BBC Worldwides Africa focus
03/05/2017
BBC Worldwides Africa focus --
Fri, 28 Apr 2017 14:32
--
The BBC World Service has through the years manifested itself as one of the leading news corporations in TV, radio and digital. Moreover in 1998 it became the first international broadcaster to establish a news production bureau in Africa by relocating its London office to Nairobi, Kenya, as a strategic move to reinforce itself on the African market. Since then, the news service has enjoyed more audiences in Africa than anywhere else in the world.
So when BBC Worldwide - an extension of BBC s other channels besides its news service - established an office in Johannesburg, in the hopes of bringing more diverse content and channels to the South African audience; it also had plans to blossom across the African continent at large.
In September 2015, BBC Worldwide introduced three new global brands to South Africa: BBC First, BBC Brit and BBC Earth alongside the already established BBC Lifestyle and CBeebies channels. South Africa became the first country to host all five BBC global brands following the successful European debuts of BBC Brit and BBC Earth in Poland, the Nordics, Hungary, Romania and Turkey, comments BBC Worldwide Africa s vice-president and general manager, Joel Churcher.
BBC First features gripping British drama in all its forms; BBC Brit offers entertaining reality sitcoms and talk shows; while BBC Earth gives viewers insight to the greatest human discoveries as well as the magnificent wonders of the universe.
Churcher confirmed that all the channels are brimming with premium and award-winning content. In addition BBC First is said to be doing exceptionally well and has been ranked as the number one channel for international drama on DStv based on the average time spent by viewers glued to their screen.
The content hosted on these channels is designed to reach a diverse pan-African audience, reflecting a wide range of voices, ages and cultures. Our African viewers clearly have a deep affection for BBC programming, and as a leading content distributor, we will continue to deliver high quality, premium content to our channels for many years to come, says Churcher.
Churcher confirmed how the move to Johannesburg has also led the broadcaster to partner with a local production company, Rapid Blue and as a result BBC Worldwide has since commissioned several programmes which were either specifically filmed in South Africa or across the African continent.
BBC viewers have come to enjoy localised formats of the broadcaster s best-selling shows which include The Great South African Bake Off, Come Dine With Me and Strictly Come Dancing.
Besides these adaptations, the country has also gained favour as a film location of choice not only based on its scenic views but also because of the great value of shooting here. BBC Brit has seen increased ratings after Top Gear series 23 showcased some breathtaking African landscapes in Durban and Lesotho. BBC First s Call the Midwife drama series has also made a point of using actors from South Africa when it shot its Christmas episode on the outskirts of Cape Town, while BBC Earth s show Planet Earth II also featured the African continent. African countries that have also enjoyed the spotlight in other BBC programmes include Ethiopia, Namibia, Kenya, Zambia and Botswana.
While the brands are doing very well in South Africa and sub-Saharan Africa through MultiChoices digital satellite TV service, DStv; Churcher highlighted how the growth in the television sales business has seen other brands reaching further into the African continent such as the CBeebies brand, which was launched as a 24-hour channel on the Zuku TV platform in East Africa last year.
There has also been recent news of other new buyers from Africa including NET2 TV, a free-to-air channel in Ghana and the Econet Media Group, which recently established a new pay-TV platform.
The African continent has become one of the fastest growing economies in the world. To ensure that BBC Worldwide taps into its growing audience base, it is important that our channels host a well-executed balance of international and local content, which feature local voices and faces, Churcher says.
The brands success in making these great executions were awarded with South African wins at the 2016 Loeries for shows on BBC Brit and BBC Lifestyle as well as another award at the Pendoring Advertising Awards for a Zulu radio advert made for BBC Brit. The team also bagged gold at the PromaxBDA Africa Awards for their drama and reality promos.
We are extremely proud of our accolades and look forward to producing more award-winning campaigns that capture the hearts and enthusiasm of our audiences on the African continent, comments Churcher.
During the recent MipTV market in Cannes, BBC Worldwide announced that its reach in Africa has led to the licensing of over 400 hours of programming across Africa in just the first part of 2017.
