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Liberia: End of civil was has changed media landscape forever

Liberia is only a few years out of civil war and only has a population of 3 million people. Yet it has a vibrant broadcast sector without any state television company. Except for a small part of the downtown area, there is no power grid. Everything is run on individual generators. It is hard to imagine a less promising soil in which the future of African media might grow but young shoots are beginning to turn into strong plants. Just back from a visit to Monrovia, Russell Southwood looks at what might be learnt from what is happening in Liberia.

In issue 03

Content

Uganda: Frenzy for Ugandan Films Grips Kampala

Zimbabwe: ZBC Strikes Off 'Talking Business'

Rwanda: PMC/UNFPA to Launch Drama Series

Uganda: New Health Show on UBC TV

Broadcast

Angola: National Television Transmission Centre Ready in December

Namibia: NBC Debt Reaches Record High of N$242 Million

Namibia: NBC Staffers Protest Working Conditions

Uganda: NTV Back On Air

Distribution

Rwanda: 43 Percent Don't Listen to Radio

ZBC Groans Under Creaky Equipment

More

Regulation & policy

Technology & convergence

Events

People

Readers responses

Opportunities

Top story

Liberia: End of civil was has changed media landscape forever

Liberia is only a few years out of civil war and only has a population of 3 million people. Yet it has a vibrant broadcast sector without any state television company. Except for a small part of the downtown area, there is no power grid. Everything is run on individual generators. It is hard to imagine a less promising soil in which the future of African media might grow but young shoots are beginning to turn into strong plants. Just back from a visit to Monrovia, Russell Southwood looks at what might be learnt from what is happening in Liberia.

Liberia’s capital Monrovia is dotted with “hole-in-the-wall” DVD outlets selling pirated films and TV series. Each costs about US$8 for between 7-10 items. The quality’s not very good but it’s “watchable”. A new release like Casino Royale will be put together with old action films from the likes of Chuck Norris or Steven Seagal.

TV series like 24 are extremely popular and command attention. Prior to the opening of a computer lab at the University of Liberia by President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, a mobile rang out with the distinctive tone of the phone ringtone in 24’s Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU). Nollywood films are also widely available, including the topically titled The Coming Election.

Pay-TV is available from the Consolidated Group, a company that combines selling TV content, running cyber-cafes and offering VSAT installations. It sells the Dstv and Multichoice service bouquets. The basic package goes for US$30 a month but installation of the required equipment costs over $300. Although numbers are hard to come by, it seems that the majority of the local market is to be found in the city’s eating houses and its small number of hotels. The company has a near monopoly on certain types of content – particularly sport – but collective viewing in bars and pirated content provide the most obvious competition.

Like most Africans, Liberians are football mad and particularly enjoy inter-African matches and UK Premiership events. Over the week of my visit, there were at least three matches that drew huge crowds, whooping and roaring, around the smallest of TVs. Interestingly, one person estimated that at least 40% of these viewers are women.

Converged content is in its infancy with local mobile provider Comium working with an external “value-added” content provider. This provider offers local users horoscopes, ringtones and logos but there are only around 3,000 users for all of these services and they offer only a very modest income stream. Nevertheless the data upgrade “arms race” has already begun amongst the country’s four mobile providers and by the end of the year all will be offering some form of developed data services.

In the absence of a state TV broadcaster, a number of radio and TV groups have grown up including Clare TV (linked to Kings FM); Power TV (with Power FM), Love TV (with Love FM) and Truth TV (with Truth FM). However, their signal strength is fairly limited, reaching only the Monrovia metro area which has around 1 million of the country’s 3 million population.

There is almost no local content except news. These channels relay content from other international stations and some Nollywood films. There is advertising but it is fairly limited. However, local observers are convinced that as the economy takes off and there is more advertising, local content will begin to be made.

In a country where 90-95% of the population are illiterate, radio and TV dominate the media landscape. There is also a flourishing radio sector including six commercial FM stations, the state-funded LRBC FM and 44 community radio stations that can be found in almost every one of the larger communities, particularly outside of the capital. LRBC’s signal only covers up to 40 miles outside the capital and local listeners say the quality is currently rather poor. Commercial radio stations dominate the capital’s airwaves with a mixture of lively music and talk radio. There are also two donor funded radio stations, the Catholic Radio Vertitas and Star Radio supported by a Dutch donor.

Community radio stations survive with a combination of one of three things: donor funding, the patronage of locally wealthy individuals or community support. Typical of the latter are two stations both in Nimba County. Radio Nimba has a 500W transmitter that covers the whole of the County as well as parts of neighbouring Guinea. Its audience is largely young people and its reach is somewhere between 5-10,000 people. The station gets its power from a local businessman who supports the station. A smaller station in the same County is Radio Karn that found the money to set up from donations in the local community. By contrast with Radio Nimba, it only has a 50W transmitter with a 10 mile reach that gets out to a potential audience of 2000 people.

Other support is provided by local mobile provider Cellcom that gives power from its base station generators to some of these local community stations. There is also a small amount of local “announcement-type” advertising and this will undoubtedly grow as the economy begins to move again outside the capital.

Some radio programming is provided by organisations like Search for Common Ground that has a local operation in Monrovia. Started in 1997, the local operation employs 28 people and runs its own production studio, Talking Drum. Programmes concentrate on four themes: corruption, leadership, youth engagement and reconstruction. It provides programmes to 36 radio stations that it has signed MOUs with and also gives modest amounts of financial support in the form of things like fuel.

A typical programme looked at how the Government’s Management Plan of Action sought to put in place processes that would make it easier to fight corruption. This was followed by “vox pop” interviews with people in several different Counties about their attitude to corruption. It also has a three-times weekly soap opera that also airs the issues it covers and runs focus groups amongst its audiences to fine tune its programming. It is currently training local producers who will initiate be able to direct local content.

