SOUTH AFRICA

2010 overpricing undermines tourism business - SA Tourism

[Issa Sikiti da Silva] Airline companies selling flight tickets to the highest bidder, B&B and ‘second-class' hotels charging up to R1000 a night for a standard room and one meal at restaurants costing an arm and a leg. Metered-taxi drivers increasing ten-fold the fare of a short distance trip and car rental outlets not budging if you don't cough up. Read more >>

AFRICA

Covering the World Cup - IASN

The International Association of Sports Newspapers (IASN) will be hosting a master-class on 5 February 2010 providing news executives with the information needed to navigate complicated "media rights" issues and avoid legal red tape when providing coverage of the 2010 FIFA World Cup and other events. The course will take place at the Olympic and Sport Museum in Barcelona, Spain. Read more >>

NORTH AFRICA

Dubai Lynx awards Advertising Person of the Year

The organisers of the 3rd Dubai International Advertising Festival have presented Ramzi Raad, chairman and CEO of TBWA\RAAD Middle East with the 2010 Dubai Lynx Advertising Person of the Year Award, describing Raad as a pioneer and key figure in the Middle Eastern and North African advertising industry for nearly four decades. Read more >>

NORTH AFRICA

Dubai Lynx, award provider of Ibda'a Student Awards

The 3rd Dubai International Advertising Festival has partnered with Dubai Media City (DMC), a member of TECOM Investments, as an award provider of the DMC's Ibda'a Student Awards. Winning work will be showcased at the Dubai Lynx Festival. Read more >>

EAST AFRICA

Diageo invests further in Ethiopian water project

ADDIS ABABA: Diageo, premium drinks company that owns Johnnie Walker Scotch Whisky, Guinness, and other global brands, is investing a further Birr 900,000 (US$70,000) in a water and sanitation project in Kechene in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa. Read more >>

AFRICA

Reshaping reportage on Africa

[Janine Erasmus] South Africa's Rhodes University, in the Eastern Cape province, and UNESCO are in the process of developing a syllabus for better reporting on Africa. The two organisations have a common goal of ensuring top-quality journalism education and training on the continent, which will result in equally high-calibre reportage. Read more >>

AFRICA

2010 Festival of Media Awards deadline extention

The deadline for entries in the 2010 Festival of Media Awards has been extended to 5 February 2010. Organisers announced the extention due to an overwhelming response from the global media and marketing industry and many requests received for more time. The festival takes place in Valencia, Spain from 18 - 20 April 2010.

ZIMBABWE

Journalist flees Zimbabwe after death threat

NEW YORK: Freelance journalist Stanley Kwenda, a contributor to the private weekly The Zimbabwean, fled the country on Friday, 15 January 2010, after he said he received a telephone threat from a high-ranking police officer, according to the paper's editor, Wilf Mbanga. Read more >>

UGANDA

Mobile Monday starts Kampala chapter

[Walter Wafula] Mobile Monday, the global community of mobile industry visionaries, developers and consumers now has a new chapter in Uganda. This follows a decision by various stakeholders in the nation's mobile and ICT sector to form Momokla (Mobile Monday Kampala), the Kampala chapter, on 20 January 2010. Read more >>

AFRICA

Telecoms investors ‘keen on African market'

[Sure Kamhunga] The collapse last year of merger talks between MTN and Bharti Airtel had not sapped investors' interest in Africa, where both cellular and fixed-line telephone penetration rates are low, telecommunications analysts Informa said this week. Read more >>

CENTRAL AFRICA

Ericsson, MTN Congo to launch billing system

MTN Congo will be launching a new converged charging and billing system created by Ericsson. The new platform aims to increase operational efficiencies and customer transparency effective from the end of 2010. Read more >>

AFRICA

2010 Newsroom Summit focuses on innovation

The 9th International Newsroom Summit, to be held in London on 21 and 22 April 2010, will focus on issues such as publishing on smartphones, paid content on digital, multi-title newsrooms, social media and audience engagement and building new print audiences. These are said to be some of the big issues facing newspaper companies worldwide. Read more >>

AFRICA

New York Times to charge web readers in 2011

The New York Times, in a move that will be closely watched by other newspapers suffering from plunging print advertising revenue, announced on Wednesday, 20 January 2010, it will begin charging online readers next year. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

New outdoor predator on the prowl

The new corporate identity for the outdoor advertising company, previously known as INM Outdoor, was unveiled at a function at Montecasino last night, Thursday, 21 January 2010. The new name for the business is Continental Outdoor Media. Read more >>

AFRICA

World Bank boss to visit Africa

PRETORIA: World Bank President Robert Zoellick will begin a three-nation Africa visit next week aimed at economic growth and overcoming poverty on the continent. Read more >>