Budget Cuts Will Not Solve BBC's Problems

The retrenchment of the BBC’s news behemoth has been a long time coming but is no less welcome for all that. The Corporation has been forced by financial considerations to take a long, hard look at what its core news functions should be.

The cuts announced by Fran Unsworth, director of news and current affairs, envisage slimmed down news schedules and greater pooling of reporters to end the practice of separate teams of journalists covering the same stories for different outlets.

The award-winning Victoria Derbyshire morning magazine show has been axed and others are to be reduced in scope. Newsnight will make fewer films.

The aim is for the news operation to save £80 million out of the £800 million in overall savings earmarked by the BBC by 2022. It will involve the loss of 450 editorial jobs which the Corporation hopes to manage mainly through voluntary redundancy.

There is an old saying at the BBC that whenever there are difficulties, “deputy heads will roll”. The sense that the legions of managers earning six figure salaries are always immune from such economies runs deep. It is essential that other parts of the Corporation take a lead from the news side and weed out duplication and inefficiency. But the strategy behind the cuts is hard to discern.

Ms Unsworth told staff that they had to move away from traditional broadcasting towards digital. This in order to attract a youth audience who the BBC data say once watched the news but don’t anymore. But it is questionable whether they did so in the past or were waiting for something else to come on the television while the news was on. The younger generation today no longer watch the BBC at all let alone its news output.

But they will as they get older, which is why the BBC needs to produce good quality programming that appeals to anyone of any age. It must be possible for the Corporation to cut its spending without reducing the quality of its output. Setting out in pursuit of a youth audience, whose digital interests are often fleeting and demotic, risks replacing good journalism with “click-bait” stories that are of no interest to the audience that is interested in news.

Whatever reforms the BBC makes to save money, though, cannot be uncoupled from the bigger debate about the future of public service broadcasting and the licence fee.

Some Details Regarding The Long Awaited Channel, Limpopo TV

Limpopo residents are excited about a new television channel that will be launching soon. The channel will be known as Limpopo TV and its content will be a mixture of local and international programmes with a modern flair, aimed at entertaining, educating and informing.

Limpopo TV is a unique multi-cultural & ethnic platform for news and information created for Limpopo Community, Africa and the World, Free to Air and subscription television’s most dynamic, high growth, and loyal consumers!

Limpopo TV is the nation’s first channel to fill this significant void and provide True Limpopo viewers news, information,
entertainment and educational content focused on their interests and needs on a day to day.

Limpopo TV's purpose is to be a news organization that gives voice to the varied experiences, issues, points-of-view and priorities that matter and relevant to Limpopo Community. The network will empower Limpopo Community and address the issues of the day in a way that is fresh, bright, complete, inspiring and empowering to its audience.

Some residents share their opinions on this new channel.

-Pam Ditshego says she is excited that there will finally be a channel telling their, stories which most people don’t know about.“It’s about time we show our talent to the world, and our indigenous languages will be heard,” she says.
-Mpho Kolonyane says many Sepedi-speaking people don’t know their culture, so this is an opportunity for the younger generation to learn more of where they come from.
-Lekoetsi Thosago says she is happy and believes the new TV channel will assist with youth development.“The entertainment industry does not really recognise people in Limpopo because most TV programmes are in Zulu; now it’s our time to shine and show our diverse cultures.
-Paballo Kolonyane says she is delighted and believes her dream of being an actress is about to come true.
-Thabiso Mathe says it’s about time to discover the hidden talent of people in Limpopo.“This is an opportunity to raise our voices in our own languages,” he says.
-Muzzy Bhila says this will give artists an opportunity and platform to showcase their work.
-Jimmy Medupe says the TV channel is good for job creation and it will include more local talents and skills.“I see this channel as a way to fight poverty and I hope the municipalities will work with the station so it can have a longer life,” Medupe says.
-Luyanda Rams says Limpopo TV will unearth the talent of people living in the province.