Currently the country is run by a combination of the elected Government (in office for just over a year) and UNMIL, which as its name implies is a UN peacekeeping mission designed to create security and act in support of the civil power. The end of the civil war has attracted a range of support from donors that will undoubtedly tail off once the economy gets moving and the UNMIL mission is declared complete.

In these circumstances, some of the current large number of radio stations will either have to find their own feet financially or go out of business, That said, those that have found a genuine audience niche for themselves will probably survive and thrive as the economy picks up. The market for Pay-TV is ripe for a lower price competitive offer to Dstv, although the numbers who can afford it are unlikely to exceed 100,00 at present. But again this may change if there is both improved education and rising economic prospects.

The biggest challenge – and this is one for most African countries – is posed by the pirated market where 1-2 hours of programming (admittedly of fairly poor quality) is going for around US80 cents. There is much to learn from the pirated market and the DVD distributor that can actually deliver low-price content into these channels stands every chance of creating something approaching a mass market.

Content

Uganda: Frenzy for Ugandan Films Grips Kampala

Whether 'Kinna-Uganda' (films made in Uganda) means theatre plays adopted to the screen or real films, Ugandans are crazy for it. The obsession for local movies is spreading like a wild bush fire. Titus Serunjogi looks at why.

Standing on the film set for Battle Of The Souls was just like standing in the middle of a busy street.

There were cameramen, make-up arists and sound people running all over the place. It seemed all the hustle and bustle would come to no end until Matt Bishaka, the director, suddenly yelled: "Quiet on the set!"

The whole scene froze. Next up, an actor showed up holding a hoe. He was panting and seemed to be in a hurry. He dug up the earth, looked this way; then he dug again until... "Cut!" the director shouted. Six months after the first shot for Battle Of The Souls was taken, Kampala just cannot wait to see the film. Battle Of The Souls is one of the locally made films by Ugandans that are taking the market by storm. The film shall premiere at Didi's auditorium on Sunday, April 29.

Already, nearly half of the sh25,000 tickets have been booked! Popularly known as 'Kinna-Uganda', the films shot in Uganda are becoming more popular than those shot in Nigerian as Ugandans clamour for a piece of their own culture on film. It is largely owing to this trend that some Ugandan actors are recording stage plays on DVD and passing them off as films.

And they have made lots of money in this way. Some of the theatre plays that have been recorded on DVD include Abakyaala Baagala Ki, which is an urban-set drama about a man who spoilt his wife with so much love, but she murdered him. Omukazi Muka Ssebo, another of the popular stage plays-turned-film, dwells on how a lady who had formerly been selling local brew, deals with her second family.

Others like Ensitaano and Kigenya Agenya are popular TV series that started out as theatre plays. In London Shock, actor Ashraf Semogerere is a 35-year-old pupil in P.2. When the teacher sends him home for toilet paper, he comes back with leaves. The humour is crude. However, Cindy Magara, a film critic with Nyati Motion Pictures says: "When I watched the scene, I laughed and almost choked, I even do not know what happened next. This character has a big belly, big eyes and such fat cheeks. But the sight of him in khaki shorts, innocently presenting his 'toilet paper', was just more than comical."

At Video World on William Street in Kampala, one would be awed by the crowds that clamour to buy the stage plays recorded on DVDs. If Nigerian screen heartthrob Ramsey Noah was everyone's fantasy in 2001, today it is actor Patricko Mujuuka of the Ensitaano fame. But why the sudden obsession with Ugandan films? "Ugandans embrace everything they believe to be trendy.

Today, we are all fighting for Ugandan films. But tomorrow, local DVDs might pile up dust on the shelves and no one will care," says Roger Mugisha of the Muyenga-based video firm Media Pro.

However, most of the stuff on the market is meant for the stage, not the movie screen. In most screenplays, whichever actor gets angry has to dilate his pupils and swear at the top of his voice.

And when the women have to complain, they do it all day long in the same style mizigo women do. Getting drunk always means staggering and slurring; one does not sleep unless he is sprawling all over the bed and snoring aloud.

And in those stage plays on DVD, love at first sight is often elaborated by the man smirking his lips and winking at the lady. Definitely, these are tools of someone who must emphasise his point even to that person at the back of the theatre. The directors of the films feel that this is the best way to communicate to an audience, which understands actions more than thoughts.

Semogerere says there are only five real movies shot in Uganda. One is Fate, which premiered at Cineplex Cinema last year. It was about a corporate bigwig who fell in love with a good-for-nothing gold digger. Fate was dubbed 'Uganda's first professional movie' by its makers. But Feelings Struggle was the first real Ugandan film. It was about two women who compete for a man's love, until they discover that they are sisters. Battle Of the Souls is the story of what ensues after a cash-strapped young man chances upon a briefcase full of sh20,000 banknotes. Roses In The Rain was such a disappointment because it was made by Nigerians who had a poor taste of our society.

Murder In The City was the inside story, as many surmised, of how city lawyer Robina Kiyingi was murdered. You cannot believe what a hustle it takes to make a movie. Acting in a movie is always a dance with the camera. There is a lot of trial and error as the director tries to appreciate the actors' bodies and feelings before deciding which way the camera should face. So it is not unusual to finish a 10-minute scene in three months. Meanwhile, movie actors have to remember exactly at what point the director shouted: "Cut!" Was the cigarette just lit or half-smoked? Was the glass in your right hand or was it in the left? As a rule, movie sound is dubbed in after the shootings.

So, actors have to go back to the studio and talk to fit into the dumb motion picture. You can imagine what a struggle it always is for one to match his words to the movement of his lips. Little wonder that shooting a Ugandan film, like Battle Of The Souls, cost USH250,000 per day. But when a stage play is adapted to the screen, the camera and megaphone only have to follow the actors. But stage plays or films, Ugandans just take everything they can get hold of. Why else would Murder In the City have sold out at Cineplex Cinema on Easter Sunday? Doubtless, the frenzy for Ugandan films has caught on in town and local DVDs continue flying off the shelves.

