Issue no 26 4 April 2008
Top Story
CNBC extends its reach across the continent with terrestrial and non-terrestrial deals
This week CNBC Africa launched its new-look schedule to include cluster-style programmes aimed at seamlessly integrating Africa-focused content with CNBC's international offering, as well as a breakfast show 'with a difference'. Launched just nine months ago, CNBC Africa’s COO Gary Alfonso talked to Russell Southwood about progress so far. Q: Who’s behind CNBC Africa? The station was launched on 1 June 2007 through an investment vehicle with 70% backing from Dubai-based investors and 30% from IDL. The Dubai-based investors had already successfully launched CNBC franchises in Dubai, India and Pakistan. What CNBC and ABN did was to bring rights to…
Content
African Winner of the 2008 Tiburon International Film Festival
The Tiburon International Film Festival awarded Best Film to The Yellow House, directed by Amor Hakkar ofAlgeria. In the arid landscape of Algeria's Aurès mountains, Mouloud and Fatima are farmers…
Content
Africa: ESPN to Screen Black Magic
Sports channel ESPN will this week screen 'Black Magic', a film narrated by Academy Award nominee actor Samuel L. Jackson, jazz great Wynton Marsalis and NBA basketball star Chris Paul.…
Content
Cameroon: Journalist Produces Documentary On Marie Lumiere
Michelle Laure Pela, a journalist, has produced a 1 hour 2minute documentary titled: "Marie Prophetess de Lumiere." The documentary, which was presented to the press at the Goethe Institute in…
Content
Nigeria: Green World Accuses AIT of Rights' Infringement
As Nigeria continues to celebrate the U-23 Olympic ticket, a battle of authority is about to be witnessed by Nigerians over the rightful owner of the broadcast rights of the…
Content
Content In Brief
Byron Bay Film Festival in Australia opened its annual festival to international submissions this year and announced South African feature film Heartlines among competition winners on Saturday March 8th 2008…
Content
Kenya: 10.7 Million Homes Own TV Or Radio
At least 10.7 million Kenyan homes have access to either a radio or television set. According to a research whose findings were released Tuesday, 7.5 million homes possess radios while…
Content
Nigeria: Lack of Funds Stalls FRCN FM Projects
Inadequate fund has grounded the 32 FM radio stations initiated by the FRCN nationwide in 2000. The stations were conceived by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, to cater for the states…
Content
Uganda: Vision to Start Luganda FM Radio
Vision Group is to launch a new radio station to broadcast in Luganda, the chief executive, Robert Kabushenga, announced on Friday. Based at the company headquarters in Industrial Area in…
Content
DRC: Rural Women Launch Their Radio to Improve Welfare
A group of rural women in DRC’s South Kivu has launched a community radio station to promote the welfare of women and girls. Radio Babusa FM first hit the air…
Content
Broadcast In Brief
- Even after receiving petitions from disappointed and unhappy listeners crying foul over the decision by the management of Radio 2000 to change the station's music format and rebrand it,…
Distribution
Africa: Cash-strapped WorldSpace considering sale & leaseback
Cash-strapped satellite radio broadcaster is about to have its annual accounts “qualified” by auditors Grant Thornton, “expressing doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern based on…
Distribution
South Africa: M-Net's Power-Cut Solution is a special prime-time repeats channel
To ensure that sporadic load shedding and power cuts do not hinder viewers from enjoying all their favourite television shows, pay-television operator M-Net is now rebroadcasting its prime-time series on…
Distribution
Distribution In Brief
- Cote d’Ivoire’s La Maison de la presse has received US$50,000 dollars from the Open Society Initiative for West Africa to carry out capacity building with community radio stations.
Technology & Convergence
South Africa: Stream Your Favourite SA Radio Station Live
Relying only on two new media tools, viral marketing and blog posts, to inform the masses about AmaRadio, South African developer Gary James says his free online live radio streaming…
Technology & Convergence
Rwanda: Campaign to Switch From Analogue to Digital Broadcasting Advancing
Rwanda like most countries in the world has stepped up the campaign to move from analogue to digital broadcasting. To fast track the switch to digital, a guidance document titled…
Regulation & Policy
UN Expert Says Media's Rights Being Violated By All in Conflict
The East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Network (EHAHRD/Net) and the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) welcomed a report by Dr Ghanim Alnajjar, the UN Independent Expert…
Regulation & Policy
Zimbabwe: Country Bars South African TV Station From Polls
The Zimbabwean government banned South African private television station e-tv from covering last week’'s general elections. According to a statement from the government, e-tv, South Africa's only commercial terrestrial station,…
Regulation & Policy
Regulation & Policy In Brief
- Police in the Senegalese capital of Dakar assaulted a reporter who was covering a violent anti-government protest on Sunday, according to local journalists and news reports. They later raided…
Investment
South Africa: Telkom ditches its big Pay-TV Plan and goes back to telecoms
Telkom stock fell earlier this week after the company said it was slashing its proposed investment in a pay-TV division and rejecting an investment proposition by Saudi operator Oger Telecoms.…
Investment
South Africa: State Gets Behind Local TV and Film Industry with tax incentives package
The trade and industry department has announced a production incentive for the film and television industry, to boost the generation of local content and improve location competitiveness for foreign film…
Investment
Investment In Brief
- Mauritius media group La Sentinel (owners of l’Express) are investing in newspapers and radio stations in Madagascar.
More
Technology & Convergence In Brief
- Mobile TV has come to Mauritius. The Island’s second largest mobile operator Emtel (a joint venture with Millicom) is now offering 10 TV channels (3 local and 7 from…
