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www.theafricachannel.com/
On
American Television - The Africa
Channel
By David J.
Saunders
The Africa Channel,
a fresh, new "all-Africa" television
network for American audiences, is
Intended to fill a significant void, The
Africa Channel is the first and only
U.S.-based television network that will
present the African Continent's most
outstanding English language dramas,
feature films, cultural and historical
programming, bio-graphics, soap operas,
reality series and children's shows, as
well as lifestyle, business and travel
programming. Viewers are transported into
a world filled with rich cultures,
incredible music, the art-stopping
adventure, emotional human dramas and
award-winning entertainment
programming.
The Africa Channel's
primary mission is to open up a daily
window into modern Africa and into African
life through a myriad of programming
genres and, in the process, help to
demystify Africa for Americans. The Africa
Channel's targeted audiences
include:
- Thirty-seven
million African-Americans;
- Nearly Eighty
million households that are already
plugged into the History Channel, A&E
Channel, Discovery Channel, the Travel
Channel and National Geographic;
and
- Nearly two million
resident Africans.
Many in the
African-American community are frustrated
with the limited programming choices
targeted towards their demographic. They
instead want programming that connects
with their lives, traditions and heritage;
programming that is compelling,
intelligent, relevant, and overall
entertaining. This is a community that
represents 12.7 million households and
nearly $600 billion in purchasing
power.
African-Americans
watch forty percent more television than
the general American market yet most of
the top-rated television programs for
general audiences are not even listed in
the top ten shows for African-Americans.
Likewise, general American audiences
already plugged into the Discovery
Channel, National Geographic and Travel
Channel, will now have an intelligent,
entertaining and informational window into
the richness and promises of modern
Africa. In addition, for African
expatriates residing in the United States,
The Africa Channel will provide a familiar
and steady bridge between their homeland
and life in America.
The Africa Channel
plans to launch its "all Africa"
television network on terrestrial cable
and satellite DTH systems across the
United States in late 2004. The Africa
Channel's initial programming lineup will
carry all of the high production values,
formatting and branding familiar to
sophisticated American television viewing
audiences.
In this age of
ever-increasing programming options, The
Africa Channel has a unique opportunity to
not only connect with audiences, but to
establish its relevance. The Africa
Channel is striving to position itself to
be both the destination for, and the
bridge to African entertainment, news,
information, music, lifestyle, education,
business and culture. The Africa Channel's
programming will be about the people of
Africa, telling their incredible stories
about their daily lives, their music and
art, their successes, celebrations and
challenges.
The Africa Channel's
overall purpose is to simply inform and
entertain in a way that audiences in
America have come to appreciate and
understand. American audiences understand
quality and relevance in the sense of
programming that is engaging, compelling
and worthy of their viewing
time.
The mega-hit
mini-series, "Roots" taught Americans
about the African-American audience and
its emotional attachment to Africa. More
importantly, Roots captured the attention
of the general American audiences as well
because it was truly a great story with
insight into a world that had never before
been seen on televisions, not to mention
in Prime Time! Roots inspired a nation and
the interest in Africa was tremendous. But
unfortunately, after the mini-series was
over, the African Continent once again
fell into "darkness". The Africa Channel
will finally tell the rest of the story
from a more current perspective. The
Africa Channel will open Africa to
American audiences and satisfy interest in
the Continent that has actually never been
quenched.
The Africa Channel
has leveraged its longstanding
relationship with South Africa's major
television producers and suppliers to
create daily programming blocks across
entertainment and informational genres.
The vaults of the South African
Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), Summit
TV, M-Net, ETV, Endemol and other
suppliers are full of outstanding content,
including many award-winning shows that
have never been seen outside of Africa.
Until now, there has never been a
dedicated 24/7 channel outlet in the
United States for this high-quality
programming or such an affordable conduit
through which sponsors and advertisers can
reach The Africa Channel's targeted
audiences.
The Africa Channel
is led by a seasoned team of pay
television broadcast and program
distribution executives, each possessing
special expertise in the African and
American television sectors and a passion
for bringing African entertainment,
information and culture to American
audiences.
The co-founders of
The Africa Channel are James Makawa, a
Zimbabwean and one of the few Executives
from sub-Saharan Africa to have enjoyed a
successful career in both local and
network television in the United States;
Jacob Arback, who has over twenty years of
international business and media
experience, with special expertise in the
global satellite and pay television
industry; and Richard Hammer, a seasoned
professional with over twenty years of
hands-on experience in the entertainment
industry, with special expertise in
marketing and promoting African
programming throughout the
Continent.
The company has also
formed an Advisory Board, comprised of
well-known leaders in the African-American
community, cable television industry,
content production sector and political
arena, whose primary role will be to
mentor the business, provide access and
relationships, assist with fundraising and
ensure that the enterprise is meeting the
entertainment, social, educational and
business needs of the communities that it
serves.
Ambassador Andrew
Young will chair the Advisory Board, whose
other members currently include Rob Weller
and Gary Grossman of Weller/Grossman
Productions, NBA all-star player Dikembe
Mutombo and prominent South African
businessmen and activist, Moss Mashishi.
The Executive Team of The Africa Channel
will include James Makawa as CEO, Jacob
Arback as President, Richard Hammer, as
Executive Vice President for Marketing
Communications and Promotions, and Henry
Watson as Executive Vice President for
Distribution.
In conclusion, The
Africa Channel will bring original, fresh
and relevant entertainment and
informational programming to American
audiences in a way that has never been
done before. The Africa Channel's
exclusive program distribution agreements,
combined with its low-cost content
sourcing from South Africa, creates a
solid and scalable business model and
provides the kind of flexibility to tailor
programming that continually meets the
tastes and preferences of its targeted
audience. For the first time, American
audiences will be able to connect on a
daily basis with the richness and promise
of modern Africa. For more information
about The Africa Channel, please visit
their website at
www.theafricachannel.com.
About the author:
David J. Saunders is the Chief Executive
Officer of Venue International
Professionals, Inc. (VIP) &endash; a
full-service travel and tourism company
based in the Washington Metropolitan Area
that specializes in the promotion of
travel and tourism opportunities to the
Continent of Africa. He is a member of the
Africa Travel Association (ATA) and has
traveled extensively to more than
twenty-five African countries and is a
frequent writer of news and information
articles about his experiences in various
trade publications to include the Africa
Travel Magazine, Black Meetings and
Tourism Magazine and the Africa
Travellers' Journal. He can be contacted
at vipinc@erols.com.
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