(New Vision, Kampala, April 19, 2007)

Zimbabwe: ZBC Strikes Off 'Talking Business'

Talking Business, arguably the most watched business programme on ZTV, has been struck off air on curious grounds that the loss-making public broadcaster was already running similar productions.

Insiders at Pockets Hill (the headquarters of the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation - ZBC) revealed this week that a letter had been dispatched to the producers of Talking Business (Mighty Movies), informing them of the sudden turn of events.

They said the informative 30-minute current affairs programme, which had been running for the past six years, could only be reconsidered if packaged as an infomercial, attracting about $21 million in airtime.

"This is certainly not a viable option, considering that Mighty Movies was not making money from the programme. In fact, it is ZBC, which has been gaining and the nation at large, which has benefited from the incisive issues raised via the programme," said the source.

Talking Business host, Supa Mandiwanzira and ZBC's marketing and business development manager, Josephine Toro could not be reached for comment at the time of going to print.

Despite its dire financial position, ZBC has not had the best of relations with independent producers.

In 2001, fugitive businessman Mutumwa Mawere's National Development Association programme, Talk To The Nation, was withdrawn from television.

In May 2002, ZBC switched off James Makamba's Joy TV citing a section of the Broadcasting Services Act prohibiting the public broadcaster from continuing to lease the station.

Other channels have, however, fallen by the wayside due to viability problems.

For example, Munhumutapa African Broadcasting Corporation had a short-lived life in 1997 when it operated for a few months before shutting down after allegedly failing to pay airtime fees to ZBC.

Sources said it was curious that ZBC had proceeded to withdraw Talking Business a few weeks after some of its top executives had given the programme the thumbs up.

"Talking Business has always been a current affairs programme, this is the understanding that has kept it on air for the past six or so years," said a source. "It would appear that some of our executives have an axe to grind with some of the personalities at Mighty Movies, hence the decision to withdraw the programme," added the source.

An independent survey of the local media ranked Talking Business the highest watched business programme on ZTV.

The programme also featured among the top five of the most popular programmes produced locally.

(source: Financial Gazette (Harare), April 25, 2007)

Rwanda: PMC/UNFPA to Launch Drama Series

The Country Representatives of Population Media Centre- Rwanda (PMC-Rwanda) will today launch a radio serial drama programme, 'Umurage Urukwiye'. The U.S- based organisation coordinated under UNFPA -Rwanda uses the media to 'sustain the earth'.

According to the administrative assistant for PMC Rwanda, Population Media Center (PMC-Rwanda) works in collaboration with UNFPA in developing a radio serial drama using entertainment education methodologies to effectively address issues related to family planning. "We also deal with reproductive health and reproductive rights, combating HIV/ Aids, gender equity and women empowerment," he said. The ultimate objective is to influence behaviour in the society of Rwanda.

The United Nations Population Fund [UNFPA] is an international development agency that promotes the right of every woman, man and child to enjoy meaningful life. They also work to ensure universal access to reproductive health, including family planning and sexual behaviour.

(source: The New Times (Kigali), April 17, 2007)

Uganda: New Health Show on UBC TV

As a way of ensuring that people adopt good health practices to prevent and treat illness and save money, AFFORD, a USAID-funded health marketing initiative launched a "good life game show" on April 4 at Ndere Centre.

The show, that started showing on UBC starting April 16, is aimed at educating Ugandans on health, but in an entertaining manner. It particularly targets couples, people living with HIV/Aids, care takers of children under five years and pregnant women.

Dr Godfrey Magumba, the managing director of AFFORD, says the "Good life game show" is meant to give them a chance to understand the varied health practices like family planning, sleeping under treated mosquito nets and HIV/Aids.

(source: New Vision (Kampala), April 17, 2007)

Broadcast

Angola: National Television Transmission Centre Ready in December

Angolan Social Commission minister, Manuel Rabelais, Friday visited the works of construction of the country's Public Television (TPA) production and transmission centre underway in Luanda-Sul area, expected to end in December this year.

The works contractor, Gao al Ping, responsible for the company "CEIEC", said that technical and logistic conditions are in place for the conclusion of the project until December this year.

Luanda-Sul transmission centre, to be shared by Angola's National Radio (RNA) and Public Television (TPA), aims at improving the company's singal quality.

TPA production centre, whose construction foundation stone was laid a year ago will have an office and two studios (one of 400 square metres and another with 800).

(source: Angola Press Agency (Luanda), April 21, 2007)

Namibia: NBC Debt Reaches Record High of N$242 Million

The Namibia Broadcasting Corporation has accumulated debts of N$242 million, of which N$35,2 million is operational debt. Announcing the budget for the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in Parliament last week, Minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah said cost-cutting measures such as closing down some regional offices and reducing broadcasting hours did not help much to bring costs down.

Although the national broadcaster has seven television crews positioned in the country, only 15 cameras are available - nine for news and six for programmes. The NBC will only receive N$62,6 million from State coffers this financial year, which is N$200 000 less than last year. It raised N$22 million through television licence fees in 2006.

This year's budget allocation will not enable the NBC to realise goals such as giving staff their first salary increase in three years. "Due to its precarious financial position, the NBC may not be able to screen update programmes, movies, comedies and soapies," Nandi-Ndaitwah warned. "The NBC will soon be forced to rely on archive material, which is no longer subject to copyright." The corporation might also have to do away with live television coverage of events such as the Budget speech of the Finance Minister, which cost N$51,889 last month.

"Unless some measures are taken to relieve the NBC of its debt like increasing the Government subsidy to enable debt servicing or Government taking over to ring-fence the debt, we should not expect the NBC to effectively fulfil its national mandate," the Minister warned.

(source: The Namibian (Windhoek), April 25, 2007)

Namibia: NBC Staffers Protest Working Conditions

Employees of the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) on Friday made public their frustrations with their employer, staging a peaceful demonstration outside the broadcaster's administration block in Windhoek during their lunch hour. Staff at the Oshakati satellite office also had a similar protest at the northern office.