Shows that have been reported to be most popular to the South African market include, War and Peace, Doctor Who and Luther on BBC First while BBC Brit s motoring show Top Gear has been the biggest show ever since the channels launched.
We re very excited by the rise in local African programming especially the popular shows coming out of Nigeria, Ghana and South Africa, and are focused on localising our popular formats to appeal to a wider audience across not just South Africa but the entire continent, concludes Churcher.
- Gezzy S Sibisi
Related Articles
BBC Worldwide invests in SA production company Rapid BlueBased in South Africa, Nigeria and Angola, Rapid Blue produces shows for African and international audiences...
Read more...
BBC: Head of talent rights negotiation Duties include line managing, motivating, leading and managing the performance of team members and talent...
Read mo
LINK: | http://www.screenafrica.com/page/news/business/1662466-BBC-Worldwide-s... |
See more stories from screenafrica |
Most recent headlines
04/08/2024
Dalet Appoints Santiago Solanas as CEO to Lead Next Era of Growth and Innovation
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, is excited to announce Santiago Solanas as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO)....
03/06/2024
Dalet and Veritone Reach Agreement to Distribute, Transact and Monetize Media Archives
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, a...
16/05/2024
Power Provokes Vital Questions About the Role of Police
PARK CITY, UTAH - JANUARY 18: Director Yance Ford introduces the Power premiere at Library Center Theatre. (Photo by Chad Salvador/Shutterstock for Sundance F...
16/05/2024
Mental Health Matters: Embrace Self-Care With These Audiobook and Podcast Listens
May is Mental Health Awareness month, a time to recognize those living with ment...
16/05/2024
ABC and SBS bring digital radio (DAB+) services to the Gold Coast
ABC and SBS bring digital radio (DAB ) services to the Gold Coast 15 May, 2024 Media releases ABC and SBS today announced that audiences on the Gold Coast ...
16/05/2024
Clear-Com Communication Solutions Enhance Oregon State University's PRAx Building
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({...
16/05/2024
6 New Clearmountain's Domain Presets
Share this article width=32 height=32 data-lazy-src=https://apogeedigital.com/app/themes/juniper-theme/src/img/icons/facebook-purple.svg /> width=32 height=...
16/05/2024
Updated: Netflix to Stream Live Christmas Day NFL Games
In a major example of how large streaming services are successfully battling for lucrative sports rights, Netflix has announced that it has secured global right...
16/05/2024
ESPN, Fox, WBD Unveil Name for New Sports Streaming Service
LOS ANGELES & NEW YORK More than three months after announcing plans to launch a major new sports streaming service, ESPN, Fox Corp. and Warner Bros. Discovery,...
16/05/2024
CTV/Streaming Top of Mind for Marketers in 2024
In a survey conducted late last year, marketing companies said their main focus for increasing advertising would be CTV/streaming. Generative AI, which was not ...
16/05/2024
CPB Issues More Grants for Next-Generation Warning
Three public radio and one public television outlet are the latest recipients of funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to upgrade their emergency...
16/05/2024
A year in live HDR production
John Mailhot, senior vice president, product management at Imagine Communications, gives an insight into how HDR is impacting live production today, as well as ...
16/05/2024
Sony Pictures Post Production Services Completes Expansion of its Sound Facilities
Sony Pictures Post Production Services Completes Expansion of its Sound Faciliti...
16/05/2024
Telestream Taps Power of AI to Manage, Define Media Workflows
TV Tech recently sat down with Telestream CEO Rhonda Bassett-Spiers and CTO Simon Clark to discuss how the M&E industry is adapting the cloud, IP and AI to enha...
16/05/2024
1185 Films launches one stop shop' for industry talent
1185 Talent will include directors, editors, colourists, VFX artists and photographers By Jenny Priestley Published: May 16, 2024 1185 Talent will include...
