Clement Afforo
Recently I was flipping between several of the major TV news networks who were reporting a variety of stories about Africa. All were focusing exclusively on war and famine.
Come to think of it, that’s about all you ever see the major networks say about Africa. They rarely if ever report on African sporting events, positive government activities, or even normal African life.
Anyone who thinks about this predicament for even a moment would realize Africa is a huge continent made up of a wide variety of countries, regions, and peoples. Africa is about as diverse a place as you could ever imagine. While some areas are sadly embroiled in horrific problems, other regions are peaceful, pleasant, and offer their citizens a very rich life.
One thing most Americans never have the opportunity to learn about is Africa’s wide offering of quality TV programs. Watching African TV can be a real eye-opener. They include soaps and dramatic series, side-splitting comedies, and a wide range of news and sports coverage.
Realize that these programs reflect the values, sensibilities, and every day experiences of people who live in Africa. If you have little experience with African culture, watching these programs can really teach you about this fascinating part of the world. You’ll gain insights into a side of the world you may not have known existed.
Thanks largely to a growing number of African immigrants in the United States who want to see the programs they watched in Africa, African-produced programs are finding their way to cable TV channels here. On any given evening you can watch popular series like “Things We Do For Love,” “Sun City,” and the hit comedy “Taxi Driver.”
Recently, the African TV Network I founded several years ago announced plans to expand program offerings to cable channels in the Baltimore and Washington DC areas. This will make African programming available to large audiences of African immigrants, African-Americans, Caribean communities, and others who are eager to have access to these programs.
As with any new TV programming that appeals to a previously neglected audience, African programming lets advertisers reach a very large and active viewing audience that was not available before with standard TV programming. African programming is a win-win for both viewers and businesses.
Clement Afforo is founder of the African TV Network, now supplying African programs to the Baltimore and Washington DC areas. For more information on programs and advertising opportunities, see the site http://www.africantvnetwork.com.
