PHOTOS FROM THE BRAND NEW BIG BROTHER AMPLIFIED HOUSE!

With M-Net’s BIG BROTHER AMPLIFIED launching on Sunday (May 1), DStv audiences across the continent are gearing up for more fun, entertainment and reality TV adventure! Now, in keeping with tradition, we are giving you a sneak peek at the redesigned Big Brother house just days before the series kicks off.

Bright, bold and brand new, the house this year is a celebration of color, with vivid oranges, fresh greens and cheerful pinks complementing funky purple, sunshine yellow and cool blue. Fusing retro hip style with more modern contoured shapes, the house is playful, artistic and eclectic. It’s a showcase for pop culture, filled with interesting contrasts and dynamic wall art while remaining a light filled space that is welcoming and warm. Fitted with all the modern appliances, the house is best described as friendly and fashionable, created to offer real comfort and great fun to the housemates.

Including two bedrooms, a long kitchen, a storeroom, an open plan living room plus a large garden evergreen with artificial grass and two separate seating areas, the Big Brother house also includes a large bathroom. Most importantly, the Diary Room (now called the Chat Room) is back at the heart of things where housemates will spend time talking directly to Biggie.

Amongst the décor, the house also functions as a fully-fledged studio environment and includes 120 microphones and 54 cameras, including brand new ‘cue-ball’ cameras that allow for even greater camera flexibility and scope, an essential on a series that runs 24/7 live for 91 days.

The big question this year is of course…will Big Brother have any surprises like last year’s Barn which was only revealed weeks after the show’s launch? That remains to be seen but audiences can be guaranteed…what you see is not always what you get on Big Brother!

M-Net’s BIG BROTHER AMPLIFIED starts on DStv channel 198 on Sunday May 1. The series is available 24/7 to DStv Premium, Compact Plus and Compact subscribers. The series is headline sponsored by Coca-Cola and produced for M-Net by Endemol SA. BIG BROTHER AMPLIFIED will also be available on DStv Mobile in Ghana, Kenya, Namibia and Nigeria.

And in another exciting new development, the BIG BROTHER AMPLIFIED Launch Show, which kicks off at 6pm on May 1, will be going multi-media, with live steaming of the two hour opening show on the official website www.mnetafrica.com/bigbrother at no cost, marking the first time in the history of the African series that this has happened! And for audiences who log on early, there’s a special 15 minute pre-show exclusive to online audiences that begins at 5.45pm.

 So whether you’re watching online or whether you are watching on DStv, make sure you don’t miss the start of BIG BROTHER AMPLIFIED…

The Headies Call for Entry

The Headies (Hip Hop World Awards) has opened its doors to receive music materials for nomination at the Sixth edition of the prestigious music awards. Previously known only as the Hip Hop World Awards it now prefers to be known as The Headies.

Entry requirements are 3 Audio CDs, 4 DVDs, 1 Mini DV, Artiste’s profile and a portrait photograph (soft copy). Artistes are to submit the aforementioned materials at The Headies secretariat (Hip Hop World Office) No. 4, Ogundana Street, off Allen Avenue, Ikeja – Lagos.

Note that only music materials released from December 2010 to February 2011 qualify for entry. The process opened April 25th and ends May 16th.

HIP HOP WORLD AWARDS RE-BRANDS,MOVES OUT OF LAGOS AND TO HOLD IN JULY.

Smooth Promotions, the organizers of Nigeria’s biggest music honours event – Hip Hop World Awards have announced, in a release issued early Tuesday April 19 that the 2011 edition of the Awards will not hold in Lagos.

The Chief Executive Officer and founder, Ayo Animashaun, also stated the organizing committee’s decision to modify the name of the awards to THE HEADIES.

These and more, were contained in an exclusive release personally signed by Mr. Animashaun.