16/05/2024
Updated: Presteigne Broadcast Hire enters administration
The administrators said they are focused on trading the business as a going concern while they assess options, including exploring the possibility of a sale By...
16/05/2024
AWS CEO Adam Selipsky steps down
Selipsky will leave the company on 3rd June, and will be succeeded by Matt Garman, a senior vice president who has overseen sales and marketing at AWS By Jenny...
16/05/2024
Sony Pictures Post Production Services Completes Sound Facilities Expansion
Sony Pictures Post Production Services has announced that the final phase of a multi-year effort to expand and modernize its motion picture and television sound...
16/05/2024
CNN, ABC to Televise Two Presidential Debates
President Joe Biden and Former President Donald Trump have agreed to participate in two televised debates, the first of which will be hosted by CNN on June 17....
16/05/2024
Disney+ Debuts First Concert Film to Stream with IMAX Enhanced Sound
BURBANK, Calif. and NEW YORK Disney+, IMAX Corporation, and DTS, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Xperi, have announced that Queen Rock Montreal is now streaming ...
16/05/2024
WBD Unveils Advanced Advertising Features for Max
NEW YORK During its upfronts presentation, Warner Bros. Discovery announced a suite of new advanced ad products available on Max, that include shoppable ads, ad...
16/05/2024
iZotope announces RX 11 audio software, introducing new machine learning for tackling noise, and new tools for music streaming
iZotope announces RX 11 audio software, introducing new machine learning for tac...
16/05/2024
Check Out the Cine Gear Expo June 7 9, 2024 at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, CA
Check Out the Cine Gear Expo June 7 9, 2024 at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank...
16/05/2024
Nouvel Photo & Film Captures Cinematic Wedding Films with Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K
Nouvel Photo & Film Captures Cinematic Wedding Films with Blackmagic Cinema Came...
16/05/2024
Replacing Surfaces Like a Pro with Mocha AE Planar Tracking
Replacing Surfaces Like a Pro with Mocha AE Planar Tracking Levi Borland May 15, 2024 0 Comments Welcome to our comprehensive tutorial on planar track...
16/05/2024
CBC's CPL Teams Salamanders, Yard Gnomes One Week Away From Season Opener
The world of baseball at Capitol Broadcasting is about to expand like fireworks on a Friday night. The Holly Springs Salamanders will open their season at home...
16/05/2024
Blockgraph Adopted by tvbeat, Enabling Audience-Based Planning
Blockgraph said that its identity and data collaboration platform has been adopted by tvbeat, a provider of campaign planning technology for media companies....
16/05/2024
VEON 1Q24 Trading Update: Accelerating USD Growth, Strong Operational Execution
16 May 2024 VEON 1Q24 Trading Update: Accelerating USD Growth, Strong Operational Execution Amsterdam, 16 May 2024 07:00AM CEST - VEON Q1 2024 Highlights Q1...
16/05/2024
Tribeca X Announces 2024 Speaker Lineup for Expanded Two-Day Event; Official Selections for Tribeca X Award
May 16th, 2024 Press Materials Available Here TRIBECA X ANNOUNCES 2024 SPEAKER...
16/05/2024
SVG Sit-Down: Beam Dynamics CEO Kaszycki on Maximizing Physical-Asset Usage, Tracking
SVG Sit-Down: Beam Dynamics CEO Kaszycki on Maximizing Physical-Asset Usage, Tra...
16/05/2024
SVG New Sponsor Spotlight: Aggreko's Don Gray on Advocating for Sustainability in Live Sports Production
SVG New Sponsor Spotlight: Aggreko's Don Gray on Advocating for Sustainabili...
16/05/2024
At PGA Championship, CBS Sports Bolsters Aerial, Bunker Camera Lineup; Takes Viewers Deeper with Optimotion Swing Tech
At PGA Championship, CBS Sports Bolsters Aerial, Bunker Camera Lineup; Takes Vie...
16/05/2024
Rohde & Schwarz shows the future of terrestrial broadcasting at CABSAT 2024
Rohde & Schwarz shows the future of terrestrial broadcasting at CABSAT 2024 Real innovations in services and sustainability Meet us at CABSAT 2024 in Dubai...