Dissatisfaction with top management, unfavourable working conditions and unkept promises of salary increases all formed the basis for an exercise, which union shop stewards say will be repeated every week until their grievances are addressed. Among the workers' demands are that action be taken against managers responsible for some of the deals that have contributed to the NBC's financial crisis.

"Take to task those responsible for such criminal contracts such as the one with United Africa that is crippling our already dysfunctional [car] fleet," the petition handed over to Director General Bob Kandetu reads.

The United Africa car lease deal signed by former DG Gerry Munyama without following proper procedure will cost the corporation about N$7 million to get out of, an independent audit report showed last year.

The deal, under which the NBC is leasing 27 vehicles from the company run by Hadis Tilahun, is apparently costing the corporation millions a year. Ironically, Munyama was offered and took up a senior management position at United Africa Group following his resignation from the NBC.

The demonstrating employees further demand that the top management of the corporation be removed "and replaced with qualified and competent and honest leaders." Demonstrators also voiced their dissatisfaction with Government's decision to decrease its financial support to the NBC while reportedly turning down an amount requested for wage increases. "Why has Government abandoned us, we are best capable of running the corporation in a profitable way compared to Air Namibia.

All we need is for a change of management and a bailout to redress previous wrongs," the petition further reads.

Speaking to The Namibian before the march, Kennedy Onesmus, the chairperson of the shop stewards' council, said the NBC was losing an average of four experienced staff members every month because of working conditions at the broadcaster. This, he said, has led to a situation where those who remain have to do double or triple their normal amount of work, while equipment, tools and vehicles keep on deteriorating without receiving attention. "We understand when the DG says we need to tone down on expenses, but not at the expense of people," he said.

Kandetu received the petition, which was signed by "all NBC employees", and promised to respond to it within two weeks. Workers have pledged to repeat Friday's action every week until the issue is addressed, and have stated that further action will be taken if their grievances are not addressed within the next two weeks.

The Oshakati staff handed their petition to the head of the Oshiwambo Radio Service, Helen Shiimbi. Like their colleagues in Windhoek, they criticised NBC management for a lack of leadership skills and strategic vision.

(source: The Namibian (Windhoek), April 16, 2007)

Uganda: NTV Back On Air

NTV Uganda resumes transmission at 7pm tonight, three months after it was taken off air by the Broadcasting Council citing technical reasons. NTV General Manager Victor Ngei announced they were resuming transmission in a press release yesterday; "NTV Uganda has today been permitted by the Broadcasting Council to resume transmission with immediate effect."

"It is exactly three months and three days since we were put off the air by the regulatory body... NTV's return to transmission follows a Memorandum of Understanding with the Council in which technical issues that resulted in its closure will be resolved amicably in a specified period," he said.

"It's been a long wait for staff at NTV and the Ugandan public, but your favourite station is now back. I can assure you that when we return to transmission later on today, we will make that long wait worth its while."

NTV Uganda, the latest entrant on Uganda's broadcasting scene, started testing its signal on December 18, 2006. It was first switched off by its host, the Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC) at the urging of the Broadcasting Council on January 27, 2007. Its signal was reinstated two days later by UBC but was switched off a day later by officials from the Broadcasting Council. Two receivers were also confiscated by the BC.

Putting the TV off air sparked public outcry. Parliament directed MPs on the Presidential Committee early this year to probe the NTV closure. The inquiry lasted about three weeks.

The MPs were also tasked to report whether NTV violated any of the terms of the license agreement and whether the action by the Broadcasting Council to switch off NTV was appropriate, legitimate and within its mandate.

Parliament then recommended that NTV be put back on air as stakeholders' chart the way forward. Later, Parliament passed a resolution directing the government to switch on the TV. The government, however, ignored the resolution.

The Chairman of BC Godfrey Mutabazi had ruled then that NTV would only be allowed to resume transmission, if the station relocated its antennas from UBC's short tower mast which he insisted was in a precarious state. Despite an audit confirming the integrity of the mast, Mutabazi claimed the mast's "joints are bulging" and could fall down anytime. Ironically, NTV antennas are still hosted on the mast.

(source: The Monitor, Kampala, April 30, 2007)

In brief:

The University of Liberia will be launching its own radio station in two weeks time to enable its media students to have “hands-on” experience in running all aspects of a radio station. The University is also going to be working with WorldSpace to deliver distance learning across the country.

Distribution

Rwanda: 43 Percent Don't Listen to Radio

A survey carried out by the Population Media Centre [PMC], an organisation working under the United Nations Population Fund-Rwanda [UNFPA] has indicated that 43 percent of the Rwandan population neither have nor listen to the radio.

The revelation was made by the PMC assistant administrator, Jean Kakule Sebatakane on April 16 at Ninzi Hotel during the official launching of a radio serial drama programme, 'Umurage Urukwiye'. The serial drama will be broadcasting on two local radio stations (Contact FM and Radio Salus) and on British Broadcasting Cooperation (BBC).

"The objective of the radio programme is to educate and disseminate information to the community. Our programme [PMC] started in other countries that had similar problems of reproductive health, HIV/Aids and poverty, like Rwanda, and the outcome was so positive and that's why we are extending it to Rwanda," Kakule said.

He added that though 43 percent of the population has no radios, PMC had negotiated with coffee cooperatives to distribute over 300 radios to be shared by both coffee farmers and the community around them. Coffee cooperatives in rural areas have so far bought over 300 radios for coffee growers to keep them updated on production, prices and any other new technical methodology used in coffee growing.

The PMC programme has what they called 'listening group' in the different corners of the country. Such groups are to be provided radios each, and it's from these groups that evaluation of the programme activities will be conducted.

The director of PMC, Rocha Chimerah, told the press that they expect the programme to reach over 40 million people who understand Kinyarwanda here in Rwanda, Burundi and other parts of DR Congo, Tanzania and Uganda.

