MultiChoice adds another high definition (HD) channel, M-Net Movies 1 HD, from December 1st.

MultiChoice is officially adding another high definition (HD) TV channel, M-Net Movies 1 HD (MM 1 HD) to its DStv bouquet on channel 175 from December 1.

The addition of M-Net Movies 1 HD will bring the total number of HD channels on DStv to Six , with M-Net HD, Discovery Showcase, I-Concert HD , SuperSport HD1 and SuperSport HD2 already existing on the pay TV platform.

''High definition TV channels are the fastest growing product globally and therefore our focus is on rolling out as many HD channels as possible onto the DStv platform, taking into account bandwidth restrictions,'' says Aletta Alberts, general manager for content for MultiChoice Africa.

''Our focus is on giving our viewers a great entertainment experience. HD movies lift that viewing experience to another level.'' M-Net Movies 1 (DStv 103) as well as M-Net Movies 1 HD (DStv 175) will broadcast movies in their première season only. M-Net Movies 1 HD will be a mirror channel of M-Net Movies 1, which means that the schedule and broadcasting times will always be exactly the same.

NMVA 2010 WINNERS LIST

Against all odds the fourth edition of the Nigerian Music Video Awards held at the Expo Hall of the Eko Hotel and Suites Victoria Island, Lagos on Sunday, December 28, 2010. It was, as usual, a gathering of the stakeholders of the entertainment industry in Nigeria who trooped out in their numbers to come and witness this year’s version of the oldest music video awards in the land hosted by the longest running music TV programme in the land, LIVEBEATS, which is owned by Cally Ikpe’s CALLYVISION NETWORK.

In the buildup to the event he had complained about the lack of a major sponsor for the event. This fact, even though, it didn’t stop the event from holding definitely reflected on the quality of the show put up. The economic crunch has definitely affected the entertainment industry in Nigeria and while the $200 million dollars promised by Mr. President is a welcome development for it, the early and necessary access to it by brands such as the NMVA and other laudable entertainment projects annually put up in this country would go a long way in improving their quality and sustainment.

While there were no clearcut sweeping winners in the 24-category award like in last year’s event where Darey, held sway, 2face, Clarence Peters and Dipp still managed two awards each while the rest of the winners got one each. Yet Clarence Peters could be said to have won the most awards as coupled with his individual two, his videos also won the Video of The Year, Best Use of Costume, Best Contemporary Afro and Best Video By a New Artist. Here is the winners’ list:

VIDEO OF THE YEAR: 2face – “Only Me”
BEST AFRO HIP HOP VIDEO: Mr. Raw Nwanne – “O Chukwu”
BEST USE OF ANIMATION: T.W.O – “I Need Someone”
BEST FUJI MUSIC VIDEO: Dekunle Fuji – “Funmilayo”
BEST CONTEMPORARY AFRO: Sound Sultan – “2010”
BEST MAINSTREAM HIP HOP: Bouqui – “Take You Away”
BEST AFROBEAT MUSIC VIDEO: Fela – “Viva Africa”
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY (Director): TOSIN IGHO – “Don’t Leave Me”
BEST AFRO POP: 2face – “Only Me”
BEST USE OF CHOREOGRAPHY: Dipp – “Pop Off Selecta”
BEST HIGHLIFE: J. Martins – “Eva”
BEST REGGAE DANCEHALL: General Pype – “Champion”
BEST SOFT ROCK VIDEO: Djinee – “Overkillin’”
BEST USE OF EFFECTS: Dipp – “Pop Off Selecta”
BEST INDIGENOUS CONCEPT: Kefee – “Thank You”
BEST USE OF COSTUME: Goldie – “You Know It”
BEST R ‘n’ B: Banky W – “Strong Ting”
BEST GOSPEL: KSB – “Turn Around”
BEST VIDEO BY A NEW ARTIST: Solidstar – “One In A Million”
MOST POPULAR NIGERIAN MUSIC VIDEO IN EUROPE: JJC – “We Are Africans”
BEST DIRECTOR: Clarence Peters
BEST EDITOR: Clarence Peters
BEST PRODUCER: KENNIS MUSIC
BEST NEW DIRECTOR: Frizzle – “Taka Sufe”

Culled from Questionmark

RICK ROSS, P-UNIT, WANDE COAL & JOZI JOIN PERFORMERS AT 2010 MTV AFRICA MUSIC AWARDS WITH AIRTEL

As the countdown begins to the 2010 MTV Africa Music Awards (MAMA), four more awesome artists have been added to the performer roster for Africa’s most exciting music event.  USA hip hop star Rick Ross, Kenya’s P-Unit, South Africa’s Jozi and Nigeria’s Wande Coal will join previously announced performers DJ Arafat (Ivory Coast), 2FACE (Nigeria), Daddy Owen (Kenya), Banky W (Nigeria), Fally Ipupa (DRC), Teargas (South Africa) and Cabo Snoop (Angola).

