Al Jazeera wins 'News Channel of the Year' at the Freesat Awards.

Al Jazeera (HiTV 005 / DStv 406 / TopTV 401) has been named the News Channel of the Year at the annual Freesat Awards held in London, Britain for a third time, beating rivals BBC World News, CNBC and France 24, and also winning in the category for ''News event coverage of the year'' for the channel's coverage of the uprisings across the Middle East dubbed ''the Arab Awakening''.

Al Jazeera's independence and impartiality were highlighted by the judges as key reasons for the Middle Eastern 24 hour news network's win in both categories. ''The panel agreed that the fearless and determined journalism demonstrated by reporters, including Sherine Tadros and Ayman Mohyeldin, in their coverage of the Arab Awakening were key factors in their commendation of the channel,'' says Al Jazeera in a press statement.

''We're delighted that our teams of journalists are receiving the recognition they deserve for their efforts,'' says Al Anstey, Al Jazeera English's managing director. ''Our coverage of the Arab Awakening was, and still is, a global news story of huge importance to us and we will continue to broadcast the stories that matter directly from the people on the ground.''



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M-NET LAUNCHES NEW SEASON OF GLO NAIJA SINGS.

M-Net has confirmed that DStv audiences will soon be able to tune in for the third season of the popular music reality series GLO NAIJA SINGS!

Tapping into the talent of Nigeria’s music community, the series combines the energy and emotion of aspiring performers with the expertise and skill of already established industry stars. The result is sensationally entertaining television that has the unique potential to change lives, as in the case of season one winner Jon Ogah and season two’s breakout star Casey Edema who both walked away with USD 100 000 in cash.

Open to a wide range of vocal music performers from soloists and duos to groups of up to 4 persons, GLO NAIJA SINGS gets underway later this month with free auditions set for seven cities across the country where hopefuls can put their singing ambitions to the test. So whether you like to express yourself through hip-hop, reggae, R&B, Afro-Beat, pop, soul or jazz, now’s your chance to step into the spotlight. The competition is open to entrants over the age of 18, with valid proof of Nigerian citizenship. All entrants will have to complete an entry form and are only allowed to audition once.

Produced by M-Net Nigeria and Nevermachine, in previous seasons the show included special celebrity judges as part of the audition process and this year, it will be no different. Past celebrity judges have included General Pype, Djinee, Omawumi, YQ, GT the Guitarman, Tyeng Gang, Kore Brown and TJ to name a few, so fans are advised to keep an eye out for more top performers this time round.

“We’ve been very fortunate that the cream of Nigeria’s music industry have joined us over the past two seasons, to the absolute delight of our audiences and the benefit of our contestants. By giving so generously of their time and their talent, they have grown not only their own fan base but also played a vital part in the development of Nigerian music” says Biola Alabi, Managing Director M-Net Africa.

She continues, “M-Net is happy to partner with GLO once more on a program which has really begun to draw large audiences eager to see, hear and celebrate great music from rising Nigerian stars. It’s fantastic that audiences are so responsive to this kind of series, that viewers participate through voting and that they really want to see the contestants succeed. It’s exciting, dramatic, and of course, fun!”

So if you want to have fun, and possibly find great fame and a large fortune along the way, make sure that you enter season three of GLO NAIJA SINGS.

Auditions are being held as follows:

Ibadan - 18 July
 Ibadan Civic Centre                  
816 Agodi GRA, Idi Ape-Iwo Road (Near NECO office)

Benin City - 21 July
Constantial Hotel                      
24/26 Airport Road GRA, Opposite Benin Airport Exit Gate

Enugu - 24 July
Dannic Hotel
3 Edem Close, Upper Chime Avenue, New-Haven

Port Harcourt - 27 July
Hotel Presidential                      
Aba Road, Port Harcourt

Kaduna - 1 August
Command Guest House      
30 Muhammadu Buhari Way, Former Waff Road, Kaduna

Abuja - 4 August
Abuja International Conference Centre                      
Plot 900 Herbert Macaulay Way, Garki District, Abuja

Lagos - 8 and 9 August
Phillips Warehouse
Ojota Bus stop, Ojota, Lagos

And to watch GLO NAIJA SINGS, DStv subscribers can tune in to M-Net from Sunday August 21 and follow the action weekly until the grand finale on Sunday November 13. The program will also be screened in high definition on the M-Net HD channel. GLO NAIJA SINGS will also be available on the AfricaMagic channel, shortly after it’s screening on M-Net.

For information on GLO NAIJA SINGS and other great M-Net programs, visit www.mnetafrica.com



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Camelot coming to Fox Entertainment from 18 October.