Population Media Centre [PMC] in collaboration with UNFPA is developing a radio serial drama using entertainment education methodologies to effectively address issues related to family planning, with reproductive health and reproductive rights, combating HIV/ Aids, gender equity and women empowerment. The ultimate objective is to influence behaviour change in the society of Rwanda.

It also works to ensure universal access to reproductive health, including family planning and sexual behaviour, and over 312 drama series have so far been composed. The first drama show was broadcast on Contact FM on Thursday 19 April.

(source: The New Times (Kigali), April 18, 2007)

ZBC Groans Under Creaky Equipment

The Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC), whose debts were inherited by government, is creaking under a pile of obsolete equipment and poor funding in what analysts said is an indication that the state broadcaster will continue to suckle from the taxpayer.

Senior staff at Pockets Hill, ZBC's headquarters, revealed this week that working for the broadcasting monopoly was a taxing exercise, as they have to deThe resources are so scarce that four reporters on different assignments are now forced to share a single camera, compromising the quality of news, they say.

ZBC has no functional Outside Broadcasting (OB) unit - with the last of its already antique OB vans having packed-up last year. Some of the OB vans were brought into the country over 20 years ago, specifically for the Non-Aligned Movement summit in 1986. This has made it virtually impossible for ZBC to broadcast live events, including football matches, without renting facilities from elsewhere.

The broadcaster, staff also say, also faces a depleted transport fleet, the remainder of which being well past its sell-by date.

ZBC chief executive officer Henry Muradzikwa, admitted that his organisation faces problems with its infrastructure, but sought to downplay the crisis, saying the situation was not as dire as reported.

He said: "We do not have a functioning OB van at the moment. They are old and need replacement. The digitalisation project is going to be realised. Our camera situation is not all that critical. The reports you are getting are just an exaggeration."

But a sign of the decay at the national broadcaster is how it has been struggling to broadcast live events. At the National Arts Merit Awards earlier this year, ZBC staff had to record proceedings, before repeatedly rushing tapes across town to Pockets Hill for broadcast.

The Independence concert last Friday was the first event broadcast live this year - only after Zimbabwe Cricket agreed to lease its own OB van to the ZBC for the event.

Information Minister Sikhanyiso Ndlovu, announced last month during a tour of state media institutions that equipment at ZBC was in bad shape and needed a comprehensive revamp. This week, he said his ministry was working on resuming a second phase of the digitalisation programme.

"We are revamping the whole system. I have already declared that we are doing that programme soon. When I came in, I assessed the state of the equipment and made it public that it needed attention. But now we need more finances to carry out these programmes."

(source: Financial Gazette (Harare), April 19, 2007)

More

Regulation & policy

Congo-Kinshasa: Journalist Released After Being Held for More Than Five Months Without a Hearing

Papy Tembe Moroni was released on April 13, 2007, in Kinshasa. Tembe, a cameraman and reporter with the privately-owned Canal Congo Television (CCTV), was detained for 132 days in the cells of Kinshasa's Secret Service Police and at the Centre pénitentiaire et de rééducation de Kinshasa (CPRK), Kinshasa's main prison.

The "provisional" release is part of an action undertaken by new Justice Minister Minsayi Booka that would see detainees who have served at least a quarter of their sentence or who were irregularly detained released in order to free up space in the country's overcrowded jails. Tembe is forbidden from leaving town, however, and must report to a magistrate twice a week.

Tembe said he suffered severe brutality during his detention because of his status as both a native of Équateur province - one he shares with former Vice-President J.P. Bemba - and as a journalist with the CCTV, which is accused of "inciting hatred and violence."

Tembe was arrested at his home on the night of December 1, 2006 and secretly detained for several days in the cells of the Special Services Police division (commonly referred to as Kin-Mazière) before being transferred on December 27, 2006 to the CPRK. The police accused him, without evidence, of "inciting violence, spreading false rumours, and public insults."

Another journalist, Bonsange Mbaka, a reporter for "Mambenga" magazine, who was arrested under similar circumstances as Tembe, is still being detained at the CPRK. He is accused without evidence of "theft of military effects" (see alerts of 19 March 2007 and 27 November 2006).

(source: Journaliste En Danger (Kinshasa), April 23, 2007)

Somalia: RSF and Local Partner Denounce Current Wave of Violence Against Media in Mogadishu

Reporters Without Borders and its partner organisation in Somalia, the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ), are outraged by the recent wave of violence in Mogadishu and the arbitrary shelling and shooting of civilians, including journalists and news media personnel.

On 19 April 2007 four shells hit the television studio and the newsroom of Global Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) in Mogadishu. Nobody was wounded in the shelling, but the station was forced off the air.

On 21 April, the premises of HornAfrik Radio were hit by seven shells, wounding two of its news media personnel. The station was temporarily shut down due to ongoing fighting in the neighbourhood. Reporter Yahye Ali Farah was slightly injured and was admitted to Dayniile hospital, according to HornAfrik journalists, but cameraman Abdi Dhaqane, who also works with the Nairobi bureau of the London-based international news agency Reuters, was seriously wounded. He lost some of the fingers of his right hand and tissue from his right leg, according to Reuters' sources, and had to be transferred to Nairobi for treatment.

The same day, heavy artillery fire also hit the headquarters of the independent daily "Ayaamaha", killing a passer-by. A number of other Mogadishu newspapers, including "Xog-Ogaal", one of the capital's leading dailies, have had to cease publishing because of the increased fighting in the city.

Meanwhile, Shabelle Media Network has reported that it is unable to properly cover the situation in Mogadishu as so many of its journalists have fled the city with their families. "The recent warfare is a perfect example of the increasing risks faced by journalists and media outlets in Mogadishu," said Reporters Without Borders and National Union of Somali Journalists.

"We stress, once again, that attacks against journalists and the media are illegal under international humanitarian law, which protects civilians and their property. The media can never be considered a legitimate target," said the two press freedom watchdogs. "We call on the Transitional Federal Government, the Ethiopian forces and all other parties in the conflict, with the support of the international community, to conduct an independent enquiry into these attacks."

