Africa's First Teen Channel Expected To Debut In March On DStv And Possibly GOtv

Teen Africa TV (TATV), Africa's first ever niche television network for teenagers aged 13-15 is expected to go live on March 30th on DStv and possibly GOtv across Africa. No channel number or package has been issued when it is we'll let you know.

TATV is owned by Nigeria's very own Charles Novia the channel was originally going to be called Teentube but another company already had that name so they went for TATV. The channel is expected to carry series, movies, fashion, lifestyle and more. Since it is a youth based channel expect some educational content in the mix.

This channel was created to promote current and upcoming stars from Nigeria soon to be Africa. There is a bunch of programming confirmed for this channel including When I Was A Teenager, The Voice Kids Nigeria, Unplugged and a lot more in production.

It took 13/4 years for Charles to get this channel of the ground what started as a YouTube channel began to grow into what it is known today.

This channel has potential and I can see it having a major impact across the market and if it succeeds it could face other global brands like Nickelodeon. This isn't the only youth channel launching on DStv apparently there's two one which I'll leave untitled while other is called SA Youth TV judging by the name it's only for South Africa.

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