Broadcast, Film and Convergence in Africa - Issue no. 261 – 21st April 2017
Top Story
Togo’s Yobo Studios pioneers short-format series content for broadcast and online
21 April 2017
If you’re a regular visitor to Discop Africa, you may have noticed her. Or maybe you know 'Zem', her mini-TV series that was a hit in Africa and with the african diaspora. Half Togolese on her father’s side and half from Guadeloupe on her mother’s side, Angela Aquereburu Rabatel founded the company YoBo Studios with her partner Jean-Luc Rabatel in 2009. She explains her career and describes her productions to Sylvain Béletre. Based in Lomé, Togo, YoBo Studios is an audiovisual production company...
Broadcast
Cannes: Directors’ Fortnight Lineup Includes Rungano Nyoni’s Feature Debut, ‘I Am Not a Witch’
21 April 2017
Included in the line-up of the Directors’ Fortnight (French: Quinzaine des Réalisateurs) section held in parallel to the Cannes Film Festival – is “I Am Not a Witch,” the debut…
Broadcast
Dora's Peace scores big in Boston but is 'still trying to win SA's love'
21 April 2017
South African film Dora's Peace walked away with two awards at the prestigious Boston International Film Festival this past weekend but its cast and director maintain that it has…
Broadcast
Major honour in Europe for South African short film
21 April 2017
South African short film “The Suit”, written and directed by Jarryd Coetsee, and based on the celebrated short story by Can Themba, will be shown to audiences in Paris, Brussels,…
Broadcast
Annecy Bows African Animation Contest With AAN and Discop
21 April 2017
Africa’s burgeoning animation scene got a boost this week with the announcement of an ambitious new partnership that will pair rising talents from across the continent with one of the…
Broadcast
M-Net wins big at Saftas 2017
21 April 2017
Johannesburg - M-Net’s local content investment strategy paid off when its channels collectively won 36 Golden Horns, scooping some of the biggest awards - Most Popular Soap, Best Soap, Best…
Broadcast
Rwanda: Mashariki Film Festival Awards Best Filmmakers
21 April 2017
Of the six, two were Rwandans. Emmanuel Harris Munezero’s short film, It Works, scooped the accolade for Best Short Fiction Film, while Habib Kanobana’s film, Football For Peace scooped the…
Content
Zee channels added to TNTSAT, DStv in Africa
21 April 2017
Indian broadcaster Zee Entertainment Enterprises (ZEE) has launched two channels on Mali’s TNTSAT and another on sub-Saharan pay-TV platform DStv as part of its African expansion. The French-dubbed general entertainment…
Content
SECOND SERIES OF MARRIED AT FIRST SIGHT SOUTH AFRICA GETS GO-AHEAD
21 April 2017
A second season of Married at First Sight South Africa has been greenlit and will go into production shortly. As with the first series - the new season will be…
Content
Al Jazeera highlight: TechKnow - The Science of Water Sustainability
21 April 2017
In The Science of Water Sustainability, TechKnow explores three solutions for water scarcity that don't involve waiting for rain: fog-catching nets, intelligent watering and washing machines that use 80% less…
Content
ALTV launches hit prank show from the streets of Cairo
21 April 2017
Hit show ‘Khod Aqolak’ extends ALTV’s presence as the fastest growing digital platform for current entertainment across the Middle East and North Africa Cairo, Egypt, 18th April 2017: ALTV, one…
Content
Piracy could cost content owners $2.3TN by 2022
21 April 2017
The global economic value of counterfeiting and video piracy could reach $2.3 trillion (€2.15tn) by 2022, new research has shown. The report from Frontier Economics – dubbed Economic Impacts of…
Distribution
StarTimes unveils Igbo channel, Isi Mbido
21 April 2017
Pay TV network, StarTimes has further enriched digital TV viewing and family entertainment in Nigeria with the launch of a new lifestyle Igbo channel, Isi Mbido. The new channel, which…
Distribution
SuperSport extends with the Premier League
21 April 2017
SuperSport has renewed its broadcast agreement with the Premier League for a further five years. The South African-based pay-TV network will once again broadcast English soccer’s top tier live in…
Distribution
Fremantle Media International inks major deal with Econet Media for 300 hours of content
21 April 2017
Fremantle Media International (FMI) has signed a deal with Econet Media’s Pay-TV broadcasting network Kwesé TV that will give its viewers across Africa access to more than 300 hours of…
Technology & Convergence
Progress on TV white-spaces spectrum in SA
21 April 2017
South Africa has taken a big step forward towards making television white-spaces spectrum available, a move that could help deliver affordable access to underserviced parts of the country. TV white-spaces…
Technology & Convergence
Multichoice Ghana warns of illegal decoders from Nigeria
21 April 2017
Multichoice Ghana operator of pay TV service DStv in Ghana warns the public of the sale of illegal DStv decoders purportedly sourced from Nigeria on sale in Ghana. According to…
Regulation & Policy
SABC to put an end to 90 per cent local
21 April 2017
The SABC is set to scrap the 90 per cent local content broadcasting decree, introduced in July 2016, that has drained the SABCs coffers, disrupted its income streams and ad…
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Opportunities
21 April 2017
Tanzania: ZIFF Introduces Film Schools Programme As part of its continued support for film education, the Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF) announced its inaugural Film School category and competition. That…
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Events
21 April 2017
This event section provides a selection of major events in the audiovisual sector related to Africa and black culture: conferences, seminars, film festivals, trade shows. To advertise your event on this…