Fox Entertainment (HiTV 015/TopTV 180/MyTV 002/Zuku) has scored the first-run pay TV broadcasting rights to the lavish, big-budget TV drama Camelot with Joseph Fiennes as Merlin Jamie Campbell Bower as Arthur and Eva Green as Morgan with Fox Entertainment planning to start broadcasting Camelot from Tuesday 18 October in Africa.

Camelot is now the latest hot show going to a Fox, following big-buzz dramas The Walking Dead, Falling Skies and quite posibly, also soon the new Dallas.

The big-budget Camelot telling the tale of a young Arthur who's not yet King Arthur, was filmed on location in Ireland. The terrific adult drama filled with sex, sword-fighting, sorcery, comedy and excellent production values started on the Starz channel in America in February. The first season of Camelot retelling the Arthurian legend with several mysteries, twists and fascinating plot developments besides some quite breathtaking scenery has 10 episodes.

Due to hefty production hurdles, the ambitious show announced at the end of June that there won't be a second season of Camelot although the show started off strong and viewership went up s the season concluded its last episodes. ''Due to significant production challenges, Starz has decided not to exercise the option for subsequent seasons of Camelot with our production partners GK-tv, Octagon Films and Take 5 Productions,'' the production said in a statement.

The elaborate costumes, props and magnificent sets of Camelot contributing to the million dollar per episode budget, as well as the intricate scheduling conflicts amongst some of the show's main stars, led Starz to throw in the towel. Camelot is however definitely worth watching.


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Multichoice launches GOtv DTT service in Zambia.

MULTICHOICE  in partnership with Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) has introduced a new pay-television which will allow Zambians to join the digital revolution and enjoy 19 television channels.

The new service called GOtv service is part of Zambia’s goal to migrate from analogue to Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT).

GOtv will offer both local and international channels for Africa at K35,000 per month and a decoder with three months subscription for K455,000.

The service was launched in Lusaka on 2nd July 2011.

MultiChoice Zambia public relations officer Marlon Kananda said the newly introduced television service will contribute to Government’s commitment of migrating to digital from analogue.

DTT refers to the broadcasting of terrestrial television in a digital format and most African countries are in the process of planning and implementing the digital television which has enhanced pictures and quality sound.

“GOtv will deliver digital television to everyone and will enable them experience the digital television revolution in their homes. It supports the Zambian government’s commitment to migrating from analogue to digital by 2015,” he said.

Mr Kananda said the service has 19 channels which will enable subscribers have access to news, children’s programming, documentaries series and movies, among others.

“Subscribers will benefit from the increased number of channels, as well as improved pictures and sound quality which is synonymous with digital television,” he said.

He said the company will soon introduce the service to other countries around the world and build a strong backbone to ensure GOtv survives.

Commenting on the service, ZNBC director- general Eddie Mupeso said, “In the next few years, the current analogue signals will be switched off and ZNBC will become digital. This means that viewers will need to use a DDT decoder in order to receive a TV signal in future.”

And GOtv spokesperson Lee Nonde said the introduction of the service is the latest digital technology platform, adding that it will be available to customers with only a decoder or a grid antenna.

“The arrival of GOtv marks the introduction of a new service on a technology platform that subscribers can afford. All you need to receive GOtv is a DTT decoder or either a stub or grid antenna,” he said.


Channels on offer by GOtv in Zambia?
eTV Africa
Sony MAX
Zone Reality
Magic World
E! Entertainment
AfricaMagic +
ZNBC
ZNBC 2
The Style Network
Discovery World
Kids Co
Disney Junior
One Gospel
Channel O
BBC World
E News
Al Jazeera
TBN
Day Star


The service will soon be launched in Nigeria, Kenya and Uganda.


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eNews Africa setting up offices in Nigeria and Kenya for it's pan-Africa expansion.

eNews Africa, e.tv's pan-African news service covering news on the continent, is busy setting up offices in Nigeria as well as Kenya.

eNews Africa wants to expand the news operation's news gathering reach and stories from these countries and regions.

More details coming soon.


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Sky moves into Europe's greenest building

Sky Studios, Sky’s state-of-the-art production facility formerly known as Harlequin 1, begins broadcasting today, with Sky Sports News the first channel to be transmitted live from the new building.

The opening of Sky Studios is part of Sky’s growing commitment to British content. Last month, the company announced that it would increase investment in British programmes by more than 50% to £600 million a year over the next three years.

This morning at 6am Sky Sports News’ ‘Good Morning Sports Fans’ became the first programme to be broadcast from the new facility. The show was anchored by Mike Wedderburn, who also happened to be the first presenter to appear on Sky Sports News when it first went to air on the 9th August 1998. Wedderburn and co-presenter Kirsty Gallacher presented the show from a new studio that has been built specifically to cater for the needs of the Sky Sports News production team and enable them to continue delivering the most comprehensive sports news service to viewers.

