Controversial media practitioners' bill announced
On 27 June 2008, the government of Botswana gazetted a media practitioners' bill which is expected to regulate the media by, among other things, setting up a statutory press council. The bill also seeks to register media practitioners residing in Botswana and provides for hefty penalties for any violation of the law. As an example, anyone contravening the regulations stipulated in the bill would be liable for a penalty of 5,000 Botswana pulas (approximately US$750) or three months in prison. 8 Jul 2008 14:51

CNN Multichoice African Journalist 2008 finalists
Finalists in the prestigious CNN MultiChoice African Journalist 2008 Competition were announced today, 15 May 2008, by Azubuike Ishiekwene, Chair of the independent judging panel. This year the competition, now in its 13th year, received a record 1912 entries from 44 countries throughout the African continent, including French- and Portuguese-speaking Africa. 15 May 2008 16:04

African nations agree to $1 billion Indian satellite project
A critical mass of countries are signing on to a plan for India to invest $1 billion in the Pan-African e-Network satellite project, a joint initiative with the Africa Union aimed at developing the region's information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure. 30 Nov 2007 12:04

Music video project for Africa
Pan-African music entertainment network MTV Networks Africa and oil marketer Shell have partnered to boost Africa's contemporary music industry. 22 Nov 2007 14:43

Four young Kenyans become mobile reporters
“This is a great opportunity to promote responsive journalism and democracy in Kenya,” says Munene Kilongi. He is standing in a street in Nairobi while he is sending his report on the elections in Kenya from his mobile phone. 22 Nov 2007 06:56

Botswana TV tender to SA company
Ayanda Media Technologies (AMT), a company within the Questek group, specialising in broadcast and media technologies, has been awarded a multi-million rand tender to upgrade the facilities at Botswana Television (BTV). 11 Oct 2007 05:56

APEX awards now Cape to Cairo
The Advertising Performance Excellence (APEX) awards have just increased in magnitude following a decision by the custodians of the awards, the Association for Communication and Advertising (ACA), to extend entry to the rest of the continent. 28 Aug 2007 13:28

Kenya's President rejects media law as threat to press freedom
President Mwai Kibaki has refused to sign a media bill into law on the grounds that a last-minute amendment limiting the confidentiality of sources posed a threat to press freedom. 24 Aug 2007 10:57

Sarkozy urged to push Egypt on media laws
France urged to link cooperation with Egypt to better respect for human rights. 1 Aug 2007 14:44

Ugandan reporter takes top honours
Investigative reporter for the Weekly Observer in Uganda, Richard Kavuma outstripped more than 1500 other African journalists to lift CNN's/Multichoice's African Journalist of the Year in Cape Town at the weekend. 23 Jul 2007 12:23

More speakers sign up for PAMRO's 9th conference
As delegate numbers approach record highs, the number of speakers booked for the 9th annual PAMRO Meeting and All Africa Media Research Conference is also growing, as several more media research and marketing experts confirm their attendance. 20 Jul 2007 09:20

Is SuperSport soccer deal under threat?
[Issa Sikiti da Silva] The enthusiasm and joy that followed the signing of a multibillion rand soccer deal between the Premier Soccer League (PSL) and SuperSport seems to be fading away, as the SABC is pulling all the stops to challenge what it sees as an ‘illegal' and ‘unfair' deal. The two parties, SABC and PSL, convened a media briefing yesterday, Wednesday 4 July 2007, at the Westcliff Hotel in Johannesburg, to inform the media about the latest developments. 5 Jul 2007 09:14

African journalists present 50-year retrospective
[Lavinia Mahlangu] As the African Union Heads of State and Government Summit kicked off in Ghana's capital on Sunday, 1 July, the continent's journalists presented a demonstration of their profession in the form of a recently launched book. 3 Jul 2007 11:41