(source: Reporters sans Frontières (Paris), April 23, 2007)

Nigeria: SSS Raids AIT Abuja Office, Carts Away Tapes

The State Security Services (SSS) raided the Abuja office of the African Independent Television (AIT) on April 17th and reportedly carted away transmission tapes of the station. The raid took place barely 48 hours after the company's transmitters and transmission equipment were razed by fire on Sunday disrupting transmission of both AIT and RayPower signals in Lagos area.

A staff of the station who did not want to be named said the SSS officials stormed the Abuja premises of AIT at about 2.55 pm accompanied by a detachment of mobile policemen, while another batch of officials arrived 10 minutes later and joined their colleagues in taking away transmission tapes available including that of a documentary on President Olusegun Obasanjo being aired at the time.

He said management of the station was still appraising the situation with a view to making a public statement. When contacted on telephone, SSS spokesman, Ado Muazu, confirmed the incident and said that the organisation raided the outfit because of a report aired earlier in the day which the service considered as having security implication.

(source: This Day (Lagos), April 18, 2007)

Ghana: District Official Assaults, Verbally Abuses TV Journalists

On 26 April 2007, reporter Kojo Hayford and cameraman Lord Asante Fordjour of TV3, an independent Accra-based television station, were mistreated by Raymond Gbegoah, coordinating director of Akuapem South District Assembly in the eastern region of Ghana.

Gbegoah slapped Fordjour and insulted the two journalists before chasing them out of his office. The MFWA correspondent reported that the incident occurred at the district office, where Hayford and Fordjour had gone to interview Gbegoah about a mountain of refuse at a market in Nsawam, the district capital.

Gbegoah, who was outraged by the filming of the garbage, accused the journalists of having bad motives and insinuated that the filming of the refuse was intended to ridicule his administration and bring the image of the district into disrepute. It was learned that, immediately following the incident, Gbegoah dispatched a team to remove the refuse.

(source: Media Foundation for West Africa, Accra, 27 April 2007)

Technology & convergence

Motorola Buys Terayon for $140m

Motorola will buy Terayon Communication Systems, a digital video processing and networking software maker, for $140 million, the companies announced on Monday, reports IDGNS. The merger marks another move by Motorola to strengthen its high-definition video and networking technology. Terayon, based in Santa Clara, California, make products that help cable operators who are transitioning from analog to digital video.

One of Terayon's products, CherryPicker, allows cable operators to insert digital advertisements on different channels in their networks and manage how those ads are scheduled and billed. The company also has video processing products that help optimize bandwidth and deliver localized content to viewers. Other products deal with motion and graphical overlays and channel branding.

Motorola said Terayon's software will give it industry-recognized digital processing solutions for its video infrastructure. Terayon will become a wholly-owned subsidiary and integrated into Motorola's Connected Home Solutions business, which deals with high-definition video on IP (Internet protocol) networks, among other areas. Terayon's headquarters will not move, Motorola said.

Motorola will buy all of Terayon's outstanding shares for $1.80 each in cash. The transaction, which is expected to close in the second or third quarter this year, is subject to regulatory approvals and approval from Terayon's stockholders.

Excluding amortization and one-time transaction and accounting costs, Motorola said the acquisition should not affect its earnings per share in the first year following the closing. Last month, Motorola completed its $39 million acquisition of Tut Systems, which sold systems for encoding, processing and distributing digital video.

(source: This Day (Lagos), April 25, 2007)

Kenya: Safaricom Testing High Speed Data Service

Kenya's largest mobile phone service provider, Safaricom, is still in the process of testing a high speed downlink packet access (HS-DPA) to enable its subscribers to enjoy faster downloads of music, video and email to their cell phones.

The company's Chief Executive Officer, Michael Joseph, says the service, which is commonly known as 3.5G, is currently on a 12-month trial period, having been officially launched in November last year.

"During the trial we will decide whether to apply for a full 3G license and convert the trial network to a commercial one," says Joseph.

3.5G is the world's most advanced commercial wireless technology offering speeds of 1.8 megabits per second which is five times faster than the first 3G network.

"The pilot project will enable us see the justification of this kind of business, then we can apply to get a permit," says Joseph. "Safaricom, which controls around 65 percent of Kenya's mobile market, hopes that through the 3G network there will be a raise in subscriber levels."

The 3G network will also require the company to establish 250 base stations at a cost of Ksh12,4bn to accommodate the new technology. The stations will be based in Eastern and Western provinces, North and South Rift Valley regions and Nairobi, with each station costing just under $300 000.

(source: Business in Africa (Johannesburg), April 23, 2007)

South Africa: Myvideo to Offer Cash for News

After the worldwide success of video-sharing sites such as Youtube, South African website MyVideo is tapping into citizen journalism to pull in viewers. MyVideo announced this week that it had launched a Breaking News page, and would offer cash to anyone submitting exclusive video news content that would attract people to the site. The company said it would also send out news releases alerting the media of any breaking news items.

CEO Rowan Polovin said MyVideo wanted to encourage would-be journalists to film newsworthy content on a camcorder or cellphone and then MMS or e-mail it. "The media has talked up the rise of the citizen journalist considerably over the past few months and social media is most certainly one of the flavours of the month on communications and marketing sites and blogs. But no one has put their money where their mouth is in terms of encouraging consumer journalism," the company said.

While other websites, such as reporter.co.za do offer cash for content, Polovin said yesterday that the site would pay R1000 to video makers who could provide quality material. "The site is differentiated from other similar sites in that the content is specific to SA," he said, adding that a major part of the fledgling business was to attract advertisers. "Obviously the more traffic we create, the more advertising we get but we also want to become a news content site -- providing fresh news daily."

Jude Mathurine, who heads up the New Media Lab at Rhodes University, said the strategy would still have to prove itself. He was not sure that this was the best way to attract user- generated content.

"If you look at some of the news sites such as Sunday Times and Mail & Guardian that are already attracting user generated content, it would be difficult for MyVideo to compete," he said.