Visiting Africa for the first time to take part in the 11 December spectacular, US rapper Rick Ross has been described by the New York Times as “one of rap’s most potent and creative forces”.  The tattoo-loving, six-foot, larger-than-life rap figure first came to attention with “Hustlin”, his 2006 debut single. Influenced by artists like Luther Campbell and Notorious B.I.G, Ross, a.k.a. William Roberts, aimed to put Miami back in rap's national spotlight and went on to do just that with his 2006 album “Port of Miami”, which went to number one on the Billboard album chart. Similar acclaim followed for “Trilla” (2007) and “Deeper Than Rap” (2009), while his 2010 album release “Teflon Don”, which debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200, has garnered critical acclaim for its emotional depth, cinematic production, sleek, synth-heavy beats, and rich soundscapes.  Ross is nominated in the Best International categoryatthe MAMA awards.

Making their first appearance at the MAMAs, Best Group contenders P-Unit are going head to head against Uganda’s Radio & Weasle, South Africa’s Teargas and multiple MAMA winners and Nigerian music phenomenon, P-Square.  As well as performing at the 2010 show, former MAMA winners Jozi are also nominated in the Artist of the Year category, where they are pitched against 2FACE, P-Square and Fally Ipupa.  Wande Coal faces a tough race in the Best Anglophone category, where Ghana’s Sarkodie, Kenya’s Daddy Owen and South Africa’s Biz Nuz are also in the running.

The MTV Africa Music Awards with Airtel takes place on Saturday 11 December 2010 and will broadcast on MTV base, MTV platforms around the world and partner TV stations from 18 December 2010.

MAMA TICKETS GOES ON SALE FROM THE 27TH OF NOVEMBER

Tickets for the 2010 MTV Africa Music Awards with Airtel (MAMA) are expected to go like hotcakes when they go on sale in Nigeria on Saturday 27 November 2010.

MTV Networks Africa’s flagship music event, taking place for the first time ever in Lagos, will take place on 11 December 2010 at the Eko Expo Hall, Lagos is a sure-fire sell-out, featuring performances from African music giants Teargas (South Africa), Banky W (Nigeria), Daddy Owen (Kenya), Fally Ipupa (DRC), 2Face (Nigeria), DJ Arafat (Ivory Coast), Cabo Snoop (Angola), Jozi (South Africa), Wande Coal (Nigeria) and P-Unit (Kenya) as well as US hip hop sensation Rick Ross.

A limited number of standard tickets for the exclusive annual music awards event will go on sale at select outlets throughout Lagos from Saturday 27 November. The tickets are expected to sell out within 24 hours. MAMA tickets cost NGN7,000 Naira (general - standing).


To be sure of your place at the 2010 MTV Africa Music Awards with Airtel, get along early to the following outlets:


Eko Hotel, Adetokunbo Ademola Street, Victoria Island;

Silverbird Galleria: 133 Ahmadu Bello Way, Victoria Island at Victoria Images and Prints and Occasions & Events;

E centre, Commercial Avenue, Sabo, Yaba;  at Ozone Cinemas; Just for You and Koko Lounge;

Airtel Store, Sanusi Fafunwa Street, Victoria Island.


The MTV Africa Music Awards 2010 is sponsored by Airtel in association with MasterCard.  Arik Air is the official airline partner of the MTV Africa Music Awards with Airtel.

Entries open for the prestigious CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards 2011

CNN International and MultiChoice just announced that they will both, once again be sponsoring the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards in 2011, the African continent's most prestigious awards ceremony honouring excellence in journalism across a wide field of story genres as well as mediums.

The CNN African Journalist Awards 2011 will be taking place in June in Johannesburg and journalists across the continent can now enter. The closing date for entries is January 27, 2011. The judging will take place in April, 2011. Full details on exactly how to enter and the categories can be found HERE at www.cnn.com/africanawards. The organizers say there won't be any extensions on the closing dates, so hurry.

