New Sub-Saharan pay television to broadcast in 18 African countries
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
With probably over US$100 million in its purse, a new Pay Tv company later in the month of June begins beaming its programmes in the five East African countries before rolling out to 13 other African countries in an ambitious project.
The direct-to-home, satellite-based Pan-African pay-TV, GTV, a subsidiary of UK’s Gateway Broadcasting Service will be available from June 22, with a phased roll-out across sub-Saharan Africa.
“Our aim is to demystify Pay Television and it is still too early to put a final cost to the project,” is all a guarded Kagwe could tell Business Week a fortnight ago when asked about the cost of the project.
The $100 million given by industry experts however, is a conservative figure required to set up such an ambitious project in 18 countries.
Viewers will have access to major international channels as well as GTV’s own channels screening news, sports, movies, popular series, music, and religious content.