He said it may make more sense for the site to attract the bizarre, crazy and shocking type content that keeps viewers coming back as opposed to news content, which was typically difficult to create. Asked whether he was worried about the potential legal implications associated with running a "news" site, Polovin said that there would be editors trained in citizen journalism monitoring the site who would have to screen the videos before they went live.

"While we will have to shield ourselves from lawsuits, we will deal with these as they arise, but we would not want this to affect the editorial content of the site," Polovin said, adding that the site would focus on breaking news.

(source: Business Day (Johannesburg), April 18, 2007)

Africa: Mobile TV Figure 'Will Spiral 800 Percent in Three Years'

The number of people watching television on their cellphones is poised for an eightfold increase over the next three years, reaching a figure that will finally quash doubts about its viability.

If estimates from research house Gartner prove correct, today's 60-million mobile TV viewers will top 488-million in 2010. It will become a mainstream service in most developed markets, with Japan enjoying the largest audience, followed by western Europe. Its popularity will vary widely from country to country and will be split between services delivered over the cellular networks and those using broadcasting technologies, Gartner says.

The largest growth will be over the cellular networks, with today's 38-million users rising to 356-million in 2010, while the broadcasting method will reach 132-million people, up from 21,8-million now.

Huge growth will not necessarily translate into huge profits. That will happen only if operators can attract enough subscribers to pique the interest of advertisers.

Attracting and maintaining a healthy base of viewers will be far from straightforward, analysts warn. Consumers are currently ambivalent about watching television on the move. Although the uptake will grow considerably, most users will receive mobile TV as part of their cellphone subscription. "Uptake will not be driven by consumer demand so much as by operators including TV in bundles as a default service so that it appears free," says research director Carolina Milanesi.

She estimates that only 30% of mobile TV subscribers will ask for the service, while 70% will receive it in a bundle. Because the service will be part of an overall package, the short-term revenue potential will be depressed. In the long run, Gartner believes, it could make a major contribution to overall consumer spending. The total revenue could reach $25,8bn by 2010, up from just $300m today.

Gartner is advising operators to consider revenue models carefully. Instead of competing on tariffs, they should focus on creating a unique "mobile TV experience" to attract subscribers. As cellular tariffs are destined to decrease, winning advertising revenue in the future will be crucial, Milanesi says.

The mobile operators need to guarantee quality, variety and exclusivity to justify charging a premium for TV services or to justify charging for it at all. They should not count on advertising to subsidise TV services much in the next five years. They should expect that the subscriber base will be limited, yet, as numbers increase, advertisers will come on board. Operators should also aim to make mobile TV a unique experience by supplying content that is mobile-specific or generated by user communities such as YouTube, the analysts believe.

(source: Business Day (Johannesburg), April 19, 2007)

Telkom ready to launch pay-TV

Telkom Media is ready to roll out pay-TV by 2008 if it acquires a cable and satellite broadcasting licence from the Independent Communications Authority of SA (Icasa). It is one of 18 bidders for satellite and cable TV licences. The new company, 67% owned by Telkom with media partners Videovision, Women’s Development Bank and MSG Africa Media holding the balance of shareholding, has revealed its 10-year strategy plan for pay-TV which will have the backing of R7.5bn.

Telkom Media’s chief strategy and operations officer, Rikus Matthyser, said at a media demonstration on Friday 20 April that a satellite “family bouquet” will be available to middle-income earners at under R100 a month.

Telkom Media also intend to launch Internet Protocol TV (IPTV), a more sophisticated product offering an Internet bundle of different service choices, over a broadband DSL line. This service would carry a higher monthly subscription rate of about R320 excluding the DSL line rental from Telkom. It would offer videos online which could be rented or bought as well as online shopping. Subscribers would be billed at the end of the month. Viewers will be able to watch two pictures at the same time - a television programme and a pop-up advertisement for say pizzas that can be ordered right away. This aspect was presented by Adrian Smith, technical head of the pilot process, as a new advertising opportunity. He said advertisers could present advertising specifically around what the audience was watching.

Matthuyser said that while about 75% of SA households had TV sets, only 11% of these had pay-TV which presented a huge potential for pay-TV broadcasters.

The good news for SA production is that Telkom Media committed to sourcing significant content locally. Local content that will be included in the Telkom Media bouquet include sport, movies, soaps, drama, reality and adult programmes.

Telkom Media would be able to begin broadcasting within nine to 12 months after it was granted a licence, Matthyser said.

(source: ScreenAfrica.com, April 26, 2007)

Egypt: Vodafone launching mobile TV in Egypt

The Mobile TV content supplier, Kamera says that it has signed an agreement with Vodafone Egypt, to offer a host of its mobile TV channels, as well as distributing a variety of third party channels, to Vodafone customers in Egypt. Starting Spring 2007, Vodafone Egypt is launching a range of rich media services, for its 3G customers.

Kamera, one of the first channel providers in the network, is providing a host of channels tailored to the local Arabic market, including an Arabic-speaking news channel ShortCut, the sport channel SportCall and the entertainment channel WOW! TV. The content agreement also includes highlights from the upcoming Qualifications to the EURO 2008 football championship.

Henrik Eklund, CEO of Kamera, said, "We're delighted to have signed this deal with Vodafone Egypt. The mobile phone usage in the pan-Arabic region is booming and we look forward to bringing quality content to Vodafone's customers."

In addition to providing its own channels, Kamera's Egyptian subsidiary SweGypt will facilitate the distribution of third party channels to Vodafone's customers. This includes encoding of all video live and near live channels for third parties, editing of third party content and TV portal management.

Kamera currently has a distribution agreement with the Associated Press news agency.

(SOURCE: ITP)

Events

• High Speed Access Technologies Conference

19-21 June 2007, Gallagher Estate, Johannesburg, South Africa

IQPC's 2nd Annual High Speed Access Technologies conference is perfectly positioned giving you answers at a critical time offering an objective platform for you to hear case studies on current obstacles and successes of Broadband. You will also be able to join us for a Site Visit To the Eskom Test Site. This site visit will show you what progress has been made over the past few years and what MainNet is doing to promote broadband over Power Lines.

