four million, the National Association of Broadcasters said on Tuesday. NAB executive director Nadia Bulbulia presented these figures…
Investment
Kagiso Media heads to Ghana
KAGISO Media has acquired a 37% stake in Ghana’s Global Media Alliance Broadcasting Company for an undisclosed amount and is busy setting up a direct presence in the West African…
Investment
SABC records R395m loss in last financial year
Johannesburg - The public broadcaster South African Broadcasting Authority (SABC) recorded a R395m loss in the last financial year. During a media briefing announcing the organisation's 2014/2015 annual results, SABC…
Investment
SABC defends Motsoeneng’s R1m pay hike
There was nothing untoward about SABC chief operating officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng receiving an increase of almost R1m, the public broadcaster’s CEO, Frans Matlala, said on Wednesday. Addressing the media at…
More
Opportunities
10TH South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTAs) Deadline EXTENDED The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) and the South African Film and Television Awards Committee have extended the closing…
More
People
Fox International Channels has promoted Frank Rutten to executive vice-president, Fox Sports Europe & Africa. Rutten, who will report to Jan Koeppen, president of Fox International Channels Europe and Africa,…
More
Events
Save the Date: 26-30 October 2015KALASHA INTERNATIONAL FILM & TV FESTIVAL & MARKETNAIROBI, KENYACall for Entries & Registration now openRegistration has opened for film, TV and creative players to join…