The new studio is the most significant element of the recent programme of investment in Sky Sports News that has included increased funding for more live trucks for outside broadcasts enabling reporters to react live on air to the latest breaking sports news wherever they are, the capability to broadcast in high definition, and further investment in on-screen talent.

The most sustainable broadcasting facility in Europe, Sky Studios is home to eight naturally ventilated studios including five HD studios, 45 edit suites, 14 voice-over suites, four audio suites and on site post-production facilities.
Arranged over five levels, with each floor the size of a football pitch, Sky Studios has been designed so that original content can be filmed, edited and transmitted within a single facility. The building is divided horizontally into three zones - ‘make’, ‘shape’ and ‘share’ - housing content production, platform control and transmission services for all of Sky’s sport and news content. Building work began in 2006, and Sky has invested approximately £233 million in the facility.

Jeremy Darroch, Chief Executive, Sky, comments:
"Opening Sky Studios is a significant step in Sky’s development, and this building stands testament to our commitment to home-grown, high quality British content. Not only is Sky Studios the most environmentally sustainable broadcasting facility in Europe, its cutting edge technology will also help us continue to create ground-breaking and innovative programming long into the future."

Providing office space for 1,370 permanent and production staff, Sky Studios was designed and built with maximum energy-efficiency in mind. The facility will include an integrated wind turbine, to provide energy to power lighting throughout the building. Additionally, an on-site Combined Cooling & Heating Power plant supply at least 20% of the energy needed for the building’s electricity and heating systems.

In recognition of its innovations in renewable energy and energy efficiency, Sky Studios triumphed in the ‘Sustainable Project of the Year’ category at the 2010 Sustainability Awards and has also received nominations for The Guardian Sustainability Awards 2011, Building Awards 2011 and 2011 Sustainable Energy Europe Awards.


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Sky Sports News moves to new studio

Sky Sports News has become the first channel to go on-air from the new £233 million Sky Studios production facility in West London.

Previously known as Harlequin 1, the opening of Sky Studios is part of an increased investment in British content made by the broadcaster. Last month, it was announced that Sky plans to increase investment in British programmes by more than 50% to £600 million a year over the next three years.

“Opening Sky Studios is a significant step in Sky’s development, and this building stands testament to our commitment to home-grown, high quality British content,” said Jeremy Darroch, chief executive, Sky. “Not only is Sky Studios the most environmentally sustainable broadcasting facility in Europe, its cutting edge technology will also help us continue to create ground-breaking and innovative programming long into the future.”

The first programme to be broadcast, the 6am edition of Sky Sports News’ Good Morning Sportsfans, was presented by Mike Wedderburn, who also happened to be the first presenter to appear on Sky Sports News when it first went to air on the August 9, 1998.

Last autumn Sky Sports News moved from free-to-air to pay, at the same time receiving a significant increase in budget, adding additional OB trucks and high definition capability.

Sky Studios is home to eight naturally ventilated studios including five HD studios, 45 edit suites, 14 voice-over suites, four audio suites and on site post-production facilities.


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Maltina Dance All 2011: Season 5

Ten Nigerian families will slug it out on the dance floor as they attempt to outwit one another as the popular family reality television show Maltina Dance All (MDA) enters its fifth season. The MDA is a unique TV reality show where families strive to outdo each other through the mastery of various types of dance steps ranging from Wazobia, Hip-hop Jive, Pantomime, samba to salsa, it is also the consumer engagement and experiential marketing platform that the brand deploys to resonate with esteemed consumers and the society in general.

In line with its new positioning of sharing happiness, MDA 5 promises to be bigger, better and bolder, Nigerian Breweries Plc has announced an upward review of the prize money. According to the new arrangement, the winning family will now take home N5 million in addition to a brand new family SUV, while the first and second runners up will take home N1 million and N500, 000 respectively. The MDA is the consumer engagement and experiential marketing platform that the brand deploys to resonate with its consumers and the society in general.

Speaking at the Press briefing held at its expansive Lagos breweries headquarters, Ageni Yusuf, Corporate Affairs Adviser, Nigerian Breweries plc said Maltina Dance All is the foremost experiential and sponsorship platform of the Maltina brand renowned for promoting family values and bonding in line with the new brand proposition of “Sharing happiness” The reality TV show, Yusuf stated, debuted in 2007 and has remained Nigeria’s first and only family dance reality TV show featuring families from various regions across the country. It will be recalled that the 2007 maiden edition produced the Onye family; in 2008 it was the Opuwari family that carted away the star prize, in 2009 the nation’s best dance family were the Ibiams while the Adejo family was the overall winner for 2010.