''The CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards have been encouraging excellence in journalism across the continent for 16 years and are truly a highlight in CNN's editorial calendar,'' says Tony Maddox, the executive vice president and managing director of CNN International in a statement. ''I'm delighted that they continue to grow in stature and prestige, and it's a humbling experience each year to see and experience such dedication, passion and talent.''

''For the past 16 years, our partnership with CNN has resulted in some incredible stories being told,'' says Imtiaz Patel, the group CEO of MultiChoice SA in the same press release. ''I would like to encourage journalists from across the continent to embrace the opportunity to make your voices heard. We are looking forward to celebrating your excellence in journalism in June 2011.''

Journalists can enter in categories like Arts & Culture, Digital Journalism, Economics & Business,  Environment, Free Press Africa, HIV/AIDS Reporting, Photography, Health & Medical, Print General News, Radio General News, Sport, Television Features, Television News, Tourism, Francophone General News, and Portuguese Language General News.

From these category winners, the judges will choose the overall winner, the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist of 2011. The competition is open to all Africans who are professional journalists including freelancers. Any work for applicable categories that's been produced between January and December 2010 will be eligible.

ZAIN CHANGES NAME TO AIRTEL

Bharti Airtel, the giant global telecommunications company which has operations in 19 countries across Asia and Africa at the weekend unveiled Airtel brand in Nigeria and around the continent, finally laying to rest the Zain brand.

The new and more vibrant brand was unveiled in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city by the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, His Excellency, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, along with Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chairman and Group CEO, Bharti Enterprises.

With the brand reveal activity, the identity of the company has changed from Zain Nigeria to Airtel Nigeria. Airtel is now the master brand for all the telecom group’s 19 operations. Airtel currently serve over 200 million customers in Asia and Africa.

In his remarks, President Goodluck Jonathan commended Airtel for choosing Nigeria as the launch location for the entire Africa continent. He also congratulated Airtel for the successful launch of the new brand and for its expressed commitment to make telecoms services affordable for the consumer. He urged the company to assist in creating additional jobs for Nigerians.

Jonathan who was represented by the Minister of Information and Communications, Professor Dora Akunyili also expressed joy at the plan of the company to expand its operations to more rural areas and communities. He equally advice the company to increase its investment in Nigeria as this will help to reduce the level of unemployment in the country.

Speaking at the event, Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chairman and Managing Director, Bharti, said: “Bharti began its African journey by promising to deliver world-class and affordable mobile services to customers and delighting them with innovative products. I believe we are taking a major step towards delivering on this by introducing the heart of our business – the Airtel brand – across our operations in Africa. Our African customers will now be able to enjoy the same best-in-class brand experience as our customers across India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

He further added: “We remain committed to taking our network deeper into Africa, ensuring our services touch the common man and bridge the digital divide in the continent. I am confident that over the coming years Airtel will win the hearts of customers across Africa and emerge as one of most admired brands of the continent.”

Credit:-Bunmi Awolusi

SMVA 2010 WINNERS LIST

The pan-African awards was easily the hottest, most exclusive party anywhere on the continent – with a multimedia package deal that included an international couture show featuring the like’s of South Africa’s Dax Martin and Nigeria Mai Atafo and Tiffany Amber; and then unforgettable performances from Asa, Mo’Hits, R2Bee’s and lots of lush VIP pampering from Hennessey, impressive showmanship from host Uti and powerful production values from technical creative directors Jan Malan Umzingeli Productions.

And while there were multiple category nominations for established pop stars Banky W (7) and P Square(5), the former came away with two nods (Best Male and Viewers choice), and the latter with a single Best Editing SMVA for their video ’Danger’.

And so multiple wins were more modest, Banky (2) and 2Face Idibia (2), with more Nigerian wins (8) than any other country, but with a far greater spread across nominees, with suprise wins for South Africa’s JR as Discovery of the Year and the Hit Producer award for late rapper Dagrin’s creative partner, Sossick.

Social media of course trended SMVA and made it what might yet be the biggest and most entertaining live show ever packaged by Nigerians for the rest of the world.

