Broadcast, Film and Convergence in Africa Issue no 225 - 6 November 2015
Top Story
DISCOP hosts 2,200 registered attendees at its 2015 edition with major announcements – Round-up of news
By Sylvain Béletre and Russell Southwood - Balancing Act, Nov. 2015. Africa’s TV buyers and sellers market DISCOP added an extra floor of exhibition space and by day 2 had registered 2,200 attendees. In this report written at the end of two of the three days, Russell Southwood seeks to round up the news and developments he saw and heard. In the opening session of the DISCOP conference, Christine Service, SVP and Country Manager, The Walt Disney Corporation Africa outlined several things the company was doing that supported the local film and TV industry. She pointed…
Broadcast
Pan-Africa Studio Restless Global taps artists to create a stunning image
PanAfrican studio Restless Global (DISCOP Africa stand E9+10) took the corporate brochure game to a new level by tapping Olalekan Jeyifous, a Nigerian-born, Brooklyn-based freelance illustrator and visual artist to…
Broadcast
"Crime Fighters": DW's new audio crime thriller for young Africans
Four young detective teams are the protagonists of "Crime Fighters." DW's gripping new series of radio dramas tackles challenges and perils faced by African youths. The plays address listeners in…
Broadcast
Gauteng Launches Local TV Station
A new Gauteng TV channel debuted on MultiChoice’s DStv satellite pay-TV platform this October. GauTV made its debut on DStv on 19 October this year. The channel is based in…
Content
New Al Jazeera documentary highlights the effects of climate change in Kenya
Kisilu: The Climate Diaries is an upcoming Al Jazeera documentary about how climate change is affecting a small farming family in Mutomo, Kenya. Over the last four years, Kisilu Musya,…
Content
Wavescape Film Festival Announces Official Selections for 2015
A record 10 African premieres of surfing and adventure films will be screened in Cape Town this December as part of the Wavescape Festival from 23 November to 13 December…
Content
Mo Abudu’s Ebony TV grabs rights to air CBS’s Melrose Place and Dynasty
Mo Abudu’s EbonyLife TV has obtained the rights to air 2 new television series. Photo: Filed Ebony Life TV has landed the rights to air two CBS produced award winning…
Content
New Afrikaans film set to release in early 2016
As the producers, writers and actors of the feature film, Pad na jou Hart, Ivan Botha and Donnalee Roberts have combined their strengths again – and their new offering, the…
Content
MacDuff Moves To Focus On Content With A Difference
After the repeated success of Daves pet projects', the company that previously focused on local commercials and international film facilitation has shifted to producing inspiring online stories that are highly…
Content
Media24 launches new exciting Afrikaans lifestyle channel
Media24 is launching a brand-new Afrikaans entertainment lifestyle channel, VIA, on DStv channel 147 on Monday, 9 November 2015 at 4pm. It’s the first channel that has an exclusive focus…
Content
Trace Sport Stars honoured at Eutelsat TV Awards
TRACE Sport Stars won the award for best TV channel in the "Lifestyle" category at the Eutelsat TV Awards held on Friday 30th October in Rome. The award was presented…
Content
South African Film Tells The Story Of A Police Officer Seeking Revenge After Her Girlfriend’s Rape And Murder
Xolelwa ‘Ollie’ Nhlabatsi’s Lost In The World tells the story of a South African police officer seeking revenge after her longtime girlfriend is violently raped and murdered. The cop, played…
Distribution
BBC World Service launches African digital pilot
BBC Minute Catch-upBBC World Service has launched a prototype media player aimed at reaching young Africans through social and digital media. Optimised for smartphones, BBC Minute CatchUP was designed by…
Distribution
IRoko Launches Global Distribution and Licensing Division
Having conquered the African VOD market and grown into the world’s largest online distribution of African content, iRoko announces its latest venture Nov. 5 with the launch of its global…
Distribution
Multichoice Africa Refreshes BET Channel Offerings
MultiChoice Africa has announced that from 1 December 2015, general entertainment channel, BET, will launch on DStv Compact Plus and Compact bouquets. DStv Compact Plus and Compact subscribers will now…
Distribution
Buni.tv available on ten new partner platforms
As competition in the African VOD space continues to intensify, Buni.tv has announced that it will now become available on more than ten new partner platforms across Africa, the US…
Distribution
Africa Magic Go, Going, Gone
Africa Magic Go, an online VOD (Video-On-Demand) service, started just over a year ago, sent a message out to their subscribers that after November 30th, they will be shutting down…
Technology & Convergence
StarTimes to launch novelty projection television in Africa
StarTimes will soon introduce a digital projection television (TV) device that enables television viewing on walls with the aid of a handy projector. Television fans all across African countries including…
Technology & Convergence
Hola Media seeks licence to launch FTA, IPTV and VOD services in South Africa
Liquid Telecom, the pan-African fibre telecommunications firm controlled by Strive Masiyiwa’s Econet Group partnered with Lincoln and Noli Mboweni to launch a new Internet protocol television (IPTV), video-on-demand (VOD) and…
Technology & Convergence
Uganda set for full implementation of digital TV
The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) said 17 upcountry satellite stations have been completed and handed over to Signet to fully implement the digital migration of regions outside Kampala Metropolitan. Signet…
Regulation & Policy
South Africa to investigate digital STB tender
South Africa’s government has started an investigation into the digital set-top box market, the Department of Communications said. Replying to questions from a member in the National Council of Provinces…
Investment
Blue Ice launches largest South African production company
Media and entertainment company Blue Ice Group announced that it has bought a controlling stake in leading South African production company Film Afrika, and has merged this acquisition with its…
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Opportuntites
2016 Africa Movie Academy Awards calls for entries Having recently wrapped up the activities marking the 11th anniversary of the Africa Movie Academy Awards, the organisers of the continental awards…
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Events
17 – 19 November 2015AfricaCom / AfricaCast / TV Connect Africa 2015The largest annual meeting of ICT, telecoms and broadcast professionals for Africa. A 'must attend'. AfricaCom welcomes the re-launch…
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People
Fox hires Bekker replacement for Africa Fox International Channels has recruited Ratna Siriah as general manager of its operations in Africa, filling a role vacated by Hannelie Bekker. Siriah joins…