Fox Life Africa Must Fall Takes Flight

Sick and tired of complaining to FOX Africa and MultiChoice regarding FOX Life good news there's a petition going around to have it removed from the platform. Show your support by clicking the link 'FOX Life Must Fall'

CANIMAF With African Animation Network

We begin our retrospective with our very first special guest from CANIMAF, Nick Wilson. His participation in this 3rd edition allowed the many festival-goers and professionals in attendance to appreciate the immense opportunities that the animation industry offers to the economy, culture and the technology industry. Nick is the head of the AAN which is one of the partners of Tousanime and its festival Canimaf. 

Together with the AAN, he pilots large-scale projects that contribute to the development of animation in Africa. Here are some of his successes.

The African Animation Network (AAN) is a pro-profit, talent-driven, social enterprise with a core mission to empower African animation professionals and build a sustainable animation industry. AAN believes that this can be achieved through 3 key pillars:
1.) Talent Identification & Skills Development
2.) revenue-generating Access to Audience
3.) & (with these in place) we believe direct Investment will follow.

AAN has developed a series of Open Network Platforms to facilitate the 3 pillars. Nick was responsible for building the institutional & industry partner networks as well as developing the content delivery strategy & platforms to drive expansion & revenues across the open network platforms.

Key industry partnerships brokered:
AAN is a brand custodian of Animation du Monde Pan-Africa in partnership with Annnecy Int. Animated Film Fest. & Market/MIFA. By geographic footprint, AAN runs the largest leg of the premiere animation pitching competition in the world.

In partnership with Basic Lead, AAN runs the animation programme (workshops & panels) & hosts the animation pavilion at Africa's premiere content trade shows DISCOP Markets (Abidjan, Joburg, Cairo).

AAN has a co-publishing partnership with Animation Magazine, the most prestigious animation-centric publication globally. Top African news items are published on Animation Magazines digital & social platforms & reach over 180,000 people globally.

AAN has partnered with the top kids animation broadcaster Cartoon Network Africa. In 2018 AAN ran the Rest of Africa PR for Creative Lab with a 26,000% ROI.
AAN has partnered with SSTREAMM to create an AAN mobile SVOD channel on MTN Shortz.

AAN has partnered with Baboon Animation (27 Emmy's) & Toonz Media Group (produce +10,000min/year) to create DISCOMICS IQEMBU. IQEMBU means "group" or "cluster" in isiZulu.

AAN, in partnership with Imira and Basic Lead, will launch the first African-owned linear 24hr kids' animation & pop culture thematic channel.

Thank you again for your excellent participation in this 3rd edition of CANIMAF

NBCUniversal Launches A New News Channel Called Sky World News Globally, Question Arise On Whether This Channel Will Replace Sky News On DStv?

A new NBC Sky World News channel will go live this summer across global TV networks, as well as on the Peacock streaming service which will not be available in South Africa.

The channel will mark Comcast’s first effort to unite its brands since its $30 billion acquisition of Sky in 2018.

Andy Lack, chairman of NBC News, told the FT that the service will target English-speaking audiences, and will draw on a 3,500-strong combined workforce and hire 100-200 dedicated staff. Ten new bureaus will open worldwide, extending the NBC-Sky reporting footprint by some 50 per cent.

The operation will be led by British TV executive Deborah Turness, who ran NBC News between 2013 and 2017 before being given responsibility for developing its international arm.

On launch, the television channel will reach an estimated 130 million households, and will seek to take on the likes of CNN and BBC in the global world news market. Since then MultiChoice and Sky News have been silent on the matter.

“We’ve longed for an international channel,” Lack said to the FT . “Going back to the Gulf war when CNN essentially came on to the scene, we knew then at NBC that if you weren’t in the 24-hour news business globally, you weren’t really in the news business. So when I first went to NBC in 1993 it was like, goddamn, how do we get one of those?” That opportunity seemingly finally arose following the acquistion of Sky.