Here’s a list of winners:

Best Male Video – Banky W for ‘Strong thing’
Best Female Video – Goldie for ‘You Know it’ Ft. Eldee
Best Special Effects – Djinee
Best Editing – PSquare
Best Cinematography – Teargas
Best Hip Hop Video – Jozi
Best Pop Video – 2Face
Best Collaboration in a Music Video – Sarkodie
Discovery of the Year – JR
Best Video – Banky W
Viewers Choice – Buffalo Souljah
Hit Producer Of The Year – Sossick for Da Grin’s Pon Pon
Best Western – 2face
Best Eastern – Wahu
Best Central – Fally Ipupa
Soundcity Fresh Video – Tania Tome

SuperSport acquires rights to broadcast Euro 2012 and 2016

SuperSport’s promise of broadcasting major world football took another giant leap this week with the acquisition of media rights for the 2012 and 2016 Uefa Euro Football Championships.

Having broadcast the 2008 edition of the tournament co-hosted by Austria and Switzerland, SuperSport viewers across the continent will be able to watch the next two editions of European football’s blue riband event live on SuperSport, which broadcasts off the DStv platform.

Included in the package are also the rights for the 2011 and 2013 Uefa European U21 Championships as well as the 2013 Uefa Euro Women’s Championships.

“We are extremely pleased to enter into a long-term partnership with a major broadcaster like SuperSport. This secures a depth of top quality coverage and gives the UEFA EURO 2012 and 2016 final tournaments extensive distribution in ex-Europe, thus ensuring even greater promotion of European football throughout the world,” remarked UEFA Director of Marketing, Guy-Laurient Epstein on the agreement.

SuperSport’s head of acquisition Brandon Foot said, “The UEFA Euro Competition is undoubtedly one of the top football events in the world and we are delighted to have acquired rights to both the 2012 and 2016 editions. This acquisition is in line with our long-term commitment to bring the best sporting events to the valued subscribers of The World of Champions."

Nigerian Idol Updates:-Showtimes

Nigerian Idol will be beamed into your homes from Sunday, November 21st, on the following stations at these times:

Sundays

NTA: 5:00 - 6:00 PM

AIT: 5:00 - 6:00 PM

PRTV Jos: 5.30 - 6:30PM

KWTV ILORIN: 7:00 - 8:00PM

DBSTV ASABA: 7:00 - 8:00 PM

ESBC ENUGU: 6:00 - 7:00PM

IMO TV: 8:00 - 9:00PM

GTV ABEOKUTA: 7:30 - 8:30 PM

DITV KADUNA: 7:00 - 8:00 PM

GALAXY LAGOS: 7:00 - 8:00 PM

TVC: 7:00 - 8:00 PM

SUPERSCREEN: 6:30 - 7:30 PM

CRBCTV CALABAR: 7:00 - 8:00 PM

4real TV on HiTV: 7PM

HiTV UK: 6PM GMT

HiTV USA: 1PM ET

Thursdays

AIT: 7:00 - 8:00 PM

KWTV ILORIN: 8:00 - 9:00PM

DBSTV ASABA: 8:00 - 9:00 PM

ESBC ENUGU: 8:00 - 9:00PM

IMO TV: 10:00 - 11:00PM

GTV ABEOKUTA: 6:00 - 7:00 PM

DITV KADUNA: 4:00 - 5:00 PM, 11:00 - 12:00 PM

GALAXY LAGOS: 10:30 - 11:30 PM

TVC: 7:00 - 8:00 PM

4real TV on HiTV: 7PM

HiTV UK: 6PM GMT

HiTV USA: 1PM ET

M-Net secures the broadcasting rights for the 68th Golden Globe Awards.

I can be first to spill that M-Net has again secured the rights to broadcast the Golden Globe Awards.

The pay broadcaster just confirmed that M-Net has the 68th Golden Globe Awards . The ceremony kicking off Hollywood's annual awards season, will broadcast on M-Net on Monday, January 17 at 20:30. M-Net has set 3 hours aside for the broadcast.

Nigerian Idol Updates

Nigerian Idol will be beamed into your homes from Sunday, November 21, on these channels: AIT, STV, NTA, CRBCTV Calabar, GTV Abeokuta, Galaxy TV, PRTV Jos, KWTV Ilorin, DBSTV Asaba, ESBC Enugu, IMOTV, DITV Kaduna, TVC and Superscreen and 4real TV on HiTV.

Make it a date and stay glued to your screens. Get ready to participate in the home play.

BBC Worldwide sells its 50% stake in Discovery's Animal Planet channel.

BBC Worldwide has decided to bail out on its partnership with Discovery in the Animal Planet (DStv 264) channel in which the BBC and Discovery had a 50/50 shareholding.