“We’re moving out of Lagos again”

“This will be the second time we’re leaving Lagos. We had the show in Abuja in 2009 and Abuja showed us love. Since then, there’s been clamor from different regions for us to come stage the awards in their state. And as a truly and proudly national brand, we’re very open to moving the show all over Nigeria. So when the opportunity came again, we happily grabbed it!”.He declined disclosing the exact date for the event, but says it will be revealed soonest. However, he revealed to the general public that in July a phenomenal awards event will be held in an extravagant venue in Calabar, Cross River State.

“Once we’re able to confirm all the details, we’ll announce a date” Ayo Animashaun says.

Now, in its sixth year, THE HEADIES (Hip Hop World Awards) is the most remarkable and most credible Nigerian music awards show rewarding excellence, creativity, popularity and musical ingenuity within the urban contemporary music scene.

Speaking on the choice of the name THE HEADIES, Ayo Animashaun says “It was just a matter of time. Everyone in-house has been calling the awards that name forever; because that’s what we christened our plaque. I think the name is more hip and trendy, and it helps us place proper focus on the prize, which is the plaque; The Headie – the prize to die for”.

The awards’ secretariat is partnering with state governments, an airline company, a team of corporate sponsors, as well as several entertainment companies, to make this year’s show “the biggest and the best ever”.

The Headies has been rescheduled from its usual date in May to July, 2011.According to Ayo, this year’s awards ceremony has been postponed taking into account the ongoing national elections. The organizers have realised that the election exercise rank as the country’s foremost priority and as such must be given utmost attention by every citizen.

“The election process is pivotal to the entire well being and sustenance of the Nigerian society and we at Smooth Promotions and The Headies, recognize this as priority and have in our patriotic nature rescheduled the annual music awards event from its usual date in May to the end of June 2011.”

Al Jazeera starting a new social media TV show called The Stream from May.

Al Jazeera (HiTV 5 /DStv 406 / MyTV 14) says The Stream will launch next Monday 2 May at 8:30pm (Nigerian time) on the channel.

''Al Jazeera is pleased to announce the launch of The Stream, a social media show. The daily program is the first of its kind, acting as an aggregator of online sources and discussions, seeking out unheard voices and new perspectives from people around the world and presenting untold angles related to the most compelling stories of the day,'' says the channel in a press release.

''The Stream draws on the enormous growth of the social networks that are transforming today's news and current affairs agendas and that have played a key communication role in the recent revolutions in emerging democracies. The Stream will begin broadcasting on Al Jazeera in May.''

Derrick Ashong will be the presenter of The Stream which will be done from Washington D.C. ''The Stream is a truly unique concept which will tap into the increasing power of social media as a vital news source,'' says Paul Eedle, director of programming for Al Jazeera. ''The growth of social networks and their associated tools are transforming global news agendas. The Stream will allow Al Jazeera to bridge the divide between new and traditional media in a way that engages a new generation of news consumers.''

SuperSport has retained pay-TV broadcast rights within Africa to the UEFA Champions League and Europa League.

SuperSport will broadcast coverage of four live Champions League matches each match night as well as highlights of European football’s top club competition. In addition,SuperSport's UEFA Europa League coverage will feature eight live matches, four from each kick-off slot, plus highlights.

The agreement, which will cover the 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons, will also include coverage of the season-opening Super Cup contest in each of the three campaigns. SuperSport will continue to air games from both competitions across its suite of pay television channels as well as on Supersport.com and via mobile.

“Not only does this deal mark further commitment in terms of programming for both competitions, but it also shows SuperSport's dedication in extending the reach of the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League coverage to football fans across the region,” read a statement from UEFA.

“SuperSport is an experienced producer with an unrivalled quality of programming and we look forward to continuing our relationship with them through to 2015,” the statement from European football’s governing body added.

The remaining rights on offer aimed at free-to-air broadcasters and composed of the Champions League Wednesday first match pick as well as Wednesday highlights and the Europa League first match pick and highlights are still to be awarded in the region. UEFA marketing partner TEAM Marketing AG brokered the agreement.

