MSNBC has worked out a deal to become the “exclusive news provider” to Southern Africa’s Free2View TV satellite service. MSNBC’s 4pm – Midnight ET programming will be aired on Free2View twice a day, the first airing will be live.
“This expansion is integral to NBC News’ commitment to growing its business internationally,” said Steve Capus, President of NBC News in a press release. “The opportunities are limitless and as MSNBC continues to grow and thrive within the U.S., the timing is right for us to increase its global presence as well.”
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MSNBC – AMERICA’S FASTEST GROWING NEWS CHANNEL – EXPANDS ITS GLOBAL REACH WITH DISTRIBUTION TO SOUTHERN AFRICA
November 15, 2007 — New York, N.Y. – Beginning Monday, November 19, Southern Africa will have the ability to view America’s fastest growing news channel, MSNBC when it begins distribution on Free2View TV as its exclusive news provider.
Free2View, as the name implies, is Southern Africa’s only free to air satellite television platform; providing broadcasters and rights holders with a stable, advertising funded platform to deliver their content to the millions in the region who had been previously excluded from these global content streams.
“This expansion is integral to NBC News’ commitment to growing its business internationally,” said Steve Capus, President of NBC News. “The opportunities are limitless and as MSNBC continues to grow and thrive within the US, the timing is right for us to increase its global presence as well.”
“MSNBC – led by Keith Olbermann – is witnessing double digit growth nationally and this momentum is allowing us to take advantage of these global opportunities,” said Adam Jones, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of NBC News. “We’ve set an aggressive plan to increase the global reach of this news division and this distribution deal will insure that more people – now worldwide – will get their news from NBC News.”
MSNBC Africa, a groundbreaking joint venture between Great Media Limited and MSNBC, is set to deliver quality breaking news, thought provoking documentaries and dynamic discussion of topical events. Free2View will air MSNBC’s 4 pm to 12 am ET programming in a block that will repeat twice (live for the first airing). It will also include regular Southern Africa weather forecasts from Weather Plus.
“Television advertising revenues in South Africa exceeded over a billion US dollars last year as the region has some of the highest CPT’s in the world, a result of the dynamic created by the South African broadcast monopolies dominance of the region. Free is priced right for the viewer and will deliver a lower cost route to a virgin audience, eager to adopt this affordable home entertainment,” said Elissa Wilding, Chief Operator Officer of Great Media Limited.
Great Media Limited’s Chief Technical Officer Malcolm Ramsay commented at the launch, “When the majority of Africa lives on a dollar a day, it is unethical to have the audacity to charge for television. The days of monopolies supplying and charging the privileged few for content are over, Southern Africa now has a window to the world, that will engage, entertain and empower.”
“The Free2View platform makes it possible to deliver Gordon Browns’ promise of free broadcasts of UK soccer matches to the region, the regions students will benefit from education and the regions population will now have unfettered access to global entertainment and the worlds best broadcasters like NBC/Universal. Africa is known for its wars reported on television; the time has come for television to be the catalyst of the information revolution in Southern Africa,” said Lekhetho Rakuoane, The Culture Minster in the Pan African Parliament.
MSNBC launched on Monday, July 15, 1996. Built on the worldwide resources of NBC News, MSNBC defines news for the next generation with world-class reporting and a full schedule of live news coverage, political analysis and award-winning documentary programming — 24 hours a day, seven days a week.