After 13 year the BBC has ended its international channel relationship with Discovery by selling its 50% share to Discovery, although the British broadcaster will still work with Discovery until the end of 2014 to produce more documentary and natural history shows like Planet Earth. David Attenborough's Frozen Planet will for instance be broadcast next year.

BBC Worldwide wants to focus more specifically on BBC Worldwide's channels. ''The launch and growth of BBC-branded international channels is an important strategic priority for BBC Worldwide and the sale of the 50% interest in Animal Planet will enable us to bring increased focus to these fast-growing channels,'' says John Smith, CEO of BBC Worldwide.

HiTV ADDS TWO BRAND NEW CHANNELS!!

HiTV as announced the addition of two new channels to it's platform.

·        One is 4 Real TV, Africa’s first 24-hour reality and game show channel, showing exclusively on hitv. The channel will resume broadcast Today Monday 15th with ‘behind the scenes’ activities of the much awaited Nigerian Idol. It will also show other interesting reality programmes and game shows including Don’t forget the lyrics, Miss Nigeria reality show e.t.c.

·        The other channel is Ahlulbayt TV, an Islamic channel which showcases contemporary issues through cutting edge programming. This channel’s launch has been specifically designed to coincide with the Eid-el-Kabir celebration.

These developments further lend credence to it's resolve to continue upgrading content to meet it's subscribers’ needs and are determined to be the platform which offers the best value for money.

R&B LEGEND R. KELLY JOINS STAR STUDDED SUPERGROUP FROM AFRICA - ONE8

The all-star line-up of the supergroup ONE8 is now complete.

The ONE8 artists have been amped up, living the high life in Chicago and most importantly, recording what will no doubt be one of the world’s hottest singles this holiday season. Hands Across the World is being released today to radio stations and clubs across Africa and worldwide.

The star-studded gathering of African musical giants has continued to gather mass momentum with 8 of Africa’s rockstar legends combining their star power and talent into the continent’s first supergroup. Now Rockstar4000 and Sony Music Worldwide are proud to announce the last signing to the group – international mega-star R. Kelly and the release of the group’s first single.

R. Kelly, who was recently joined in the world famous Chicago studios by the members of ONE8, has been a powerful force in R&B worldwide for the past two decades. Apart from global fame he has also received numerous awards for some of the most important recordings of our time, as well as outstanding production, for many years, making him one of the best selling urban artists of all time. Hits like ‘I Believe I Can Fly’, ‘Bump ‘n Grind’ and ‘Gotham City’ have made him a household name around the world and his production on top artists like Michael Jackson, Toni Braxton, LL Cool J and many more have kept him at the top of the charts and on radio for the duration of his music career.

2Face and Fally Ipupa

R. Kelly is excited to be involved in the ONE8 project. Speaking from his studio in Chicago as they put the final touches to the single, he stated: “I love projects like this . As I hear the music of these artists and meet them in person I can feel myself connect. Somehow I can feel the excitement and adrenaline through them and then the ideas and everything around this track just comes together. This is probably one of the greatest things I have ever done, I can just feel it in me.”

ONE8 already consists of the finest superstars on the African continent. Born from a simple idea and a small collaboration, the momentum of this project has turned it into a full-blown supergroup already dubbed by fans and media as ‘a music revolution’ and ‘history in the making’. ONE8 will release not only the hottest single of the year, but also a full album and DVD later this year. This long-term project was kicked into high gear when the artists flew into Chicago late last month to record ‘Hands Across the World’ with R. Kelly and his world class production team.

The group also recorded a video and documentary which will be released shortly.

The final ONE8 line up has been confirmed as follows:
R Kelly – USA
2Face – Nigeria
Alikiba – Tanzania
Amani – Kenya
Fally Ipupa – DRC
4X4 – Ghana
JK – Zambia
Movaizhalene – Gabon
Navio – Uganda

With a scorching hot track now released and an album in the pipeline, the ONE8 crew is heading for the ride of their lives! A major focus of the ONE8 group is to provide their fans with digital All Access passes to follow their diaries and journeys as larger than life rockstars around the clock, allowing fans closer and more personal experiences than ever before. Join online at www.myone8.com, on mobile at myone8.mobi, facebook.com/myone8, twitter.com/myone8 or youtube.com/one8TV and be part of history in the making as ONE8 explodes a revolution in music from Africa across the world!

Rhythm Unplugged 2010

This year's Rhythm Unplugged holds on the 26th of December,2010 at the new Expo Centre of EKO HOTEL & SUITES,Lagos.