YouTube to show Royal Wedding online

Previous generations marvelled at the wedding of the future Queen Elizabeth II on the BBC’s fledgling television service, for the marriage of Princess Anne it was colour television, but the generation that has sacrificed quality for convenience will be able to view the marriage of Prince William to Catherine Middleton on YouTube. Coverage of the entire ceremony taking place on April 29 will be streamed live on the Royal household’s official YouTube channel. The live stream will begin at 09.00 GMT and will follow the wedding procession, marriage ceremony at Westminster Abbey through to the expected appearance on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.

YouTube has also opened a video guestbook on The Royal Channel for viewers to offer their messages of congratulations. You can find the YouTube Royal Channel via http://www.youtube.com/theroyalchannel

Despite the Palace’s enthusiasm for new technologies – Her Majesty is also on Facebook – a request by BSkyB to capture the event in 3D was denied. Instead Sky News, like the BBC and the several dozen other broadcast will carry the event in high definition to an anticipated two billion viewers around the world. They too will be able to stream the ceremony through their various outlets.

E! Royal Wedding Coverage

E! (HiTV/DStv) Royal Wedding coverage includes;

Live From the Royal Wedding - Friday, April 29th @ 9am (Nigerian time)
Hosted by Giuliana Rancic, along with UK TV personality Dermot O'Leary, E! News reporters Catt Sadler and Jason Kennedy, and contributors Louise Roe and Angela Rippon. E! Entertainment is taking its worldwide audience to London for a front row seat at the wedding of the century. As the world’s royalty and heads-of-state descend on London on April 29 to witness history in the making, E! will dedicate its entire day of programming to LIVE wedding coverage. E!’s Giuliana Rancic will be reporting from London, along with UK television personality, Dermot O'Leary as they bring fans the latest news, up-to-the-minute details and exclusive wedding scoop during E!’s comprehensive “Live From the Royal Wedding” coverage. Joining them will be Royal expert Angela Rippon, Fashion Analysts Louise Roe and Robbie Laughlin and E!’s Catt Sadler, reporting live from Westminster Abbey. E!’s Jason Kennedy will report from our social media hub on what people are saying on Facebook and Twitter and see how Royal watchers from around the world are celebrating the big day.

Will and Kate: Road to the Altar - Saturday, April 30th @ 5:30pm
Hosted by Ryan Seacrest. Road to the Altar will recap the entire day’s events from the arrivals to the famous guests to the scoop on what’s next for the Royal couple

Fashion Police Royal Wedding - Saturday, April 30th @ 6:30pm (Nigerian time)
Special one hour episode covering Royal wedding fashion with Joan Rivers, Kelly Osbourne and George Kotsiopoulos with Giuliana Rancic from London. Hosts Joan Rivers, Kelly Osbourne, Giuliana Rancic and George Kotsiopoulos dish on Kate’s wedding gown choice and the international style frenzy this wedding created.

Want to watch Big Brother Amplified? Just say 'YES'

So what do you need to do to watch Big Brother Amplified in Nigeria? It’s very straightforward:

- Subscribe to DStv Premium, Compact Plus or Compact
- Text ‘YES’ followed by the first 10 digits of your smartcard number to 30333 or email dstv@nigeria.multichoice.co.za
- Your BBA will be automatically activated
- Patiently await for your BBA channel to light up on the 1st of May!

Big Brother Amplified starts on Sunday the 1st of May!

6th Annual NEA AWARDS- 2011 Edition

The Producers of the NEA Awards are pleased to announce its Sixth Annual NEA Awards weekend, a celebration of African Entertainment, scheduled for Friday, September 2nd through Monday, September 5th, 2011. This year’s event is a four day Labor Day weekend extravaganza and will include an Entertainment Seminar and networking, Picnic, Gala Events and the Award Ceremony. The show promises to feature many of Africa’s top entertainers and African international stars in the Diasporas.

The producers of the show will also like to announce its 2011 Categories (see full list below) and nominations are now officially opened. All artists are encouraged to send materials for consideration to neaawards@gmail.com on or before April 27th.

The producers of NEA Awards have elected Education as Vaccine for Aids (EVA), a 501c3 non-for-profit organization that was founded to establish systems and structures that will provide opportunities for youth to make responsible decisions concerning their development as a beneficiary of this year’s awards and a portion of the event proceeds will be donated to EVA to support its projects in Africa.

