Media Update newsletter 10 May 2012 :: Newsletter

Loading Adverts...

Follow our RSS feed

Click to go to the Home page

Click to go to the Gallery

Click to go to the Glossary

Click to go to the Creative Space

Home

Media Update newsletter 10 May 2012

This week's highlights ...

Welcome to the latest Media Update newsletter.

Top stories making headlines this week include: True Love magazine celebrates its 40^th birthday with a fresh look; Springbok Radio's archive material has been handed over to the SABC; and The Wild receives international recognition.

For a more in-depth read, don't miss Melanie Heyns' feedback on the launch of Epson's new point of sale printers and Christine Greyvenstein's overview of the Ballz Visual Radio launch.

In this week's editorial desk article, Samantha Cook looks into state-affiliated media and the problem of pandering.

For your entertainment fix, don't miss Leigh Andrews' reviews of Bubbles, the novel by Rahla Xenopoulos, and Kathy Lette's latest, The Boy Who Fell to Earth.

Remember that you can contact the Updates team on updates@newsclip.co.za, follow our Twitter feed or join our Facebook page. We'd love to hear from you.

Media news

#WorldPressFreedomDay: George Bizos on freedom of expression and the law As part of the organisation's recognition of World Press Freedom Day on 3 May, WAN-IFRA (World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers) received an editorial piece on freedom of expression and the law from noted South African lawyer and human rights advocate, George Bizos ... Click to continue
Make a free press “the headline for democratic transition”, says WAN-IFRA “A free press is an essential cornerstone of any country based on democracy.” So said Nobel Peace Prize laureate Tawakkol Karman in her exclusive interview with the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA), to mark World Press Freedom Day on 3 May. Click to continue
World’s press outraged by latest journalist killings in Mexico World Press Freedom Day was marred by the deaths of three photojournalists in the Mexican state of Veracruz, providing a sobering reminder of the extreme dangers faced by the media in a country that systematically fails to enforce the rule of law to protect its press. Click to continue
Liberia to join movement to repeal criminal defamation The World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) has welcomed Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf’s commitment to press freedom after her public endorsement of the Declaration of Table Mountain, a continent-wide call to repeal criminal defamation and 'insult' laws. Click to continue
Blue-chip international and South African speakers to unveil their trend forecasts The 2012 Flux Trend Review … innovating with Samsung Electronics has announced a stellar line-up of speakers who are all leaders in their respective fields, perfectly placed to provide incisive insights into the forces shaping modern society. Click to continue
Mobile broadband key to meeting Millennium Development Goals At the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) Summit held in Cape Town, Ericsson Sub-Saharan Africa shared insights on how Ericsson’s technology is for a force for good to enable the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals by 2015. Click to continue
*Media24 helps Pendoring* to shine the spotlight on Afrikaans advertising with gold sponsorship** Marketing revenue is Media24’s lifeblood, and Afrikaans advertising worth hundreds of millions of rand is published annually in Media24’s publications. “That is why it is so important that Afrikaans maintains its commercial value as an advertising language,” says Tim du Plessis, head of Afrikaans newspapers at Media 24. Click to continue
	*Get adventurous with Do It Now* in May** Do It Now's April/May issue features a sizzling line-up of adventure, sport and lifestyle articles. Cover stories include Darryl Curtis' experience at the famous Dakar Rally; snowboarding in Meribel, France; adventure racers being invited to take a Quantum Leap; and surfers battling Mother Nature at the South Coast Surf Carnival. Click to continue
	*New vision for VISI* at New Media** South Africa’s innovative décor, design and architecture title VISI has made a leap from owner Media24 Magazines to leading content marketer New Media, its long-time publisher. On 7 May, New Media announced transfer of ownership of the title, which it has published on behalf of Media24 for the past 14 years. Click to continue
True Love turns 40 True Love magazine will celebrate its 40^th birthday in May, marking 40 years of leading the publishing pack in producing meaningful and relevant content for South African black women. Click to continue
True Love magazine refreshes its layout True Love magazine is celebrating its 40^th birthday with a fresh look and revitalised content mix that responds to the issues affecting South Africa’s black women. Click to continue
AutoWeek reports a 'stunning success' AutoWeek, South Africa's dedicated new weekly motoring newspaper may be just a few issues old, but the title is already making waves with copy sales beyond even the publisher's wildest expectations. AutoWeek is selling well over 7 000 copies of every issue through its conventional distribution network. Click to continue
	Playboy South Africa: still a rum fellow The new edition of Playboy South Africa is on shelves this week, featuring Cape Town model Lee-Ann Roberts. This edition was developed around Hunter S Thompson's Rum Diary, due for release in South Africa this month. The last interview Playboy did with Thompson was interrupted by his death, and snippets of wisdom from his 67-odd (very odd!) years are captured in this edition. Click to continue
Teenagers on a Mission (TOMZ) returns to SABC1 TOMZ is back on SABC1 on Mondays at 17:00. This science and technology programme, funded by the Department of Science and Technology, takes young people on a journey to learn more about the world of science and technology. Click to continue
*Kabelo Ngakane to host Sportsview* on SABC2** SABC2 has welcomed distinguished TV and radio personality Kabelo Ngakane as he joins the channel as the host of a new sports show, Sportsview. It will be broadcast every Sunday at 12:30 having started on 6 May. Ngakane will co-host the show with former Hectic Nine-9 presenter Asanda Maku. Click to continue
Smallville returns to SABC2 screens The seventh season of fantasy series Smallville began airing on SABC2 on Saturday, 5 May at 18:30, and continues weekly in this timeslot. Click to continue
	Dirty Sexy Money returns to SABC3 Returning for a second season, critically-acclaimed Dirty Sexy Money continues to find the absurdly wealthy Darling family of New York City mixed up with the wrong people and embroiled in some bad situations. Click to continue