16/05/2024
Hierarchy' Teaser Unveils Jooshin High School's Elite World, Starring Next Generation of K-Teen Stars
Back to All News Hierarchy' Teaser Unveils Jooshin High School's Elite...
16/05/2024
Steamy Doctor Climax' Trailer Teases the Questions That Stirred Up 70s Thailand
Back to All News Steamy Doctor Climax' Trailer Teases the Questions That S...
16/05/2024
Getting moving for Mental Health Awareness Week
Posted on 16 May 2024 We're huge advocates of positively improving our mental wellbeing so going green for Mental Health Awareness Week was an obvious ward...
16/05/2024
Venu Sports Introduced as Name for Forthcoming Sports Streaming Service
Venu Sports Introduced as Name for Forthcoming Sports Streaming Service Details of ESPN, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery Joint Venture Take Shape with Brand an...
16/05/2024
Irma Stern's 1930 portrait Cape Girl with Fruit headlines SA art auction
Irma Stern's 1930 portrait Cape Girl with Fruit headlines SA art auctionAn Irma Stern painting from 1930 leads Strauss & Co's diverse catalogue of moder...
16/05/2024
Prison Journalism: The role my mother played in my life
Prison Journalism: The role my mother played in my lifeWesley Leong was incarcerated at the age of 15 in 1996 at Pollsmoor Prison. He is currently part of Resto...
16/05/2024
Actress Sibongokuhle Cele joins Muvhango'
Actress Sibongokuhle Cele joins Muvhango'Model and former Durban Gen' actress Sibongokuhle Cele has secured a role in SABC2's soapie Muvhango'...
16/05/2024
Tonight on Skeem Saam: Carol sees Ntswaki getting up to no good with Toby
Tonight on Skeem Saam: Carol sees Ntswaki getting up to no good with TobyDon't miss Thursday, 16 May's riveting episode of South African soapie Skeem Sa...
16/05/2024
Fight for Honor in Men of War II' on GFN Thursday
Whether looking for new adventures, epic storylines or games to play with a friend, GeForce NOW members are covered. Start off with the much-anticipated sequel...
16/05/2024
Skeem Saam: Wednesday's episode, 15 May 2024 [video]
Skeem Saam: Wednesday's episode, 15 May 2024 [video]Missed an episode of Skeem Saam? No problem! Watch the latest episode of your favourite South African so...
16/05/2024
Monet painting fetches R640 million at New York auction
Monet painting fetches R640 million at New York auctionA Monet has sold for nearly R640 million at auction, Sotheby's said, marking a solid start to New Yor...
16/05/2024
Cruinni na ng 2024 - a day of free creative activity for young people
RT is supporting Cruinni na n g with a nationwide campaign on television, radio, online and digital. For a full listing of all activities and information on h...
15/05/2024
UKTV Ventures partners with The Farewell Guide in 1million airtime-for-equity deal
12th March 2024 - Award-winning broadcaster UKTV has today announced it has inve...
15/05/2024
Give Me the Backstory: Get to Know Jianjie Lin, the Writer-Director Behind Brief History of a Family
By Bailey Pennick One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festi...
15/05/2024
De viktigaste insikterna frn Spotifys rliga Loud & Clear-rapport
Med sin rliga royaltyrapport Loud & Clear kar Spotify transparensen i musikindustrin, s att artister, l tskrivare, fans och hela musikbranschen f r en st rre...
15/05/2024
Chegaram as ltimas estatsticas: Artistas brasileiros geraram mais receita e alcanaram mais fs no Spotify - basta perguntar Anitta
Nos ltimos 10 a 15 anos, a mudan a para o streaming de udio transformou comple...
15/05/2024
The Latest Stats Are In: Brazilian Artists Generated More Revenue and Reached More Fans on Spotify-Just Ask Anitta
Over the last 10-15 years, the move toward streaming audio has completely transf...