The Classic Flintstone Characters Pebbles And Bamm-Bamm Return In The Brand New Series Yabba Dabba Dinosaur In February 2020 On Boomerang Africa Along With New Episodes From Your Favourite Shows

YABBA-DABBA DINOSAUAR
New Show
Pebbles Flintstone and Bamm-Bamm Rubble are best friends growing up in prehistoric times when dinosaurs still walked the earth. They live in the town of Bedrock, a modern stone-age civilization, but whenever they get the chance, Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm head to the open wilderness outside of town known as: The Crags, where the environments are as wild and amazing as the countless different dinosaurs that live there. In the Crags, Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm are free to do whatever they want, and no one can tell them how to do it.
PREMIERE DATE
Monday 17/02/2020
TUNE-IN
Monday to Friday @ 18:05 CAT
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MR Bean, the animated series
New Episodes
Bean is Back! Mr Bean is back for a third series of his animated adventures.  This series follows Mr Bean, his best friend Teddy and his long-suffering landlady Mrs Wicket as we witness more of the mishaps that surround Mr Bean’s daily life.
PREMIERE DATE
Monday 03/02/2020
TUNE-IN
Monday to Friday @ 16:15 CAT
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Masha and the Bear Song Fest
Masha is a free-spirited and fun girl who loves to cause mayhem but also sing while hanging out with her friend Michka the bear.
This feel good stunt will figure a combination of the best singing episodes of Masha and the Bear.
PREMIERE DATE
Sunday 01/03/2020 @ 07:35 CAT

DStv Expands It's Offering - More Channels For More Customers

DStv customers are in for a massive treat this January. Not only will Compact Plus customers now get to enjoy Nick Jr. (channel 307), Family customers will also have National Geographic (channel 181) and TRACE Urban (channel 326) added to their package for their viewing pleasure. And, Access customers will get to watch Moja Love (channel 157) from 7 February to 6 March…that’s even more entertainment for everyone to enjoy!

Then, there are two exciting pop-up channels to explore, M-Net Movies Blackout: The Leading Men Edition (channel 109) available on Premium from 24 January to 16 February, showcasing some of Hollywood’s greatest black actors in their biggest films. There will be over 100 movies to watch, and viewers can look out for the likes of Morgan Freeman, Samuel L. Jackson, Martin Lawrence, Eddie Murphy and more.

The Ultimate Love pop-up channel (channel 198), will bring a new twist to reality television as we know it.  The channel will run from 9 February until 5 April, is a first-of-its-kind Nigerian reality show which centres on 16 participants (eight males & eight females) living together in an isolated location with the hope of finding love. Participants will be paired based on their mutual attraction to one another and will compete to emerge as the ultimate couple of the competition.

“We are continuously looking at ways that will ensure that customers across all our packages are able to access some of the great content that is available on our platform. Having these channels available for our customers is part of our ongoing commitment to bringing a wide variety of the best in local and international content that touches the lives of our viewers,” said Mark Rayner, Chief Executive Officer at MultiChoice South Africa.

The addition of Nick Jr. to the Compact Plus package is certainly a delight to parents. Nick Jr. (channel 307) forms part of DStv’s School of Laughter, which is all about a world of kid-friendly humour, to get your little one chuckling. Research has shown this helps tremendously in honing a number of social skills, from developing empathy to making friends easily and boosting creativity. Nick Jr. is the perfect channel to help younger kids (from two to six years old) explore the world around them. In February Nick Jr will also feature new episodes of popular shows such as Paw Patrol, Rusty Rivets and Blaze and the Monster Machines and they will be available on Catch Up.

National Geographic is certain to be a hit with shows such as Brain Games, which invites celebrities to realise their special brain power through fun games, Running Wild With Bear Grylls, where the renowned adventurer guides some Hollywood stars through the most extreme environments in the world, it’s all about taking a fresh look at the planet we live on and lots more.