	Top Billing launches presenter search Most people go to sleep to do their dreaming, but a few wake up in the morning and go to work to do theirs. If you are ready to live your Top Billing dream, May might just be your lucky month. Top Billing and SABC3 have announced the return of the presenter search. Click to continue
The Diamond Queen to be broadcast on SABC3 The Diamond Queen will premiere on Sunday, 20 May at 20:30 on SABC3. This BBC documentary, presented by British journalist and political commentator Andrew Marr, is a three-part series looking at the life and reign of Queen Elizabeth II, with special interviews and remarkable archive footage. Click to continue
Much to look forward to on BBC channels in May Between BBC Knowledge (DStv channel 251), BBC Entertainment (DStv channel), BBC Lifestyle (DStv channel) and CBeebies (DStv channel), viewers can look forward to a wealth of quality programming, with highlights including The Spice Trail, Targeting Bin Laden, Diamond Queen, Grand Designs, Derren Brown: The Experiments and The Indian Doctor. Click to continue
Springbok Radio archive material to be handed over to SABC Tuesday, 8 May officially marked the handover of the archives of the Springbok Radio Preservation Society of South Africa to the SABC. When Springbok Radio opened in 1950, it had only three medium-wave transmitters, but by October 1951, it was broadcasting to all densely populated areas of the Union of South Africa on 11 transmitters. Click to continue
Big Brother StarGame kicks off Big Brother StarGame introduced a new group of larger-than-life, must-watch TV personalities to African television audiences on Sunday, 6 May in the new timeslot of 20:00 CAT, and is being screened live, 24/7, for 91 days on DStv channel 198. Click to continue
Martial arts and money games coming up on Sony Max Two highlights on the Sony Max (DStv channel 126) May line-up are the South African premiere of the reality game show, Ton of Cash, as well as the screening of the martial arts film Heroes Shed No Tears. Click to continue
MK and Vodacom present the ultimate music video battle Music fans should gear up as MK and Vodacom launch a new virtual interactive music video war show this May. Jy Druk Play, another Vodacom Unlimited Experience demonstrating 'power to you' with South Africa’s top alternative music channel MK, made its début on Thursday, 3 May at 17:00. Click to continue
Discovery Channel - the home of incredible inventions this May This May, Discovery Channel (DStv channel 121) will unveil its Incredible Inventions season with three new shows. These include Unchained Reaction with Adam and Jamie from Mythbusters, the latest installment of James May’s Man Lab, with Inventions That Shook the World completing a threesome poised to inspire anyone with a passion for innovation. Click to continue
Nat Geo Wild uncovers animal superpowers with Windfall Films Nat Geo Wild has commissioned Windfall Films to produce Animal Superpowers. Hosted by actor Sir Patrick Stewart, this documentary series investigates the incredible superpowers of nature’s deadliest animals, from shape-shifting octopuses that change the colour of their skin in an instant to salamanders that have the alien-like ability to re-grow lost limbs. Click to continue
James Cameron's historic solo dive profiled in new National Geographic special National Geographic Channel (NGC) announced late last month that it will premiere a new 30-minute special, James Cameron: Voyage to the Bottom of the Earth. The show chronicles Cameron’s recent one-man dive to the Mariana Trench’s Challenger Deep, the ocean’s deepest point. Click to continue
	Come Dine With Me South Africa to return for a second season On 4 May, BBC Worldwide Channels announced that it has commissioned a second season of critically acclaimed ITV Studios-format Come Dine With Me South Africa as part of its ongoing commitment to provide high-quality original productions for its international audience. Click to continue
*Mzansi Magic’s Inkaba* inspires more local stories** Following the success of its first telenovela Inkaba, M-Net’s South African channel Mzansi Magic issued commissioning briefs for a new telenovela and bubblegum movies. Mzansi Magic’s channel head, Lebone Maema, says the overwhelming response to Inkaba confirmed a viewer demand for more original, long-running homegrown stories. Click to continue
Sony Entertainment viewers to discover the skill of smooth-talking With both the South African premiere of the fourth season of Leverage (the show that revolves around the art of the ultimate con game) and the movie Hitch being aired on Sony Entertainment Television during May, viewers can expect to pick up a trick or two with DStv channel 113. Click to continue
Youth Fit Africa online magazine to get young people moving Launching on 12 May, Youth Fit Africa is a new online magazine featuring information about and for young people on the move. Young athletes, fitness fans, trainers and coaches will find useful training and fitness tips, nutritional information, profiles of youth involved in sports and fitness and opportunities such as events, try-outs, and programmes to get involved in. Click to continue
Learnscape offers easy online training platform Rachel McDermott of Aspire Solutions says that online training platforms can help companies make the most of scarce skills and tight training budgets. Aspire Solutions recently launched its Learnscape platform ... Click to continue
	Avusa Media hosts its first online ad auction On any given day, a full-page, full-colour ad in leading daily newspaper The Times is valued at R70 200. However, for one day only this April – as part of the re-launch of advertising sales platform PushPrint – bidders could purchase the space via a live online auction. Click to continue