The producers will also like to announce the addition of Ms. Nnenna Lovette and Ms. Bukola Akinfaderin to the team. Nnenna is a marketing and branding executive with many years of experience in developing brands for major clients. She will be responsible for managing the NEA brand and media communications. Bukola is a business development and marketing executive, and the pioneer of Jandus Radio, a mobile music media application. Bukola will handle Marketing and Business Development for NEA.

For Sponsorship, Advertising, Press inquiries and any other inquiries please contact us (856) 506-5700 in the US or 234 805 373 4776 in Nigeria or info@nigeriaentaward.com or visit www.nigeriaentawards.com.

2011 NEA CATEGORIES:

MUSIC:

1. BEST ALBUM OF THE YEAR
2. HOTTEST SINGLE OF THE YEAR
3. BEST NEW ACT OF THE YEAR
4. GOSPEL ARTIST OF THE YEAR
5. BEST POP/R&B ARTIST OF THE YEAR
6. BEST RAP ACT OF THE YEAR
7. MUSIC PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
8. BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST
9. BEST MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR
10. MOST PROMISING ACT TO WATCH
11. PAN AFRICAN ARTIST OR GROUP OF THE YEAR
12. BEST US BASED MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
13. BEST US BASED FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR

FILM/TV:
1. BEST ACTOR IN A FILM/SHORT STORY
2. BEST ACTRESS IN A FILM/SHORT STORY
3. BEST PICTURE (PRODUCER)
4. BEST DIRECTING IN A FILM/SHORT STORY
5. BEST ACTOR IN TV SERIES/REALITY/GAME SHOW
6. BEST ACTRESS IN TV SERIES/REALITY/GAME SHOW
7. PAN AFRICAN ACTRESS OF THE YEAR (FILM/SHORT STORY)
8. PAN AFRICAN ACTOR OF THE YEAR (FILM/SHORT STORY)

OTHERS:
1. BEST COMEDIAN
2. BEST WORLD DJ
3. ENTERTAINMENT EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR
4. BEST WORLD ENTERTAINMENT PROMOTER
(Due to scheduled taping of show, not all award categories will be presented at Award ceremony; only awards of more popular interest are presented at the Award ceremony)

About NEA
The Nigeria Entertainment Award ‘NEA AWARDS” is an annual event that takes place in the United States that focuses on recognizing the many contributions of Nigerian Entertainers in and around the globe.

CONTACTS:
NEA New York Office Tel: (856) 506-5700;
Artist Relations: (347) 200-2509
NEA Nigeria Office Tel: 234 805 373 4776
e-mail: info@nigeriaentawards.com;
web: www.nigeriaentawards.com

CULLED FROM Olamildentertainment site

FELA! CREW ARRIVES LAGOS.

The arrival of the final batch of the Cast & Crew of the award winning broadway show at the Muritala International Airport Lagos on April 13th could testify that the show is bigger than what many thought.

On April 17 a strictly by invitation welcome reception will be held for cast and crew of FELA! at Eko Hotel. To the delight of many, the public will be treated to an Afro Beat Concert at a yet to be disclosed venue on April 18th. Beeta Oragnisation (cinema-advocacy organization) in collaboration with the Broadway will on April 19th be holding breakfast secession with talk based on propagating the cinema culture in Nigeria.

The show proper will start from April 20th with a red carpet event at the prestigious Eko Hotel and will run till April 25th. Attracting 2500 guests per show, FELA! will in all be showing 8 times with 2 shows on Easter Sunday and on Easter Monday.

In addition to the online sales, big brands like chicken Republic, Roberts Café, E-centre Yaba, Shoprite Surulere and Eko Hotels have all come on board to ease the long queue for ticket purchase as tickets can now be bought in all of these centers.

FELA!, an original Broadway musical produced by Shawn ‘JayZ’ Carter and Will Smith and directed by Bill T. Jones tells the true story of the legendary Nigerian musician whose soulful Afrobeat rhythms and cutting lyrics ignited the spirit of empowerment and cultural awareness in a generation.