For more information please contact Susan Theron on +27 (0) 11 669 5019 or visit our website http://www.iqpc.com/za/highspeed

§ Namibia Media Awards: June 30th 2007

People

• Jose Luis Pascoal, cameraman for TPA (Public Television of Angola) was murdered on 22nd April 2007.

• Robert L Johnson, the founder, chairman and CEO of Black Entertainment Television (BET) visited Liberia’s capital Monrovia last week to launch a $30 million investment fund for the country. He brought with him an entourage of famous Black American stars including Michael Jordan and Cicely Tyson, taking over a large part of Monrovia’s top hotel, the Mambo Point.

• Uganda’s Dr. Nsaba Buturo, the ethics and integrity minister, who is also the MP for Bufumbira East, in Kisoro district, is opening up a radio station in his constituency. Local press reports say he is planning to employ a female journalism graduate from Makerere who did her internship at Sanyu FM. She is currently learning more about up country programming at Voice of Kigezi. Hope Mwesigye, the local government state minister and woman representative for Kabale district, is also rumoured to be opening her own station in Kabale soon.

• Kajairo of Kenya’s Kiss FM was named Radio Personality of the Year at the CHAT awards. Delays at the event resulted in angry crowds demanding their money back caused by the non-arrival of the events celebrities.

Readers responses

Issue 1: Digital cinema has the potential to take Africa’s under-invested film exhibitors out of the doldrums

I spent a number of years in the industry of digital distribution of media to broadcast TV stations. A company in Atlanta (Pathfire: www.pathfire.com) provides IP based satellite distribution of short and long form content to something like 1200 stations in the US now. I did see they had ramped up the system to support HD distribution as well as workflow integration of the digital content into the station editing and to-air equipment.

I hadn't spent a lot of time thinking about media distribution in Africa, but it certainly makes sense as the physical distribution of goods is certainly a challenge and an expense. I also like the reduction in mechanical components, the ability to change what airs, etc. as valuable qualities in this situation.

The intellectual property rights and business models seem to be evolving, but not sure how this fits into the models in Africa. Take the move in digital music to remove DRM as one point. Another one which I recently learned about is the Creative Commons for Developing Nations (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/devnations/2.0/). An author I recently picked up has a very enlightened perspective on e- books and digital media (he in fact releases it in one format and let's his readers reformat it and he posts the new version -- www.craphound.com).

Anyway, I'm wondering how the media business models need to move in Africa -- I hate to see people put their content back on shelves where it does nobody any good...and I agree that DRM is not the answer.

Kipp Jones, USA

Opportunities

Project title: Broadcasting Frequency Planning and Associative Technical Activities of the Sector (Ethiopia)

Application deadline: As soon as possible and at the latest 4th May 2007

Contract duration: Short term

Company: Danish Management A/S (http://www.danishmanagement.dk/) for the RICTSP/COMESA (and for this specific assignment IGAD).

General information:

The objective: The overall objective is to plan the frequency of the broadcasting service to a well designed, interference free and adequate for the current and future needs of the national and regional broadcasting services - with the coordination of neighbouring countries' broadcasting frequencies planning and other required broadcasting technical activities under international telecommunication union (ITU) rules and regulations.

Scope of work:

* Estimating the necessary broadcasting power for national & regional coverage.

* Justify the required bandwidth and channel spacing for frequency planning

* Coordination of new plans with the earlier plans.

* Coordination of new plans with the existing operational services

* Coordination of plans with ITU rules and regulation.

* Coordination of broadcasting activities with neighbouring countries.

* Developing the necessary software for frequency management.

* Designing technical standards on broadcasting equipments

Results:

* The country will have well planned radio and television frequencies so that interference free national and regional broadcasting service will be established.

* Facilitates the regulator for easy frequency assignments for new broadcasters.

* The frequency planning production team of EBA will get good experience in planning and managing of broadcast frequencies of the country.

* The regulators will have standard guide line of broadcasting services for both radio and television. The consultant will prepare:

- standards of broadcast equipment

- technical inspection manual

- transmission standards

* The country will have interference free broadcasting services that consider neighbouring country and ITU rules and regulations.

* The expert will produce draft reports and conduct a de-briefing of findings for stakeholders in beneficiary countries, via meetings / workshops, and to ICT Coordinator and relevant RIO staff

* The Expert will submit a final report not later than 2 (two) weeks after the completion of the mission. The report should be written in English or French.

Total amount of man-days: 80 man-days of total input

Regions/Countries to visit: Ethiopia and Djibouti

Estimated contract start: As soon as possible.

Profiles of the Experts:

Qualifications: The Expert will possess a Masters University degree in Communication and Broadcasting Engineering or similar relevant degree.

Skills and Specialism: The Expert must have experience in radio frequency planning of Radio & TV broadcasting services and have familiarity working with Government agencies, broadcasting agencies and/or broadcasting regulators.

Experience: The Expert must have at least 6-8 years of progressive working experience in the Radio and TV broadcasting services.

Language: The expert will have an excellent command of English with good report writing skills. Knowledge of French will be an added advantage.

Eligibility (who can apply?): EU citizens and citizens from: Angola, Burundi, DR Congo, Malawi, Rwanda, Swaziland, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, and Sudan AND citizens of the ACP member states: http://www.acpsec.org/en/acp_states.htm

If you find the position of interest and, please contact us immediately and send us a short professional presentation of yourself and an updated CV with relevant similar experience (stating your age, nationality, languages spoken, education and exactly in what you are an expert). Send your application to: ictjobs@danishmanagement.dk. NB: Only shortlisted candidates will receive notice.

Contact person:

Jane Moeller Larsen
Danish Management A/S
Margretheholmsvej 2
1432 Copenhagen, Denmark
Phone: +45 70 200 298
Direct: +45 35 250 655

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