Tickets are now on sell for N5,000, N20,000 and TABLES: N300,000.

Artists Performing include;

Artists:
2face, Banky W, Wiz Kid, MI, Jesse Jags, ELDEE, Ice Prince, Naeto C, Sound Sultan, Timaya, Terry G, Kas, Ikechukwu, 9ice, J Martin, Timi Dakolo, Omawumi, Tiwa Savage, Faze, Yemi Sax

Comedians:
Basketmouth, AY, Okey Bakassi, Buchi, CD JOHN, YOUNGEST LANDLORD, Aje Baba, Funny Bones, Acapella, Mc Shaggy and Memory Card

HOST: IK

SMVA 2010 PERFORMERS

Are you ready for Soundcity Music Video Awards 2010?  taking place on Saturday, 20th November 2010 at the New Expo Hall, Eko Hotel,Lagos,Nigeria.

With a line-up featuring A-list entertainers from Nigeria and across the African continent, guests are in for a night of premium performances and top-notch entertainment, a promising a spectacle like never-before. The big names will perform on that night include:
1.    TEARGAS (SOUTH AFRICA)
2.    MOHITS CREW
3.    ASA
4.    DAMA DO BLING (MOZAMBIQUE)
5.    PSQUARE
6.    DEEP LEVEL (SOUTH AFRICA)
7.    9ICE WITH ALAPOMEJI
8.    LIZHA JAMES (MOZAMBIQUE)
9.    R2BEES (GHANA)
10.    BANKY W WITH EME BOYZ
11.    STORM ALL STARS
12.    TIMAYA with DEM MAMA SOLDIERS
13.    TONIKS (UGANDA)

DStv Premium subscribers can look forward to the return of the popular holiday channel on DStv. The m199 channel, previously known as the M-Net holiday channel, gives subscribers the opportunity to catch up on their favourite series or movie that they might have missed during the year,'' MultiChoice says in a just-released statement.

m199 will start to broadcast from Wednesday, December 10 and run until January 9, 2011 from 07:00 in the morning until 01:00 - of course on channel 199 on DStv and not on channel 198 as in the past. "This time of the year is all about providing the whole family with great entertainment,'' says Aletta Alberts, MultiChoice's general manager for content. ''We believe that m199 will add to the overall experience and give our subscribers more choice this festive season.''

The m199 holiday channel will be themed according to days, as well as timeslots. Family friendly movies will go out daily between 07:00 and 19:00. Medical shows such as Mercy I, Private Practice II and House VI will run on the ''Midday Medical'' timeslot at 11:00, 12:00 and 13:00 respectively.

Fridays will have musicals and Saturdays superhero movies while ''Bridal Specials'' will be shown on m199 on Sundays with movies like Painted Veil, Bride Wars, Rachel Getting Married, Made of Honour and The Proposal.

Series will be shown at 16:00 daily, with themed movies at 20:00. Mondays are devoted to comedy movies, Tuesdays to drama, Wednesday to action and Thursday night will go to chick flicks. A special ''Horror Hour'' awaits on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 22:00. Omnibus broadcasts of series are scheduled for Sundays with the final season of Lost (4 episodes per Sunday), The Pacific I (2 episodes per Sunday) and Nurse Jackie (2 episodes per Sunday).

E! Entertainment's E! News now One Hour with a new studio set.

E! Entertainment's daily E! News hosted by lead anchors Ryan Seacrest and Giuliana Rancic has expanded from a half hour to a daily hour edition with a brand-new set.

The new hour long E! News is now at 02:25am on weekdays Nigerian time with 15 minute reduced E! News broadcasts during the day. E! News now features a state of the art set that has been redesigned in the primary E! colours of red and white, big video walls in the back, an elongated, transparent perspex table and a red, high-gloss floor.

''By expanding E! News we are bringing celebrity and pop culture fans an unparalleled entertainment news experience," says Suzanne Kolb, president of marketing, news and online of E! Entertainment and The Style Network, in a statement. "Our viewers tell us that they can't get enough E! News and they love getting the inside celebrity scoop from their favorite E! personalities. We're excited to give them more of what they want." Catt Sadler, Ben Lyons and Michael Yo has now joined E! News as correspondents together with Jason Kennedy and Ashlan Gorse.

Photos by TV with Thinus

HiTV launches Xmas promo..... System + installation to go for N8,999.

