AFTV-African Television: The Birth of the 1st African TV station in The Netherlands.
Scope Media TV an African company and Astra Ses based in The Netherlands have signed a 5 year contract to promote Africa through television.
Scope Media TV chose Astra-SES headquartered in Luxembourg because of the companies understanding of the need to promote Africa in the western world. Approaching Astra-SES for initial negotiations, Scope Media TV Chairman and Director of operations – Europe, Mr. Larry Omodia says: Astra owns majority of the satellites in orbital space. For such a company, they do business in the sky. So when approached by an African company, you would expect an attitude of nonchalance. In our case, Bill Wijdeveld of Astra SES has been pretty down to earth.
The negotiations of this relationship took about 11 months, all through the period, Astra-SES has been encouraging, supportive and they understand the need to promote Africa.
AFTV is the newest and first African Television in the Netherlands. The broadcast of AFTV also extends to IPTV as well as satellite and internet. So viewers can see the channel on all platform. This practically means you can see AFTV all over the world. You can watch on satellite dish pointing to Astra 23.5, you can watch on Iphion set top box sold by ScopemediaTV.com or you can watch it on www.AFTV.NL. It is expected that major cable companies will broadcast AFTV directly to cable subscribers.
Though the Lagos Nigerian based company is broadcasting from the Netherlands, viewers in England, U.S.A, Canada, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium and the rest of the world can watch AFTV world wide.
Director of operations, Larry Omodia says: The goal of AFTV is to assist embassies in promoting Africa. Look at us as a PR company for all African countries. We have to sell ourselves. No one will promote you positively unless you start the job yourself. Western TV promotes their beliefs and value aggressively through the media. Africa must sell African values in like manners. We must come into your living room, your dinning room, wherever you watch TV, we must bring positive African values to you. I am selling Africa. And you should buy Africa.
Investors are swarming the new station for partnership. They see a huge potential for this station. AFTV has partnered with other TV stations in Africa and around the world. LTV8-Lagos is expected to broadcast through AFTV, MBC based in Houston Texas is also in talks to broadcast on AFTV, negotiations are on with OBE, TV stations from Ghana, South Africa, Morocco are all sweeping in on partnership with AFTV.
This means the stations will all have viewership in Europe and America through AFTV.
Scope Media Tv based in Den Haag says this launching creates job opportunities for sales marketers, production crews, Journalist , TV producers, camera, and post production. The company has a huge line up of shows and movies to be produced locally in the Netherlands. One of such shows is “Pastor@sinnersHouse.com”, CommedyHouse, AFTV-original movie series.
Expected to grace the occasion of the launching on March 10th, 2012 are: Ambassadors of Kenya. She is expected to speak on “The need to promote Africa on TV”, Ambassador of Nigeria whom is expected to “Unvail” and activate the first broadcast of AFTV to the world. Among the list are the Mayor of Den Haag, ambassadors and foreign ministers.
In the picture above- The CEO of African Television Channels Netherlands- Pastor Larry, receives and AFRICA4U Achievement
Awards for Africans in Holland
TONY TOKUNBO ETEKA FERNANDEZ 