TRACE Urban is a youth channel that focuses purely on urban and afro-urban celebrity news, music, entertainment and culture. It’s where the happening teens and young adults get their daily source of hot and happening action.

The content on Moja Love has proven to be popular with our audiences on channel 157 since the channel launched. The channel flights mostly local content that focuses on reality TV, actuality, entertainment and talk shows. The open period for the channel means that customers on the DStv Access package will be able to enjoy this content as well.

As always, DStv is bringing its customers a whole lot to be delighted about in 2020 – and this is just the beginning.

-ENDS –

Cartoon Network Africa Is Getting On The Zagtoon Action With The Debut Of Power Players In February 2020 Along With New Episodes Of Favourite Shows

POWER PLAYERS
New Show
Axel, a 9-year-old boy who can transform into a living action figure, gains a wild new perspective on the world as he wrangles a team of quirky smart-toys on the biggest small adventures a kid could ever imagine.
PREMIERE DATE
Monday 24/2 2020
TUNE-IN
Monday-Friday @07:20 CAT
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NINJAGO
New Episodes
The Ice Chapter: Zane’s been captured by the evil Ice Emperor. The Ninja have mounted a desperate rescue mission – but if they want to see their friend again, they’ll have to battle hordes of Blizzard Samurai as they make their way through the Never-Realm, from where no Ninja has ever returned. Join the adventures of Nya, Kai, Jay, Zane, Cole, Lloyd, and Master Wu in 15 exciting new episodes. Bundle up, and let’s go!
PREMIERE DATE
Friday 22/2 2020
TUNE-IN
Weekends @ 10:45  CAT
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Let’s Dance STUNT
Pop-Up Party is back with several dance clips! Filmed in Kenya, we are going to discover the trendy and  hottest dance moves of the moment!  To discover in floating on Cn Africa from 01/03 and for few of them during the Let's Dance Stunt! In the Let's dance Stunt there will be a  selection of episodes on the theme of dance and a premiere of some of the new Pop-up Party S3 clips! Fun, dance and smiles!
TUNE-IN
Saturday 29/2 2020 @08:40 CAT

February 2020 Lineup On CuriosityStream Africa

HIDDEN TRACES
Tuesdays from 4 February CAT: 20:00
Episodes 6 x 60 Mins
New archeological findings, first hand accounts of the war, Experts interviews and CGI and 3D reconstitutions intermingle in this investigative series on the look out for hidden traces of the most emblematic episodes of war. Each battle field becomes an open book revealing unexpected elements and details shedding new lights on the conflicts and their context.
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THE CASE
Thursdays from 6 February 2020 CAT: 21:00
Episodes: 12 x 60 Mins
Every cop has a case that haunts him and hits his life. A case so intense and personal that pushes him past his limits. And when a cop ends up to go fully on record, this case remains rooted in you. In each episode of the series, a police officer reveals the strongest moments of the investigation that marked his life.
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WHAT’S MY CAR WORTH?
Weekdays from 3 February CAT: 14:00 & 14:30 Back to Back Episodes Weekdays from 17 February CAT: 14:00
Episodes: 30 x 30 Mins
They may think their classic cars are priceless, but owners get a true sense of what their rides are worth in this longtime Velocity series. Sports Car Market magazine Publisher Keith Martin provides the critical, expert eyes auto enthusiasts need to properly determine value. He visits car auctions across the U.S. to test drive some of the world's rarest automobiles for sale, from powerful muscle cars to stylish European sports autos. After an in-depth inspection and a deep dive into each car's history, Martin determines an accurate value before it races across the auction block. Comic/actor Josh Nasar ("Sons of Anarchy") --a collector car junkie joins Martin on many episodes.
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CRIME SCENE SOLVERS
Thursdays from 6 February CAT: 20:00
Episodes: 4x 60 Mins
When tackling a crime, the investigator’s only solution is to make the clues talk! There is no such thing as a perfect crime. Assault, kidnapping, murder… the culprit always leaves traces behind him. To hook the viewer, all the clues involved in the story are laid out in a CSI forensics lab, staged very esthetically. Each episode is structured around ten clues, presented like the scattered pieces of a macabre jigsaw puzzle. Gradually, the viewer comes to understand the part played by each clue in the investigation, until finally the truth is revealed. Each episode is addictive appointment viewing, captivating storytelling that grips the viewer and doesn’t let go until the last minute. Reality trumps fiction!
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BUTTERFLY EFFECT
Monday to Friday from 3 February CAT: 19:00 & 19:30
Episodes: 39x 30 Mins
Our history is no more than a series of incredible events. From the birth of a thousand- year-old empire to the death of a flourishing civilization, from the creative genius of a handful of men to a worldwide cultural revolution, the most infinitesimal of our decisions can influence the future of humanity.
Every episode guides us to revisit a key event, a crossroads in our History where the world swings one way or the other. With spectacular reconstitutions created by 3D modeling specialists, every story is told in sequences and uchronies, which gives new perspective for today.
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BRIGHT NOW
Monday –Friday from 3 February CAT: 18:00
Episodes: 12x 30 Mins
With the newest technologies and access to incredible storytellers around the world, explore pivotal moments in history, meet fascinating people, visit their world's experiences, and uncover extraordinary wildlife findings all in our present day.
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BREAKTHROUGH
Monday –Friday from 3 February CAT: 18:30
Episodes: 20x 30 Mins
Take a deeper look at some of the recent developments in physics, astronomy, and other sciences. Learn from experts’ research findings, theories, and efforts on how to resolve global scientific events. Find out about rip currents, asteroids, wildfires, life on Mars, and so much more in this short-form documentary series