In its continued bid to ensure Nigerians irrespective of their social status have access to quality programmes on Pay TV at an affordable price, Nigeria’s HiTV has launched a new promotion which promises to bring more joy to its valued subscribers.

The new package that was introduced on Monday, November 8, offers a complete HiTV system including installation at just N8,999 only. This unbelievable new promotion is coming as HiTV ended its Golden Offer promotion meant to celebrate Nigeria’s 50th Independence Anniversary which began in September and ran through October, the month of the celebrations. Mrs. Kemi Fashina, HiTV’s Brand/Marketing Manager in a statement signed by the Company’s Public Relations Manager, Mr. Justin Akpovi-Esade, said “the new promotion is open to both Premium and Correct bouquet subscribers.

Fashina however beat her chest when she described the new promotion as the “most affordable deal in the market, considering the value of HiTV’s offerings; over 1, 000 soccer matches spanning more than eight leagues (UEFA Champions League, Italian Serie A, Carling Cup, EUROPA Cup Dutch and Copa Del Rey (Spanish F A cup) on Setanta Africa channel among others),over 350 movies and series every month across our Hi Movies, Hi Nolly, Hi Nolly Yoruba and Hi Mix channels, and interesting indigenous content. It is the best promotion in the Pay TV market in this part of the world and it’s certainly the real deal at the moment and will remain so for a long time,” she said.

She reiterated that HiTV has always been in the fore of the campaign to make Pay TV more accessible and affordable by all Nigerians. “We are the first company that brought down premium subscription to as low as N3, 500 when others are increasing theirs. That is why we are called a proudly Nigerian company and this new promotion is simply an offer no one can resist. It is the best chance to own a satellite TV at home no matter where you live in Nigeria because at N8,999 for a complete HiTV system including installation... it is the best deal in town,” Fashina submitted.

Incredible offer....fully installed DStv system for N9,000!

DStv announced that they have now made it possible for you to buy a complete DStv system (decoder + smartcard + dish + installation) for just N9,000, no jokes ooo.Did I hear someone say competition is good,o yea....it's good and it's just starting.

To enjoy this incredible offer, you only need to buy the DStv hardware for N9,000, and pay for 1 month subscription on any of their bouquets.

Channel O Music Video Awards 2010:-WINNERS LIST

Nigerian artists won most of the awards at the Channel O video Awards 2010. The Awards was held at the Sandton Convention Centre in J’burg, South Africa.

The categories and winners are :

Afro pop video- D’banj (fall in love )
Group and featured -Psquare (E no easy )
Most gifted East Africa - Obita ft Loyiso(everybody dance)
Most Gifted Hip-hop - Naeto C (Ako mi ti poju )
Most gifted video – 2face(implication)
Most gifted Ragga - Gen Pype(champion )
Wonderful Recognition went to K’naan and he performed Tia via e-presence.
Most gifted south - Pro(sekele )
Most gifted dance – Liquid deep (Fairytale )
Most gifted female - Mochedda ft othello(if you want it )
Most gifted male – Black coffee(juju )
MTN most gifted video – Tear gas (party 101 )

MTV, ZAIN UNVEIL NOMINATIONS FOR MTV AFRICA MUSIC AWARDS WITH ZAIN 2010

MTV Networks Africa and Zain have announced the nominations for the 2010 MTV Africa Music Awards with Zain (MAMA). The nominees for the annual poll of young African’s music tastes were announced at a star-studded celebration at De Marquee, Lagos, Nigeria, attended by artists, nominees, celebrities and VIPs including 2Face, Sasha and Mo Cheddah. The nominations were revealed by Alex Okosi, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, MTV Networks Africa, Andre Beyers, Chief Marketing Officer, Airtel Group and Rajan Swaroop, CEO, Zain Nigeria.

Nigerian artists scored an impressive 13 nominations including three nominations for duo P-Square (Artist of the Year, Best Group and Best Video), and two nominations each for MAMA 2009 winner 2FACE (Best Male, Artist of the Year), Wande Coal (Best Anglophone, Best Male) and Banky W (Song of the Year, Best Video). Nigerian female artists also rated well with Best Female nods for Nneka and Sasha, and a nomination as Brand:New artist for Mo Cheddah. D’banj, a four-time MAMA winner, received yet another MAMA nomination for Song of the Year for “Fall in Love”.

