Issue no 32 26 June 2008
Top Story
African Pay TV waiting for its pre-pay breakthrough moment
Once mobile phones were the playthings of the African elite with a few hundred thousand post-paid subscribers who paid (or quite often did not pay) their monthly bills. Then mobile companies introduced pre-paid options where users paid when they wanted and for as much time as they could afford. Because of this “pay-as-you-go” approach mobile phones are now in the hands of millions and the rest is history. African Pay-TV needs a similar “pay-per-view” breakthrough moment and Russell Southwood argues that one element could be M-money payment systems. Before the advent of competition in the Anglophone Pay-TV market, subscribers might…
Content
Four BBC Worldwide channels for DStv
BBC Worldwide Channels, in partnership with MultiChoice Africa, has said that it will launch four new channels - BBC Entertainment, BBC Lifestyle, BBC Knowledge and BBC CBeebies - from 1…
Content
MTV rolls out 24-hour Nickelodeon for sub-Saharan Africa
MultiChoice Africa has signed a multi-year distribution deal with MTV Networks International to carry leading kids' entertainment brand, Nickelodeon, in southern Africa. Starting 1 July 2008, Nickelodeon will launch as…
Content
Africa: Imagine Afrika II Kicks Off
The second series of the Imagine Afrika reality programme kicked off on ZBC Television on Saturday with a look at how the top Zimbabwean candidates for the programme were selected.…
Content
SABC signs content agreement with Disney-ABC
Renewing a successful TV partnership in South Africa, Disney-ABC International Television and the public broadcaster, SABC, have signed an agreement for a wide range of content. The deal includes live-action…
Content
Content In Brief
- Cape Town-based Steps International has been listed in Realscreen’s Global Top 100 Production Companies working in non-fiction. - A 48-minute documentary by Johannesburg-based television production company Chedza Media entitled…
Content
South Africa: Supersport, UEFA Renew Pay-TV Rights
SuperSport, announced Thursday, 19 June 2008 that it had signed a deal for the exclusive pay-TV rights in sub-Saharan Africa for the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup from 2009…
Content
Ghana: OMP Secure Exclusive Euro 2008 Finals Rights for Metro TV
In response to the outcry of viewers who have come to associate Optimum Media Prime(OMP) and Metro TV with the broadcast of all top quality sporting action on TV, OMP…
Content
Seven Sins Broadcasting Rights for Mozambique
The telenovela Seven Sins. launched this year by the Brazilian distributor, Globo TV International, has been sold to 13 countries, including Mozambique, and is still being negotiated in other markets.…
Content
Kenya: KBC to Test Live House TV Broadcasts
Parliamentary proceedings will be covered live on television by the State-run Kenya Broadcasting Corporation from next week. Speaker Kenneth Marende reminded members that the State broadcaster had been covering them…
Content
Broadcast In Brief
- A group of filmmakers and artists from the UK have created a film company in Cameroon called "Zoomers Pictures”. The aim of the film company, according to the group,…
Distribution
Feature films to find distributors through YouTube
As from 23 June, video sharing website YouTube will present full length independent films. The aim is to showcase films that have been unable to find distributors. YouTube has sourced…
Distribution
South Africa: Dstv's launches Web Channel as “catch-up service”
Nearly a year after its launch, DStv on Demand remains the only web TV offering geared specifically for local South African audiences, despite increasing customisation of TV services overseas. Elsewhere…
Distribution
Distribution In Brief
- International download TV company JumpTV is no longer focusing on African programming.
Investment
Nigeria: Kano TV Gets Funds worth N250m for Transmitter
Kano State governor, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau has commissioned a N250 million transmitter to boost coverage of the state by the television station, CTV 67. The governor who also unveiled a…
Investment
AdMob invests in South African presence
Global mobile advertising network has entered the South African market with the intention of capitalising on the opportunity presented by the very active local base of mobile Internet users. South…
Investment
Investment In Brief
- Wassa Janneh, a native of Brikama Town, resident in the United States, recently donated some radio equipments, worth over D25,000, to Yiriwa Development Radio Station, situated in Brikama. -The…
Regulation & Policy
South Africa: Policy Delays 'Threaten Digital TV'
Broadcasters and members of Parliament's communications committee united on 17 June 2008 in criticising the government's delay in releasing its digital migration policy as a serious hindrance to undertaking the…
Regulation & Policy
Malawi: Radio Station claims harassment by regulator MACRA
The Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) has summoned Joy Radio Limited, owned by former President Bakili Muluzi, and the state broadcasters Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) and Television Malawi (TVM) for…
Regulation & Policy
Regulation & Policy In Brief
- A local Indian lifestyle programme has been pulled off the air from a popular television channel in South Africa for not meeting broadcasting standards.The programme was withdrawn from its…
Technology & Convergence
Nigeria: 2012 Digitisation - Country to Meet Deadline - NBC
Nigeria has the capacity to meet the 2012 deadline for the switchover from analog to digital television , the Acting Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Engineer Yomi Bolarinwa,…
Technology & Convergence
Fugitive goes digital
June 2008 marked the fourth season of 94.7 Highveld Stereo's popular Fugitive promotion which, for the first time ever, had extensive reach across various digital platforms. A highly interactive, listener-driven…
More
Technology & Convergence In Brief
- Public broadcaster SABC’s Radio Broadcast Facilities (RBF) has launched the digital revitalisation of the RadioPark Foyer in preparation for South Africa’s digital migration.The revamped Foyer houses the studios for…