Coastal Killers Debuts In February On CBS Justice Africa

COASTAL KILLERS
Season 1 Premiere CBS JUSTICE ORIGINAL
Sundays at 21:00 from 2nd February until 5th April
Perhaps it’s the sea air or too much sun. But despite the jollity associated with sandcastles and ice creams, breezy promenade walks and donkey rides, many British seaside towns have a dubious reputation for hosting the most remarkable crimes.

Some of the most strange and terrifying murders ever recorded in British criminal history have taken place at the famous seaside resorts; the grand hotels playing host to some of the deadliest murderers imaginable, and the seafronts doubling as stalking grounds for the serial killers.

Three Shows Are Back For Another Season On Universal TV Africa

Coroner S2 will premiere Monday 3rd at 8pm.
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Hudson & Rex is an action-packed police-procedural drama set in Newfoundland.
The series follows the partnership between cunning Major Crimes detective, Charlie Hudson, and his partner, Rex, a German Shepherd with heightened senses and formerly with the K-9 police unit.
Hudson & Rex S2 will premiere Tuesday 11th at 8pm.
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There is murder again in Midsomer County. DCI Barnaby along with DS Jamie Winter are back to solve more murders in Britain’s deadliest county.
Along with Barnaby and Winter, eccentric forensic expert Fleur Perkins and Paddy, the Barnaby’s dog are also returning for another season of murder and mayhem.
Midsomer Murders S21 will premiere Sunday 9th at 8pm.
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On Valentine’s Weekend (Friday 14th-Sunday 16th) we will also be celebrating the season of love with a double-bill of romance every day @ 12:30.
Our season will include four premieres; The Joneses’ Unplugged (2017), Brimming With Love (2018), Can’t Buy My Love (2017) and Hopeless, Romantic (2016).
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CONTINUING SERIES
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit S21 continues throughout February (Wednesday @ 8pm)
NCIS S15 continues throughout February (Wednesday @ 8.50pm)
My Life is Murder continues throughout February (Fridays @ 8pm)

The Mummy And Scorpion King Festival+More Coming In February 2020 To Studio Universal Africa