People on the move

Forbes Africa welcomes new columnist Kalusha Bwalya
Africa Business News (ABN360) - home of CNBC Africa and Forbes Africa - has announced that Zambian football legend Kalusha Bwalya has joined the Forbes Africa team as a columnist for the Forbes Sport pages. Click to continue

In focus

Epson derives ways for retailers to save
Epson recently launched a new technological development to tend to the needs of customers and employees in the retail and hospitality industries. Previously, when you wanted more information from a shop or the bill from a restaurant, you would need to track down your waiter or a retail assistant, and we all know what a hassle that can be. Melanie Heyns provides feedback from the launch of Epson's new point of sale printers and the impact this will have on retailers and customers alike. Click to continue

Darren Scott and his gang get the Ballz rollin’ again
They’re back and have more Ballz than you can handle. Sport balls, of course. Sport commentator and award-winning radio presenter, Darren Scott returned to the (interweb) airwaves with a try, conversion and many goals to bring South Africans all the best sporting news. Christine Greyvenstein put on her scrum cap and attended the Ballz Visual Radio launch. Click to continue

Industry awards

The Wild receives international recognition
M-Net’s outdoor soap The Wild has been nominated for a Rockie Award at the 2012 Banff World Television Festival in Canada. It is one of six nominated programmes in the award category 'soaps and telenovelas' and will be competing against series from around the globe. Click to continue

From the editorial desk ...

State-affiliated media and the problem of pandering
In an ideal world, journalists and the media would always be perfectly impartial, incapable of any bias, and able to present both sides of a story without a single degree of prejudice toward either party. Unfortunately, journalists are human, so this is not always the case. Throw state ownership or affiliation into the mix, and you have an even bigger dilemma. This week, Samantha Cook investigates ... Click to continue

Bonang Matheba makes it onto New African's Top 50 Trailblazers list for 2013

Bonang Matheba, the 25-year-old TV and radio personality has made it onto another power list, after being recognised by New African magazine as one of 50 African Trailblazers under the age of 50. Matheba joins other powerful South African personalities like Charlize Theron and Lira, Khany ...

Lucky fan dunks DJ Fresh in Maynards Juicy Kaboom

Tebogo Keetse was the last finger on the trigger who got to dunk 5FM’s DJ Fresh into the juiciest fruitiest gloopiest dunk tank, thanks to the Maynards Juicy Kaboom.

In the next episode of Carte Blanche ...

In the next episode of Carte Blanche, on Sunday, 26 May at 19:00 on M-Net, the team investigates Dr Aubrey Levin, who was convicted of sex crimes; unveil the latest news surrounding the Gupta scandal; and speak to breast cancer survivors about Angelina Jolie's preventative doubl ...

Dream Team SA signs Xhosa rapper, iFani

Dream Team SA has announced that it has signed Xhosa rap extraordinaire, iFani. iFani, who was previously with Sony Music South Africa, joins a stable of talent under Dream Team SA management such as Khuli Chana, Terry Petho, Kabelo Mabalane, Tumisho Masha, Thembi Seete and Azania Mosaka to mentio ...

