Top Stories

PREMIUM: Original content, shorter windows on imported shows and driving HD and DVR rollouts are key to increasing Middle Eastern pay-TV platform OSN’s subscriber base, its CEO, David Butorac, tells World Screen Newsflash. In 2009, after a 15-year battle for supremacy in the pay-TV landscape in the Middle East and ...

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SPRINGFIELD: Alhurra TV, which is operated by the Middle East Broadcasting Networks (MBN), has called on Mercury Media and ITN (Independent Television News) to produce a weekly half-hour magazine show that will focus on social media, global technology and the Internet. N2K (Need to Know) will feature stories from the ...

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LONDON/DUBAI: News Corporation has purchased a minority share in the Dubai-based MOBY Group, which operates brands in Afghanistan such as Tolo TV and Lemar TV.  News Corp will contribute its 50-percent shareholding in Broadcast Middle East (BME), its Farsi-language joint venture with MOBY, for a minority share in MOBY and ...

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JOHANNESBURG: The story of the life of Nelson Mandela is being turned into a six-part mini-series by Out of Africa Entertainment, Blue Ice Films and Left Bank Pictures. Tentatively titled Madiba, the six-part TV project shines a light on the Nobel Peace Prize winner who was the first black president of ...

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NAIROBI: NBCUniversal International Television Distribution has licensed a selection of library feature films, including the Jurassic Park trilogy, for pay-TV rights in the East Africa region to Wananchi Group’s Zuku. Highlights of the deal include The Incredible Hulk, The Mummy 3, Mamma Mia!, Hellboy 2, The Changeling and The Tale ...

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ABU DHABI: Abu Dhabi TV Network has added seven new channels from the Dubai-based MBC Group. AD Sports set-top box subscribers gain access to MBC 1, MBC 2, MBC 4, MBC Drama, MBC Action, MBC Max and Al Arabiya news channel, all in high definition. The partnership also includes AD Sports’ exclusive Barclays Premier ...

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RIYADH: News Corp. investor Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, who owns 95 percent of Kingdom Holding, has purchased a stake in Twitter for $300 million. The investment by the Saudi Prince and the Kingdom Holding Company represents around 3 percent of Twitter. Prince Alwaleed has investments in entertainment and media entities ...

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LAUSANNE: The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has awarded the exclusive terrestrial TV rights in Sub-Saharan Africa for the London 2012 Games to Octagon. Octagon also gets the non-exclusive radio and mobile platform broadcast rights for the 2012 Games. Jacques Rogge, IOC’s president, said, “We are delighted to have reached this ...

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JOHANNESBURG: MTV Networks Africa is bringing the Comedy Central channel to MultiChoice’s DStv platform in sub-Saharan Africa.  Starting December 6, a bespoke 24-hour English-language Comedy Central service will go out to 47 territories in sub-Saharan Africa. The launch on DStv brings viewers hits such as The Daily Show with Jon ...

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November 30 to December 1 Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre   The MyContent entertainment market, serving the Middle East and North Africa, is returning this month in its second edition, taking place November 30 to December 1 in Dubai. The inaugural MyContent drew in more than 3,000 professionals from ...

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