TUESDAY BLOCKBUSTERS
“And that’s a wrap…!” are hopefully the last words uttered on the set of The Mummy, every time it gets made.
On Studio we return to the Brendan Fraser classic in February, with The Mummy trilogy and The Scorpion King quadrilogy in Tuesday double-bills from 6pm

THE MUMMY
4th, 11th and 18th February at 18:00
Studio Universal brings you one of the best trilogies this February, The Mummy. Let us take all you treasure-seeking explorers back to thrilling tomb adventures with Brendan Fraser. Set in the Sahara in 1925, The Mummy is a tragically epic expedition following an American man serving in the French Foreign Legion on an archaeological dig at the ancient city of Hamunaptra. The adventure begins when they accidentally awaken an undead priest! Watch The Mummy on February 4th at 18:00.
But the adventure is not over yet. This second part of the trilogy continues on Tuesday 11th at 18:00, so watch out for The Mummy Returns. Egyptologist Evelyn and her Legionnaire husband Rick must once again defeat Imhotep and take on the Scorpion King to save the world from evil.
If you have committed this far then you have to watch the final movie in the trilogy, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor on Tuesday 18th at 18:00, as Rick and Evelyn get entangled with a rogue faction planning to reanimate the ruler who united the land.

THE SCORPION KING
4th, 11th, 18th amd 25th February at 18:00 and 20:10
What’s better than a trilogy? A quadrilogy of The Scorpion King – and it’s right after The Mummy on Tuesdays! Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson stars as a mercenary hired to destroy the evil ruler Memnon, who is protected by the visions of a beautiful sorceress. Catch it on February 4th at 20:10, straight after The Mummy.
The Scorpion King 2: Rise of a Warrior and The Scorpion King 3: Battle for Redemption follow swiftly on February 11th and 18th, so watch out for those!
Finish off your month with the best ending of all, The Scorpion King 4: Quest for Power. After a friend turns on him, Mathayus needs all his resources to prevent the release of a terrible and ancient power. Grab your popcorn for this one on February 25th at 18:00.
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STEVEN SEAGAL IS...BACK!
The ever-present pony-tailed one returns for Action Weekend on Valentine’s Day (when else!) and this time around we boast channel premieres of...

UNDER SIEGE 15th February at 20:00
This daring movie features a US battleship, nuclear terrorists and the legendary Steven Seagal. Casey Ryback is a former Navy SEAL captain who is now a cook aboard the USS Missouri. While Casey is preparing for the Captain’s birthday, the rest of the team don’t anticipate a more deadly surprise. Posing as the birthday entertainment, the terrorists start their plan to steal the ship’s nuclear arsenal. It’s up to Casey to stop them with his expert martial arts skills, weapons and tactics. Tommy Lee Jones and Gary Busey co-star.

UNDER SIEGE 2 22nd February at 20:00
Under Siege 2 brings more action-packed thrills. With Casey having left the armed forces, he wants to lead a quiet life as a chef in Denver, but gets the unfortunate news that his estranged brother has died in a plane crash. Casey boards a train to Los Angeles to attend his funeral, but finds himself in a dangerous situation: armed mercenaries, led by computer hacker Travis Dane, hijack the train. Dane had previously worked on a top-secret military satellite weapon designed to destroy underground targets. Steven Seagal and Eric Bogosian star.
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MONSTERS
Also in February we’re extending our reach into late night, and this month it’s “Monsters”.
Feb 24th – 28th at 21:45, including the premiere of Mongolian Death Worm!

MONGOLIAN DEATH WORM 28th February at 21:45
Sean Patrick Flanery stars in this action movie, which sees an American oil company set the path for disaster. He plays Daniel, who is in Mongolia in search of the lost tomb of Genghis Khan. He meets Alicia, a doctor attempting to contain a viral outbreak. In the meantime, the oil company set up an experimental drilling plant across the vast desert of Mongolia, unaware they are waking up a nest. Soon, the deadliest creatures you could ever imagine begin to breed and spread while devouring everyone in their path. Victoria Pratt also stars.