Trace Sports to kick off in June.

French TV group TRACE has announced in Cannes its international sport celebrity channel TRACE Sport, the first one of its kind, to be launched in June 2011.

A pre-launch phase will begin in May in Asia, showing 70 % of TRACE’s programmes and on its launch day in June, it will be offered into 30 countries.

A distribution agreement has been signed with Multichoice/DStv in Sub-Saharan Africa. In France, TRACE Sports will go to IPTV platforms and Numericable. “The objective is to reach 50 million households within three years”, Trace President Olivier Laouchez explained.

Targeting the 15-49 year demographic, the new channel will be carried into 8 languages and will not offer any sporting events but documentary, infotainment and profiles of sport celebrities. It will start with a €10 million budget, with 60 % going to contents, as 70 % of them will be produced in Native HD. Ad-free, the new channel model will be based on distribution, sponsoring and branded content.

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FELA! MUSICAL BROADWAY COMES TO LAGOS.

Broken Shackles is proud to announce the coming of the hit Broadway musical FELA! to Lagos, Nigeria.

FELA! the most critically acclaimed musical to hit Broadway which has received eleven nominations and three 2010 Tony Awards: Best Choreography, Best Costume design for a Musical and Best Sound Design of a musical, is scheduled to come to Lagos from 22nd to 29th April 2011 at the Eko Hotel.

TICKET PRICE / SHOW TIME INFORMATION
Category Price (N)
35,000
15,000
10,000
5,000

Show Times
April 20th, 2011 - 7:00 pm
April 21st, 2011 - 7:00 pm
April 22nd, 2011 - 7:00 pm
April 23rd, 2011 - 7:00 pm
April 24th, 2011 - 2:00 pm (Matinee)
April 24th, 2011 - 7:00 pm
April 25th, 2011 - 2:00 pm (Matinee)
April 25th, 2011 - 7:00 pm

CONTACT INFORMATION
Fela in Lagos Ltd
2nd Floor,109 Awolowo Rd, Ikoyi, Lagos, Nigeria.

Expo Centre,
Eko Hotel & Suites, Kuramo Waters, Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria.
Phone: +234 1 277 2700
Fax: +234 1 270 4071

Telephone: +234 703 5102978/+234 705 2985332

E-mails:
info@felainlagos.com
sponsorship@felainlagos.com
tickets@felainlagos.com
pr@felainlagos.com

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DStv LAUNCHES 3RD SUPERSPORT HD CHANNEL

On Friday, 8 April 2011, a third High Definition sports channel, SuperSport HD3, will join the DStv family. This is in addition to the two existing SuperSport HD channels.

The introduction of an additional HD channel has given SuperSport the opportunity to slightly reshuffle its sports offering across the three SuperSport HD channels:

SuperSport HD1, channel 171: SS HD1 consists of a variety of sporting codes, including local and international rugby, PSL football, Uefa Champions League, tennis majors, European Tour, US PGA golf, F1 and MotoGP.

SuperSport HD2, channel 174: SS HD2, which currently shows the EPL, will be the new channel which will be available from 8 April 2011 at 5am (Nigerian time). It will feature various High Definition sports programming, including selected cricket, Bundesliga soccer, PSL soccer, Europa League soccer, tennis majors, Champions League soccer, F1 and MotoGP.

SuperSport HD3 Nigeria, channel 177: SS HD3 will now broadcast the 24-hour English Premier League channel (previously available on SS HD2 Nigeria). A limited amount of programming, particularly legacy matches will be in Standard Definition because of their historical nature.

M-Net Africa HD (channel 170) will be used for sport on Saturdays between 1-6 pm, mainly rugby but also some soccer and PGA golf. This channel will only be used in the event that the regular SuperSport HD channels cannot accommodate additional sport.

“We made a commitment to our viewers and now we are delivering,” said Andre de Villiers, SuperSport’s marketing director. “Sporting events are increasingly being produced in High Definition and SuperSport is committed to bringing more of this broadcast technology to the market. Sport, in particular, lends itself to the excellent quality offered by High Definition.”

