Media

Various speakers at the second African Media Leaders Forum (AMLF), which began in Lagos yesterday, have called for an integration of the old and new media in presenting information to the people of the continent.

Within the last eight years, telecom investments in Nigeria have exceeded, the $18 billion mark "on account of a predictive regulatory environment and supportive government for a deregulated telecom industry."

The President of the Republic of Liberia, Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, has filed a law suit against the New Broom Newspaper.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi reaffirmed his readiness to leave his office, saying he wants to see a new generation of leadership in the post.

Meles says he wants to step down but the final decision will be made by his ruling party that has led the country for the last 18 years. However, he has not given a deadline for his departure.

Somali government forces and allied militias attacked rebel positions in the capital Mogadishu Friday morning in a bid to retake control of the capital, Radio Garowe reports.

At least four people, including a radio reporter, were killed in the clashes as pro-government forces clashed with rebels loyal to Islamist factions Al Shabaab and Hizbul Islam.

THE Ministry of Media, Information and Publicity has revised the agenda for an all-stakeholders conference to review the country's media environment in Kariba next week after media organisations threatened to boycott it.

The government has removed British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) local language (Kinyarwanda) programmes from the airwaves.

The two founders of the Africa Channel wanted to "showcase the beauty and promise of Africa" to audiences outside Africa. So they put together a channel that took African material and framed and packaged it in a way that American audiences were used to. It's not a channel aimed at African diaspora audiences but one aimed squarely at the general viewer.

THE global crisis has radically altered the outlook for Africa's economies, and growth forecasts for the continent are likely to be revised further downward, a new report by the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) says.

SUBSCRIBERS to the defunct Gateway Television (GTV) that were frustrated and probably still miserable over the anticipated costs of switching to Digital Satellite Television (DStv) need not worry.

The pay-per-view company yesterday pledged to satisfy its future clientele with upgraded DStv decoders at discounted rates despite the current economic credit crunch.

A powerful coalition of civic organisations is calling for a complete overhaul of the legal framework of the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) to force it to fulfil its public broadcasting mandate.

SOUTH Africans who remember the 1994 inauguration of Nelson Mandela at the Union Buildings would have instantly recognised the atmosphere yesterday when Barack Obama was inaugurated as the 44th president of the US.

Freelance photojournalist Anderson Shadreck Manyere, who is being charged with banditry, was, on 9 January 2009, remanded in custody to 23 January after Harare magistrate Olivia Mariga threw out defence applications for a refusal of remand.

Reporters Without Borders condemned a three-year prison sentence handed down to Lewis Medjo, managing editor of the weekly "La Détente libre", and urged the authorities to allow him bail. He has been in Douala central prison in the west of the country since 22 September 2008.

The ODM believes the contentious Kenya Communications Act is part of a hidden agenda by some PNU hardliners to retain power in 2012.