The market for pan-African television content has increased dramatically in recent
years, as millions of Africans are now resident in the US.
More than 2.7 million African immigrants are in the US today (according to the 2010
US census), prompting a higher demand for new television content from Africa.
Among leading players in the niche business of bringing African content to the pan-
African market in the US is the Colorado based DISH Network, a satellite television
operator that enjoys a large market share.
Just two years ago the satellite company had only one African Francophone channel,
3ATelesud, which aired for seven years. But the numbers of sub-Saharan African
people especially from West Africa (mainly Nigeria) and East Africa (mostly Kenya) in
the US, have inspired moves to tap a lucrative but hitherto untouched market.
In the past two years, DISH has introduced four new channels – Afrotainment,
Afrotainment Music, Africa24 and TV9ja.
Afrotainment is dedicated exclusively to broadcasting high-quality programming in
both English and French. It offers award-winning television series from the best
African producers, directors and actors.
Dedicated to African Music, Afrotainment Music is the only 24/7 channel in North
America that broadcasts hundreds of African music videos of all genres and from all
African countries, as well as live performances.
Africa24 is the first French-language international news channel from Africa that
broadcasts continuous news bulletins and covers the latest economic, political and
cultural issues from an African perspective.
TV9ja is a premier Nigerian entertainment channel that features the best Nollywood
movies, music videos, TV series, reality shows and soccer, as well as viewer-created
content.
All four channels air 24 hours. A family-run business founded in 1980, DISH’s pan-
African content endeavors to appeal to the entire sub-Saharan immigrant population,
according to corporate communications executive Danielle Johnson.
“Our pan-African programming package caters for the sub-Saharan African diaspora; in
other words, people who moved from Africa to the US from the early 1970s to date,’
notes Johnson.
She explains that DISH’s pan-African programming package launched in May 2010 to
broaden the pan-African bouquet in an effort to meet the demand of growing African
communities in the US.
Johnson notes that this market has experienced steady growth since then. Nigerian
Idol, Tinsel (Nigeria) and The Patricia Show (Kenya) are just a few of the most
popular African programmes on the bouquet.
By Martin Chemhere
Screen Africa magazine – November / December 2012
