Issue no 55 29 May 2009
Top Story
Senegal : Newly liberalised private TV and radio channels winning hands-down in the battle for audiences
Africa’s francophone countries have been slow to liberalise compared to many of their anglophone counterparts but the tide may be turning as events in Senegal seem to show. Its increasingly liberalised media is winning the battle for audiences hands-down and putting very real pressure on the previously well-entrenched state broadcaster. Russell Southwood looks at the latest survey results from Adesr. Dakar will soon have 7 television stations, not including the three Pay-TV channels you can get if you can afford them or can pirate a service. In addition it has many radio stations that compete for listeners both inside and…
Content
75,000 square feet Cape Town Film Studios ready March 2010, say founders at Cannes
For some years acclaimed South African movie producer and CEO of Videovision Entertainment, Anant Singh, and Chief Executive of South Africa's private television station, e.tv, Marcel Golding, have being working…
Content
Sex in the City of Harare documentary seeks funding for post-production funding to edit 90 hours of footage
The filming of Sex In the City, Harare, which saw 14 brave men and women as well as famous Zimbabwean personalities talking about sex on camera last year, has come…
Content
Financially desperate South African Production houses take on SABC
A coalition of television workers plans to protest against the public broadcaster’s non-payment of millions of rands to independent producers which, it claims, has led to retrenchments throughout the industry.…
Content
Zimbabwe: Children's Radio Discussion Programme Launched
Orphaned and vulberable children have now got their own slot to say what they think in Zimbabwe. The programme series, entitled "Inzwi Redu/Ilizwi Lethu/Our Voice", will be aired every Thursday…
Content
Content In Brief
mourenco@unesco.org Twice a month, euronews’ new environmental programme terra viva will spotlight initiatives by individuals, non-profit and business organisations, who have adopted practical solutions to safeguard our planet. terra viva…
Content
Nigeria: Lack of TV-Friendly Pitches Our Greatest Challenge, says Nigeria Premier League
The Nigeria Premier League (NPL) said last week in Abuja that its greatest challenge in the outgoing season was lack of television-friendly pitches. Kwame Arthur, Special Assistant (Technical) to the…
Content
2010 World Cup will boost mobile TV in Africa, says FIFA
FIFA, world soccer’s governing body, predicts a cumulative global TV audience of 26.3 billion people for the 2010 World Cup, and for the first time live coverage specially produced for…
Content
Nigeria: 100% local content during evening prime time
The Nigerian Broadcasting Commission has created support for local production by putting in place a local content requirement diring evening prime time. Thanks to sections 2 and 20 of Act…
Content
MultiChoice launches Islam channel on DStv
MultiChoice is pleased to announce the launch of UK based Islam channel onto its DStv bouquets from 5 June 2009. The channel offers choice news and current affairs programmes, children…
Content
Broadcast In Brief:
- Speaking at its annual general meeting, Orange’s Chairman Didier Lombard said the group was very interested in continuing its expansion in Africa and highlighted three service areas : Triple…
Distribution
South Africa's GTS launches nationwide VOD service
South African ISP Goal Technology Solutions (GTS) has launched a nationwide on-demand IPTV service, using a solution provided by Nextvisiontv and World Media Distributors. The service is available throughout South…
Distribution
France’s RFI sets Africa as new target audience but staff cuts lead to strike over change of direction
RFI-Radio France International has been changing its audience priorities and has put Africa at the top of its list. But the organisation’s changed priorities mean job cuts and these have…
Distribution
Distribution In Brief:
- French film star Juliette Binoche and other leading lights of the silver screen are joining forces to raise funds to reopen cinemas that are vanishing across Africa. Binoche, the…
Investment
Advertising Gains Still Holding Up Well for South Africa’s E.TV
While the SABC has blamed a disastrous advertising market for R400m of its R784m loss for the year to March, its competitor, e.tv, says the TV advertising market has held…
Investment
Gauteng Film Commission beats the drum for more investment in South Africa’s film and TV industry
Jacques Stoltz, senior marketing manager at the Gauteng Film Commission, recently contributed an article to the Annual Guide to the Crocodile Ramble, one of Gauteng’s popular and well-known art and…
Investment
Regulation & Policy
Questions about Gabon President Bongo’s health leads to threat of media crackdown
No President is ever immortal but any discussion about their failing mortality makes them very nervous. Two newspapers were suspended by the Conseil National de la Communication (CNC) for discussing…
Regulation & Policy
Zimbabwe: No Movement on Media Reform Despite Government Pledges
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai on Thursday said there have been "significant improvements in media freedom in the country," during an announcement on the outstanding issues of the Global Political Agreement.…
Regulation & Policy
Regulation & Policy In Brief:
- In order to defend the interests of the professional journalists of Ivory Coast and to organize them within a federated framework a new organisation, « L'Organisation des journalistes professionnels…
Technology & Convergence
Newtec to supply DVB-S2 technology for NTT Electronics
Newtec announced tlast week that it has been selected by NTT Electronics to be the DVB-S2 technology partner for the development of the new HVD6100 IRD - the world’s first…
Technology & Convergence
Vizada trials Inmarsat’s BGAN X-Stream service for reporting with media clents
Vizada, the world’s leading provider of global satellite communications, has successfully completed testing of the Inmarsat BGAN X-Stream service with a number of media customers, including CNN and Al-Arabiya News…
More
Technology & Convergence In Brief
Need new broadcast equipment with a limited budget? http://videobrokers.com/ South African commercials for DSTV, directed by Fresh Eye Film Production Director Bevan Cullinan, have been selected as finalists at the…
More
4th Lola Kenya Screen Confirms Festival Dates, Nairobi (10-15 August 2009)
The 4th edition of the annual Lola Kenya Screen audiovisual media festival for children and youth in eastern Africa will be held at Goethe-Institut, Nairobi, Kenya, August 10-15, 2009. Established…
