Inside Africa
A Look at the African Media
July 16, 2005
With Femi Oke


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JEFF KOINANGE, GUEST HOST (voice-over): The sounds of liberalization, and the changing face of journalism in Africa. A look at a growing number of private media across the continent.

This as CNN and Multi-Choice celebrate 10 years of honoring African journalists. We meet some of the finalists.

Then, the new television network that seeks to sell Africa to American viewers.

And two top media executives discuss the future of journalism and how Africa is covered by the Western world.

These stories coming up on this special edition of INSIDE AFRICA.

KOINANGE: As journalists here tell the Africa story, part of their mission, they say, is to help reshape the continent's image. And that's exactly what one group of entrepreneurs, though far from the continent, are hoping to do: The Africa Channel in the United States. And as Femi Oke reports, their goal is to demystify Africa for American viewers.

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FEMI OKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A new television channel is coming to the U.S. The brains behind the Africa Channel describe their venture as a passion. When you meet them, you know why.

JAMES MAKAWA, CEO, AFRICA CHANNEL: People are hungry for more information about Africa.

RICHARD HAMMER, CO-FOUNDER, AMERICA CHANNEL: It's not about color. It's just about the continent, the people, its resources. It's about demystifying why is everyone so frightened of Africa.

STEVEN ABRAMSON, SUPERVISING PRODUCER: I couldn't believe it, I was telling people, yeah, I am going to be working on this launch of the Africa Channel, and they have soap operas. Really, soap operas? Oh, yeah.

OKE: If the TV executives in this Los Angeles office have their way, America will soon get the chance to watch imported African TV shows 24 hours a day.

MAKAWA: We have more than 1,200 hours of high-grade television that's never been seen in this country.

OKE: Most of the material for the channel at its start will be bought from just one country - South Africa. The annual program budget is around $3 million.

MAKAWA: But quality of the programming is - is of such a high caliber, coming out of South Africa for one specific reason. The infrastructure is there; the technology is there. That's not to say there isn't some great material being produced elsewhere in Africa.

(on camera): Have you tried out any of these shows on a U.S. audience yet? Has anybody seen any of this stuff?

HAMMER: Interestingly, we have not. Because we so believe that these shows are going to catch on by nature of their appeal.

OKE: It's just weeks before the launch of the Africa Channel, and despite the enthusiasm and confidence of the team, they haven't shown the programs to any members of public. So, I've set up an official screening. I'm curious to find out if America is ready to Africa.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's just beautiful. I had no words. I mean, I was - I just there and I was just shaking my head just in sort of disbelief, because why did it take so long?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Discovery, Travel Channel and the National Geographic Channel.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Regardless of - of what you think of a particular show, you're not going to be sitting there and seeing something, you're going to see somewhere else.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The color, the people, it just makes you excited inside.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Loved it, loved it, loved it. It was funny, it was - it kept my interest. It was so good seeing African - well, Africans and - you know, people of color, and on television in roles, and taking charge of programming, and things like that. I loved it. Loved it.

OKE: I think she loved it.

It may be trickier, though, convincing a TV audience that already has more than 200 channels to chose from, that they need another one.

CRAIG TOMASHOFF, TELEVISION CORRESPONDENT: If the novelty value is just watching it because it came from Africa - that lasts two weeks. If it's something that's interesting, above and beyond where it came from - then they'll stick around, they'll come back and they'll look for more shows.

OKE (on camera): How is your stomach? Do you have butterflies, do you throw up at night? How are you feeling?

MAKAWA: No, I don't have the butterflies. I'm actually - you know, the butterflies were probably there, I would say, three years ago, when we had less than $5,000 in the bank. Now, it's just about execution, you know. I feel I've been in training for this job for the last 25 years.

OKE (voice-over): Femi Oke, CNN, INSIDE AFRICA.

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