AFRICA

• SOUTH AFRICA:
  Gab Mampone, acting CEO of the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) has said that the SABC is "on the brink of disaster". The ANC is asking Parliament to throw out the whole Board of Directors. The Board, under chairwoman Yvonne Mkhonza, faced harsh criticism in a document, signed by senior executives, for allegedly interfering in the day-to-day running of the organisation.
  Source: Cape Town Sunday Argus
  
  

• MOROCCO, ALGERIA & TUNISIA:

  Mission Network News reports that they are working with Trans World Radio on a transmitter modification project, to clarify the signal going into Morocco,Algeria and Tunisia. Many of the people have never had the gospel in their own language. Much of the projected audience doesn't read. TWR is currently broadcasting in Arabic and four different Berber dialects, but to reach more people, it needs to travel further.  
  
  The modification changes the configuration and reach of the radio signal from an omni-directional, semicircular one to a directional one, reaching much deeper into the countries.
  Visit www.twr.org
  
  

• KENYA:
  "The Honey that Kills " programme is part of TWR-Africa's commitment to fight HIV / AIDS, particularly in Kenya, where UNAIDS reports that 6% of Kenyan adults are HIV positive and more than 1 million children are so far orphaned due to AIDs. The programme started in English and Swahili. A new series is in development for the Dhuluo and Luo-speaking people in Kenya. Malingling Mag Ayaki (The Living Secrets of HIV / AIDS) will air twice a week through sponsorship raised by TWR's partner in the Netherlands. The Nyanza province, home of the Luo speakers, is one of the areas most affected by the virus.
  Source: Your Friendly Voice in Africa e-newsletter
  
  

• AFRICA:
  Africa is rich in natural resources, but is one of the world's most poverty-stricken regions. Poor agricultural standards result in severe crop failures, and each year tons of grain need to be imported. The TWR "Farming God's Way" radio programme teaches a simple model of agriculture for peasant farmers and crop yields have dramatically increased. The twice daily programme emphasises that the church is an accountable vehicle to demonstrate good farming. It is broadcast in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Kenya and Lesotho.
  Visit www.twr.org
  
  

• SOUTH AFRICA:
  Sawnbona, the In-Flight magazine of South African Airways, reports that while no social trend is immune from extinction, radio broadcasting has remained resilient - and is the dominant communication medium in Africa. As youth cultures become increasingly homogenised, what are the prospects that youth in Africa will see the emergence of continental radio stations targeting them specifically?
  
  Trans World Radio Africa (a Christian Radio Station) broadcasts to over 40 African countries in more than 65 languages, proving again that continent-wide radio is already a firm reality. South Africa's YFM was written off by media experts as it launched, but it was pivotal in creating an entire musical genre (Kwaito), along with many of the major entertainment stars that are now a feature of South African life.
  Source: Sawnbona Magazine, August 2008
  
  

• SOUTH AFRICA:
  New digital decoders will be subsidised by Broadcasting and Telecoms licence holders. They are likely to pay the R2.45 billion (US$350m) subsidy to 5 million households in South Africa that cannot afford a decoder to get Digital TV services. Companies such as Telkom, MTN and Vodacom currently contribute 0.2% of their annual turnover to the Universal Service and Access Fund (USAF). The money raised is used to help poor communities access basic telecoms services such as telephones.
  
  The Independent Communications Authority of SA (ICASA) is pushing for regulations to make Broadcasters contribute to the fund as well. Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri, the Minister of Communications, said that the government would fund up to 70%, or R490, of the cost of the set-top box (STB) decoder needed to convert digital signals to play on analogue TV sets. The rest would have to be paid by householders.
  Source: Business Report
  
  

• COUNTRY FACTS - TANZANIA:
  
  

  Official Country Name	UnitedRepublic of Tanzania
  Region	Africa
  Population	36,232,074
  Language	Kiswahili or Swahili, Kiunguju, English, Arabic, Zanzibar
  Literacy Rate	67.8%
  Area	945,087 sq km
  GDP	9,027 (US$ millions)
  Number of TV Stations	3
  Number of TV sets	103,000
  TV Sets per 1,000	2.8
  Number of Radio Stations	25
  Number of Radio receivers	8,800,000
  Radio Receivers per 1,000	242.9
  Number of individuals with computers	100,000
  Number of individuals with Internet access	115,000
  Internet access per 1,000	3.2

ASIA