Pan-African TV slated for 2007

NAIROBI – His father was a legend of African media: breaking story after story, bringing the 1984 Ethiopia famine to the world, still filming after losing an arm in an explosion, then dying in a hijacked plane crash.

But now the son of Kenyan journalist Mohamed Amin believes he too can make history on the continent by launching its first pan-African news network next year. Salim Amin’s ambitious vision of a 24-hour news channel, run by Africans for Africans, has won enthusiasm in a world increasingly aware of the continent’s massive potential as well as its well-documented problems.But sceptics wonder if sufficient financial and editorial clout can be garnered to make it a reality and compete with the big boys already broadcasting into Africa.Amin told Reuters he has already received huge interest from business players inside and outside Africa.He believes “A24″ can be launched by autumn 2007, with TV and radio stations complemented by mobile and Internet services to take advantage of fast-expanding communications across Africa.”It’s ambitious …but this continent needs its own voice.We think the time and technology is right now to launch an African version of Al Jazeera,” he said, referring to the Qatar-based pan-Arab satellite channel.”All being well, we’re looking at fall 2007 to be on air…We’re not a PR station, it’s not to promote Africa but to show Africa through the eyes of Africans, the good and the bad.”With a total US$50 million needed to set up and run the network for three years while it seeks profitability, Amin’s first test comes this month with a request for investors to commit US$1 million of “seed money” in 20 blocks of US$50 000.”I’ve got funders willing to give us all the money we need.But that would destroy our credibility.It can’t be a single entity running this show…We’re hoping for shareholders round the continent so the look is pan-African.”For Amin, 35, A24 is a chance to forge his own identity beyond his famous father, who is best known in the West for the first, shocking images of starving Ethiopians in 1984.He died in a plane crash off the Comoros islands in 1996.Salim Amin has carried his father’s memory in a number of projects including the documentary “Mo and Me” which recently won an award at a Los Angeles film festival and is to receive its world public premiere in Nairobi next month.Amin compares his planned network to the new Latin American channel Telesur and Al Jazeera, which offer a local take on their regions.He foresees small, two-person bureaux in all of Africa’s 53 countries, with programming initially in English and French but eventually also including Portuguese, Arabic and Swahili.The head office – deliberately – would be in Kenya and not regional powerhouse South Africa.”The rest of the continent already feels that South Africa is re-colonising them.”- Nampa-ReutersSalim Amin’s ambitious vision of a 24-hour news channel, run by Africans for Africans, has won enthusiasm in a world increasingly aware of the continent’s massive potential as well as its well-documented problems.But sceptics wonder if sufficient financial and editorial clout can be garnered to make it a reality and compete with the big boys already broadcasting into Africa.Amin told Reuters he has already received huge interest from business players inside and outside Africa.He believes “A24″ can be launched by autumn 2007, with TV and radio stations complemented by mobile and Internet services to take advantage of fast-expanding communications across Africa.”It’s ambitious …but this continent needs its own voice.We think the time and technology is right now to launch an African version of Al Jazeera,” he said, referring to the Qatar-based pan-Arab satellite channel.”All being well, we’re looking at fall 2007 to be on air…We’re not a PR station, it’s not to promote Africa but to show Africa through the eyes of Africans, the good and the bad.”With a total US$50 million needed to set up and run the network for three years while it seeks profitability, Amin’s first test comes this month with a request for investors to commit US$1 million of “seed money” in 20 blocks of US$50 000.”I’ve got funders willing to give us all the money we need.But that would destroy our credibility.It can’t be a single entity running this show…We’re hoping for shareholders round the continent so the look is pan-African.”For Amin, 35, A24 is a chance to forge his own identity beyond his famous father, who is best known in the West for the first, shocking images of starving Ethiopians in 1984.He died in a plane crash off the Comoros islands in 1996.Salim Amin has carried his father’s memory in a number of projects including the documentary “Mo and Me” which recently won an award at a Los Angeles film festival and is to receive its world public premiere in Nairobi next month.Amin compares his planned network to the new Latin American channel Telesur and Al Jazeera, which offer a local take on their regions.He foresees small, two-person bureaux in all of Africa’s 53 countries, with programming initially in English and French but eventually also including Portuguese, Arabic and Swahili.The head office – deliberately – would be in Kenya and not regional powerhouse South Africa.”The rest of the continent already feels that South Africa is re-colonising them.”- Nampa-Reuters