The addition of SS HD3 brings the total number of High Definition channels on DStv Africa to 7: 3 SuperSport HD channels, M-Net Africa HD, M-Net Movies 1 HD, i-Concert and Discovery HD Showcase. The High Definition channels are available to DStv Premium subscribers who use an HD PVR decoder, and are included as part of the monthly access fee of 1,800 naira.

“High Definition channels are becoming the television standard globally. We don’t want our subscribers to be left behind - our focus is on rolling out as many High Definition channels onto the DStv platform as possible,” commented Aletta Alberts, GM: Content, MultiChoice.

Schedules are available via the OK button on DStv remotes and on the on screen TV Guide. HD schedules (for 2 weeks in advance) can also be found on the SuperSport website.


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Kidsco launches video games morning slot.

International kids channel KidsCo has announced the international launch of a new breakfast block of video games.From 6:00am to 9:00amNigerian time, kids will start weekdays with a range of video game heroes first run exclusives as well as classic and original productions. This includes series like Turbo Dogs, Sonic Underground, Super Mario Brothers, Donkey Kong and Boo&Me2. The shows have been selected for KidsCo’s different regions based on popularity.

“We know what different localities want and this is our way of giving it to them in a controlled way” commented Programming Director Eileen McCarthy. Joint owned by NBC Universal, Corus Entertainment and Cookie Jar Entertainment, Kidsco is now rolling out into 93 territories worldwide in 18 languages.



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Big Brother Gets Amplified

Running 91 days and 24/7 with a dream grand prize of USD 200 000, the sixth season of Africa’s biggest reality show will include more of the drama, the emotion, the excitement and the suspense that have made the series a firm fan favourite.

And it’s all going to be amplified!

So says M-Net Africa Managing Director Biola Alabi who heads up the channel’s initiatives across the continent. “By definition amplified means to increase the volume, to make louder, to make more powerful. And that’s exactly what we want to do with season six. To take the elements that audiences find so fantastic and present them in a refreshing new way while adding big surprises and entertaining twists. Amplified is such a well-known pop culture term and Big Brother has definitely become a pop culture success. So the name fits perfectly.”

With a dramatic new eye, etched in a carbon fibre background with an edgy, futuristic feeling and with a sophisticated polished reflective finish, the newly unveiled show logo sets the scene for a bold new season!

With the deadline for entries now closed and the next phase of selection now well under way to choose housemates from the 14 participating countries (Angola, Botswana, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe), Big Brother Amplified is on track to launch in little over a month!

“We received an unprecedented amount of entries this year,” says Alabi. “It’s been truly phenomenal, with almost 7000 written entries received from across the continent and countless more people attending the ‘last chance’ open auditions. We’ve had people from all walks of life from very different backgrounds with completely different aspirations …all take this one opportunity to enter Big Brother. It’s really heartening to see that if anything, the show is going from strength to strength.”

Created and produced for M-Net by Endemol South Africa, the series will once again be hosted by charismatic IK Osakioduwa, who has been at the heart of the action since he joined the show two seasons ago. With a brand new house also under construction, it’s a matter of weeks before Big Brother Amplified hits DStv screens!

Watch this space for more details.


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BBC to Mount Major Coverage of Nigeria Elections on BBC World News and BBC World Service

The BBC's international news services – BBC World Service, BBC World News television and bbc.com/news – have stepped up their operations to cover the national elections in Nigeria next month.

BBC World Service is extending regular programming and launching unique online and mobile content to deliver a comprehensive reportage and in-depth analysis of the key vote in Africa's most populous nation.

BBC journalists, who are also household names in the region, will be in key locations across Nigeria. Jamilah Tangaza in Abuja, Mansur Liman in Kano, Bilkisu Labaran and Bola Mosuro in Lagos and Peter Okwoche in Port Harcourt will bring the audiences the latest on the campaigns, votes and moods in the streets.