Media 24 Women’s Interest magazine are showing considerable growth

Magazines are not dying as is so widely believed - far from it actually. Media24’s magazines are strong brands with deep reader-relationships who are still showing considerable growth in some of the titles.

Deadline for Sylt Foundation Visual Artist Residency has been extended

Due to an overwhelming number of applications received, the deadline for the Sylt Foundation Visual Artist Residency has been extended to Friday, 7 June. The Sylt Foundation calls all mid-career contemporary visual artists to apply for the two month South African Visual Artist’s Residency, offere ...

Blogging for business: Driving traffic to your blog

Blogging is one of the best ways for companies to engage with their clients, while marketing their services. After having created a blog, the next step is to make sure that your intended audience is being reached. Even the most entertaining and informative blog is nothing without readers. Below are some tips on how to drive traffic to your blog.

Blogging for business: Choosing content for your blog

Like it or not, blogs are here to stay. With that in mind, starting and maintaining an informative blog can be a useful tool in your company’s marketing strategy. Following on from last week’s piece which focused on choosing the best blog hosting site, this week we take a look at what to consider when writing the content for your blog.

Media News

Bonang Matheba makes it onto <i>New African's</i> Top 50 Trailblazers list for 2013

Bonang Matheba makes it onto New African's Top 50 Trailblazers list for 2013

Lucky fan dunks DJ Fresh in Maynards Juicy Kaboom

Tebogo Keetse was the last finger on the trigger who got to dunk 5FM’s DJ Fresh into the juiciest fruitiest gloopiest dunk tank, thanks to the Maynards Juicy Kaboom.

In Focus

Kagiso Digital brings you, Adfu, a new premium network

On Thursday, 15 November, Kasigo Digital - a sector of Kagiso Media launched a new premium network called Adfu. The launch took place at The Club House in Sandhurst and supplied interesting insight into the digital market.

Simfy: Steering SA into a new era of music consumption

Picture this: you get home from work, dock your smartphone into your sound system and, at the ‘touch of a screen’, you have access to over 18 million music tracks. Seems too good to be true? Not anymore …

People on the Move

James Sibongeleni Ngcobo named new artist director for the Market Theatre

Kwanele Gumbi, chairperson of the Council of the Market Theatre Foundation has announced that James Sibongeleni Ngcobo will take on the position from Sunday, 1 September.

Steve Smith to take over editorship of CAR magazine in June

Seasoned journalist and media specialist, Steve Smith, is to step into the editorial driver’s seat of CAR, RamsayMedia has announced. He joins South Africa’s leading men’s interest title from Tuesday, 18 June, becoming only the eighth editor in the automotive brand’s 56-year history.

Entertainment

Artscape to host youth-focused festival in June

The 2013 Youth Festival kicks off with the much anticipated debut production, Fietna Lekka Jy, the African Initiative Workshops and the DCAS Youth Celebration Showcase to be held from Wednesday, 12 to Sunday, 16 June at the Artscape Theatre Centre.

Durban International Film Festival nominated at African Film Development Awards

Durban International Film Festival has been nominated in the Most Outstanding Film Festival in Africa category of the African Film Development Awards. DIFF is South Africa’s largest and longest-running film festival now in its 34^th year.

Entertainment Reviews

<i>Over the Moon</i> injects a fresh boost of positivity into one's life

Over the Moon injects a fresh boost of positivity into one's life

I'm only 28 but when I finished reading Dr Hannetjie Van Zyl-Edeling’s book titled Over the Moon - A Guide to Positive Aging, I was filled with what the French refer to as joie de vivre - the joy of living. So says Abbygail Zwane.

South African fans gather to celebrate <i>The Avengers</i>

South African fans gather to celebrate The Avengers

Johannesburg and Cape Town fans of the 2012 smash hit (and 3^rd biggest film of all time, including South Africa) Marvel’s The Avengers, are gearing up to celebrate the release of the film on DVD and Blu-Ray this spring in two fun-filled and colourful events.

Personalities

Five minutes with Mary Watson

Mary Watson's novel, The Cutting Room is hitting shelves this April. She took some time out of her busy scehdule to chat to Media Update about her novel.

Getting to know DRUM's Lungile Nhlanhla

Following her time on Masterchef SA, Lungile Nhlanhla was appointed as the junior food editor of DRUM magazine. She spent a few minutes chatting to Media Update about what she's been up to.

Media Revisited

African Sky Publishing (company profile)

Asset

Asset, a new, interactive digital publication for the commercial property industry, has just launched its first issue. The publication represents a pioneering effort in the world of new media through its crossover between the publication itself and the eProp.co.za website and e-newsletter.