MAMA 2008 Best Live Performer winners Jozi (South Africa) notched up another ‘nod’ from the MAMA academy with a nomination for Artist of the Year. Six further South African artists were recognised by the MAMA Academy, with nominations for Teargas (Best Group), JR (Song of the Year), Black Coffee (Best Male), Big Nuz (Best Anglophone), Liquideep (Song of the Year) and The Parlotones (Best Video).

Fally Ipupa scored the highest individual number of the nominations with four separate MAMA award nominations. The charismatic artist from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), who is also performing at MAMA 2010, has been nominated for Artist of the Year, Best Male, Best Video and Best Francophone. Barbara Kanam brought the DRC nomination tally to five with a first-time nomination in the Best Female category.

East African artists continued their positive nominations run with five nominations from Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. Kenyan Gospel crossover artist Daddy Owen is nominated for the first time in the Best Anglophone category while hip hop outfit P-Unit gets a mention for Best Group and Muthoni is recognised in the Brand:New category. In Uganda there is a first time nomination for Radio and Weasle (Best Group) while Tanzania’s Diamond gets his commendation in the Brand:New category.
Following the MAMA success of Samini in 2009, Ghanaian artist Sarkodie gets a first time nomination in the Best Anglophone category.

Four US mega-artists are to fight it out in the Best International category which sees Rihanna representing the gals against Eminem, Drake and Rick Ross in the ultimate urban music face-off.
Two new categories in 2010 have broadened the scope of artists eligible for the MAMA. The Best Francophone category sees Gabon enter the MAMA race for the first time with a nomination for Ba Ponga, while Senegalese artist Awadi and Ivory Coast‘s DJ Arafat also pick up their first ever MAMA nominations. Angolan artists Cabo Snoop and Paul G pick up nominations in the Best Lusophone category alongside Mozambique’s hip hop queens Lizha James and Dama do Bling.

Commented Alex Okosi, “This year’s MAMA is even more representative of the growth of the pan-African music scene and the added emphasis on Lusophone and Francophone artists makes this the most exciting MAMA nominations race that we have seen so far. We congratulate all the artists on their nominations and wish them success on December 11th in Lagos.”

Commented Andre Beyers, Chief Marketing Officer, Airtel Africa, “The nominations today have shown the universality of music and the fact all genres strike a chord and a cross-over appeal with Africa’s youth regardless of their nationality. We are happy to be associated with a platform that recognises and celebrates the rich musical heritage that positively depicts culture from across Africa.”

The nominees for the 2010 MTV Africa Music Awards with Zain were shortlisted by the MAMA Academy – a handpicked group of music industry experts and taste makers from across the African continent. The winners for the 2010 MTV Africa Music Awards with Zain will be revealed on Saturday 11 December 2010 at the Eko Expo Centre, Lagos, Nigeria.

The nominees for the 2010 MTV Africa Music Awards with Zain are:


Best Video
Fally Ipupa – Sexy dance (DRC)
P-Square f/t J. Martins- E No Easy (Nigeria)
The Parlotones – Life Design (South Africa)
Banky W – Strong Ting (Nigeria)

Brand:New
Mo Cheddah (Nigeria)
Diamond (Tanzania)
Muthoni (Kenya)
JoJo (Gabon)

Artist of The Year
2 Face (Nigeria)
P-Square (Nigeria)
Jozi (South Africa)
Fally Ipupa (DRC)

Song Of The Year
D'Banj - Fall In Love (Nigeria)
Liquideep - Fairytale (South Africa)
JR - Show Dem (South Africa)
Banky W - Lagos Party (Nigeria)

Best Anglophone
Sarkodie (Ghana)
Wande Coal (Nigeria)
Daddy Owen (Kenya)
Big Nuz (South Africa)

Best Francophone
Fally Ipupa (DRC)
Awadi (Senegal)
DJ Arafat (Ivory Coast)
Ba Ponga (Gabon)

Best Lusophone
Lizha James (Mozambique)
Paul G (Angola)
Cabo Snoop (Angola)
Dama Do Bling (Mozambique)

Best Group
P-Square (Nigeria)
Radio & Weasle (Uganda)
Teargas (South Africa)
P-Unit (Kenya)

Best Female
Sasha (Nigeria)
Lizha James (Mozambique)
Nneka (Nigeria)
Barbara Kanam (DRC)

Best Male
2 Face (Nigeria)
Fally Ipupa (DRC)
Black Coffee (South Africa)
Wande Coal (Nigeria)

Best International
Rihanna (USA)
Drake (USA)
Eminem (USA)
Rick Ross (USA)