BBC World News television channel will be covering voting and election results from the north and south of Nigeria with presenter Komla Dumor and reports from correspondents Andrew Harding, Caroline Duffield and Rob Walker.

Special content on bbc.com/africa will include the latest elections news, profiles of main candidates, maps showing some of Nigeria's many divisions, analysis and views from Nigerian voters.

BBC Hausa has initiated a translation of the most important sections of the Nigerian Electoral Law from English into Hausa, to make it accessible to Hausa-speaking public. This content will be published on the elections index on bbchausa.com – along with profiles of the main candidates, political parties, key dates and deadlines, major issues etc.

The website will also profile first-time voters who will say why they will vote in the elections and how they feel about the process. Two-minute audio news updates and live text updates on bbchausa.com/mobile will offer the latest on elections as they happen in different parts of Nigeria and on the results as they begin to come in.

Head of BBC Hausa Jamilah Tangaza says: "These elections belong to the kind of events that bring to the fore our relationship with our audiences. It is not just us informing them, but also them being an integral part of our output, telling us what they want to discuss, responding to the events unfolding around them and using us as platform for debate."

In the run-up to the elections, Assignment on BBC World Service will be looking at the aftermath of ethnic and religious violence in Jos, in Plateau state, while BBC World News television will be doing a special investigation on vote-rigging allegations and corruption in Nigeria.

On the three election Saturdays – National Assembly Elections on 2 April, Presidential Elections on 9 April and Governorship and State House of Assembly Elections on 16 April – the BBC's English-language programmes for Africa will broadcast live from different regions of Nigeria.

On these days, BBC Hausa will extend its two daily live radio transmissions from 30 minutes to one hour.

The BBC's leading English-language programmes for Africa, Focus On Africa, Network Africa and Africa Have Your Say will be reporting from across Nigeria, talking about the issues that matter most to the Nigerian electorate. An edition of Focus On Africa dedicated to Nigerian elections will be broadcast to the BBC's global audiences.

Solomon Mugera, Editor, BBC Africa Region, says: "The deployment of a strong BBC team with journalists reporting for our English, Hausa, French and Swahili programmes as well as BBC World News television demonstrates our commitment to report and analyse these very crucial Nigerian elections – for the millions of listeners and viewers in Nigeria, the rest of Africa and the wider international community."


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HiTV'S "HI GAMJI" CHANNEL GOES LIVE

Today HiTV re-launched it's 24 hours Hausa general entertainment channel "Gamji".The newly re-launched channel is to be known as "hi gamji" ,and they promised it's going to be repackaged, revamped, rebranded .So kindly tune in to experience crisp picture quality, better graphics, improved content and lots more.

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On screen logo's of M-Net channels switched from top right corner to the top left corner 1 April.

Here's your first look at the brand-new logo for the M-Net Africa HD (DStv 170) channel that came into effect as a channel ident just after midnight this morning, 1 April.

The new gleaming M-Net Africa HD logo changed the font of the ''HD'' wording to a sans serif font, made the ''M'' blue ribbon bigger and now separate from the ''HD" to be more visible and to also be exactly the same as not jus the ''M'' of the main M-Net channel (DStv 101/102) but also similar to how the ''M'' is now big and at the front of all the other M-Net sister channels (M-Net Stars, M-Net Action, M-Net Series).

 The new M-Net Action logo has a more subdued amber colour that the bright yellow below. The ''liquid lava'' look has also been replaced with a pronounced less 3D look. The silver lettering is also several shades lighter. The dot of the ''i'' is now the ''flame'' icon that appeared at the beginning (where the yellow ''M'' is now) and that was ditched in October.

The new M-Net Series logo is much clearer than the current old one , done to make M-Net channels instantly identifiable and brand-recognizable as belonging to the M-Net channel cluster. All the channels get the ''M'' ribbon-device moved to the front - in whatever colour. M-Net Series will be changing to a clear and crisp silver metallic look, adding just a dash of dramatic tonality with that serif letter ''r'' and the dot of the ''i'' that now reverses the curved angle from the left side to the right.

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