Issue no 94 7 December 2010
Top Story
TV5 Monde Afrique to set up a second satellite signal and terrestrial signals in Togo and Ghana for 2011
“TV5 Monde Afrique” is one of the leading pan-African TV network in particular across francophone Africa. TV5 Monde transmits to 210 million households globally on a weekly basis. 22 million of these households are on the African continent. Denise Epoté, Director de TV5 Monde Afrique talked to Sylvain Beletre about its plans for 2011. “TV5 Monde will set up a second satellite signal in East Africa set on Jo’burg’s time to suit local watching time. Right now, TV5 Monde only broadcasts a single satellite signal in Africa, set up on Dakar time (TU0)” said Denise. The global television network, providing…
Broadcast
MultiChoice sees off TopTV threat for now
MultiChoice added more than 360,000 new subscribers in South Africa in the six months to 30 September, handily beating its new rival On Digital Media, which launched TopTV in May.Interim…
Broadcast
DStv Mobile on Cellphones, PC’s and Tablets
On 23 November 2010, MultiChoice South Africa announced the launch of its Mobile TV broadcasting service, DStv Mobile, available as from 1 Dec. 2010. “We are excited to bring broadcast…
Broadcast
AfriqueCanada.TV: portrait of a new WebTV focused on Africa
With the steady arrival of broadband internet capacity on both African coasts, internet use is due to explode over the next ten years in Africa. There is already a phenomenally…
Broadcast
Broadcast New: In Brief
- Nollywood Movies (or Nollywood as it appears on the EPG) is a subscription movie television channel, broadcast in the United Kingdom on the Sky platform. Each month the channel…
Broadcast
Abu Dhabi group, BSkyB to launch Arabic channel
A new Arabic news channel is to broadcast free-to-air across the MENA region under the Sky News brand. Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Chairman of ADMIC and the new joint venture,…
Content
African cinema has adopted a self-financing strategy
The share of African films represents only 3% of the total film market on the African continent, while American films represent 70%. Countries such as Morocco and Nigeria are developing…
Content
Africa: Continent's Media Growing, But Where's the Funding?
According to the McKinsey report, media in Africa is among the fastest growing industries, compared to those of many in the OECD countries. But, despite this growth, experts believe the…
Content
Nollywood’s New Wave
It all started in 1992, when Kenneth Nnebue, an electronics dealer in Lagos, Nigeria, needed to unload a shipment of blank VHS cassettes. He figured the tapes would be easier…
Content
Nollywood’s New Wave
It all started in 1992, when Kenneth Nnebue, an electronics dealer in Lagos, Nigeria, needed to unload a shipment of blank VHS cassettes. He figured the tapes would be easier…
Content
Nollywood releases ‘Champions of our Time’
Having won several awards, two out of which it was pronounced the best film of the year; Zafaa International Film Festival and Abuja International Film Festival, ‘Champions of our Time’…
Content
Content New - In Brief
- From 30 November to 9 December 2010, Cairo, Egypt welcomes the 34th Cairo International Film Festival. This years’ topic is “Egypt in the eyes of the world cinemas”. More…
Content
SA: Skills, budget hurt SABC digital TV
Paul Vecchiatto, an ITWeb Cape Town correspondent wrote on 24 Nov 2010:The SA Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) is keeping the digital TV test signal going, but is not expanding the coverage,…
Distribution
Cinema tour in Senegal, on a boat
November 30, 2010, Telegramme.com reported that two French nationals - Pauline and Yann – went by boat to project African films to Africans, and made a film out of it!Under…
Distribution
Distribution News: In Brief
- Augusta Okon (in ArticlesBase SC #2197492) reported that “the Nollywood marketers who also double as financiers are of the view that sale of movies had declined in recent times…
Distribution
MultiChoice, MWeb eye triple-play services
MultiChoice may launch a bundle of uncapped broadband, pay TV, and even voice telephony to South African consumers. It’s working with sister company MWeb to determine whether there’s a market…
Distribution
Kenya: Fight for Pay Television Market Down to the Wire
Competition in the Pay-TV market is getting stiffer with entry of new players breaking the price barriers that have hindered mass consumers from accessing premium programming.Coming from a regime of…
Distribution
Distribution News: In Brief
- As Algeria is investing to switch to digital TV by 2015, it is also working on making radio digital by the start of 2011. This is according to Tawfik…
Technology & Convergence
South Africa: Neotel opens data centre with video priority
Neotel will launch a virtual service environment in its data centre, with a view to providing full cloud offerings later, says executive head of technology Angus Hay.Neotel has opened a…
Technology & Convergence
True mobile TV arrives in South Africa
The DVB-H mobile TV technology is not to be confused with the recently launched DStv Mobile streaming service that utilises the mobile operators' 3G networks.Only two months after being awarded…
Technology & Convergence
Technology & Convergence News: In Brief
- Toshiba will release "Power TV", small TV sets dedicated to areas where there are power cuts. The TV sets will have a built-in battery allowing 2 hours’ autonomy, ideal…
Regulation & Policy
Côte d'Ivoire: Broadcasting regulator suspends local transmission of international news stations
Reporters Without Borders reported on 3 December 2010 that the National Broadcasting Council (CNCA) has suspended local retransmission of all international radio and TV news stations amid continuing turmoil over…
Regulation & Policy
Namibia: Swakop residents condemn NBC
The Swakopmund Residents' Association (SRA) has strongly objected to the NBC's "inability to offer independent media coverage" to all political parties, organisations and associations participating in the regional and local…
Regulation & Policy
Regulation & Policy News: In Brief
- In Zimbabwe, Reporters Without Borders has learned that police in rural areas have for some time been confiscating shortwave radio sets from people caught listening to programmes made by…
Regulation & Policy
South Africa: Neotel opens data centre with video priority
Neotel will launch a virtual service environment in its data centre, with a view to providing full cloud offerings later, says executive head of technology Angus Hay.Neotel has opened a…
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People
Oscar-winning screenwriter, actor, director and now Africa advocate Ben Affleck wants to make a movie about the troubled eastern Democratic Republic of Congo but has found no Hollywood taker yet.…
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Opportunities
Starafrica.com, Orange’s information portal on Africa has set up a competition whereby Africans can win Euros 2000 in the production of a press report. This includes an audiovisual journalistic report.…