The top NB Plc brass enjoined consumers and Nigerians in general to participate in the exciting show by registering at the regional auditioning centres at Port Harcourt, Benin, Enugu, Ibadan, Lagos and Abuja between June 29 and August 6 2011 or by registering online at www.maltinadanceall.tv. Breakdown of the regional auditioning dates show that Enugu and Abuja audition will take place on July 22-23, Ibadan July 29 and 30 while Port Harcourt is July 28 and 29. Benin and Lagos will have their turn on August 5-6 2011.

As a further incentive, Yusuf stated that, during the regional auditions consumers and members of the public also stand a chance to win any of the numerous regional dance competition prizes of; 2.5KVA Generators, 21” Flat screen TV sets, Home theatre systems and lots of nourishing Maltina. The Reality TV show will be aired in September this year on major TV networks and other stations across the country and on satellite stations like Africa Magic. Viewers can also participate and win fabulous prizes through the interactive SMS platform during the show.

CULLED FROM BELLA NAIJA



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CNN Presents: A Larry King Special – Harry Potter: The Final Chapter in July

Larry King sits down with the cast of Harry Potter leading up to the world premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2. The one-hour special, airing July 10 at 8pm and 10pm (Nigerian time) on CNN International will feature interviews with Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson,  Rupert Grint, Tom Felton, Helena Bonham Carter and Robbie Coltrane, as well as never before seen footage from the film days before its worldwide premiere. Additionally, James and Oliver Phelps, who play the Weasley twins, take viewers on a tour of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at the Universal Orlando Resort and interact with fans on the eve of the final Harry Potter movie.

Radcliffe, calling the final Potter film a “hell of a movie,” tells King that he “wept like a child on that last day” of filming.  The three main stars, who have spent half of their lives playing these characters, open up to King and reflect on the end of the series of films.  “I was so young, it’s difficult to remember much of my life before this thing happened to me,” Watson says.  “I was still losing my baby teeth” while playing Hermione. Grint says after 10 years of his life playing Ron Weasley, leaving the character behind was “quite a big kind of shock.”

In what many predict will be the movie event of the summer, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 will mark the end the most successful film franchise in history.  The films are based on a series of seven best-selling novels, written by J.K. Rowling.  After 10 years and over six billion dollars in ticket sales, Larry King will take viewers on an exclusive tour behind the scenes and into the making of the final movie with the special effects team who brought the magical world to the big screen. Never-seen footage will give CNN viewers a new glimpse at the iconic characters and for the first time, fans will see an extended clip of the film that will be shown exclusively on CNN just days before Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 opens in theatres on July 15th.  Wendy Walker is the executive producer of CNN’s Larry King Specials. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, A Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.


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M-Net launches Africa Magic Swahili on July 1.

M-Net has announced the arrival of their new baby, Africa Magic Swahili, a gift for more than 124 million Swahili speakers across the continent.

M-Net Africa Managing Director Biola Alabi says the complete Swahili package will debut on DStv channel 127 on July 1, at 3pm to be precise.

General Manager of Multichoice Kenya Stephen Isaboke  and  M-Net Africa Managing Director Biola Alabi

“Kiswahili is one of the oldest and most beautiful languages in the world. It’s also one of the most widely spoken languages in the region,” she said, stressing that it was a by-product of an urgent request from subscribers in the region.

Africa Magic Swahili will be the fifth offering of more localised content for the region after Africa Magic, Africa Magic Plus, Africa Magic Hausa and Africa Magic Yoruba.

DStv Channel 127 will initially broadcast on six hour loops much like the M-Net Series channel, and content will range from movies, drama series, talks shows and music videos.

“Content is a big challenge,” says Wangeci Murage, program Manager for M-Net in East Africa, who acknowledges that most of content is currently being sourced from Tanzania.

She however stresses that since there is a platform, local producers and film makers should take advantage of the chances to come up with more content.

It should come as good news to film makers in Kenya who rarely have an outlet for their creations that would generate revenue.

Wangeci has called on any film maker with relevant content to drop it at the M-Net offices in Rahimtulla Towers in Upper Hill,Kenya.

Biola said that most of the contracts they sign with programmes on their pay-TV channel range between 12 and 18 months, and this has been a successful model across the continent.

Stephen Isaboke,Biola Alabi and Wangeci Murage, program Manager for M-Net in East Africa

She also took the chance to announce that they would be shooting another season of Changes in the near future.

The General Manager of Multichoice Kenya Stephen Isaboke said the channel would be available even on their cheapest bouquet – DSTv Access – making it within reach for anyone who can afford to pay the monthly subscription.

Anyone can enjoy the programmes on the channel though as the dramas and movies will have English subtitles.