PRESS RELEASE

14 September 2012

APEX EXPO 2012 – M-NET FLIES HIGH WITH A RAFT OF IN-FLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT SALES

M-Net – the multi-channel Pan-African content provider – has secured a raft of in-flight entertainment sales. Through the aid of AMP International, IFE Alliance and IFE Services, M-Net has sold a variety of its popular TV properties and films to some of the world’s most recognised airlines.

M-Net has licensed two films to United Airlines via AMP International – controversial drama Power of Judgment and End of a Princess, a tale of a family in conflict and heartbreak.

Europe’s largest airline, Lufthansa has acquired a package of African films through the IFE Alliance. The films include award-winning drama Voyage A Ouaga, which follows the story of Lionel, an unemployed Frenchman as he transports a vehicle from France to Benin.

Brussels Airlines has licensed Senegalese film Ramata also through the IFE Alliance. Based on the novel by Abasse Ndione, the film tells the story of Ramata, a beautiful married woman who defies the honour and reputation of her family when she falls in love with a young criminal 25-years her junior.

South African Airways (SAA) has picked up award-winning telenova drama series The Wild, which tells the story of three families from different cultural and racial backgrounds, whose lives intersect to provide an explosive African narrative. SAA has also signed a new contract for hit entertainment show All Access through IFE Services.

Mandy Roger, Head of Sales, Acquisition and Business Development, M-Net said: “It is fantastic to kick-start this year’s APEX Expo with these sales. This marks an exciting start for M-Net at the market, especially as first time exhibitors. The in-flight entertainment sector is an important market for us as a platform to showcase high-quality African content to the world. These sales are a testament to the work of the African production industry and are evidence of the growing appetite for African content with international audiences.”

M-Net will be on booth no. 760.

About M-Net

In October 1986 the face of South African television changed forever when Electronic Media Network (M-Net) launched the country’s first terrestrial pay-television channel. As broadcasting technology has developed over the years, M-Net has evolved from its analogue broadcast beginnings into a multi-channel Pan-African content-provider, delivering top programming on a variety of platforms. M-Net has become renowned for its diverse programming and groundbreaking television content, featuring a mix of international series and movies with high-quality local programming.

In recent years, M-Net has embraced new technology and has continued to be a pioneer in content development for new platforms. With the 2006 launch of DStv mobile – a digital video broadcast of live TV channels to enabled mobile phones – and M-Mobile, which provides 3G content on-demand to mobile phones, M-Net and its channels started to venture down new broadcast avenues. Since December 2007, M-Net viewers on DStv have also been able to enjoy the benefits of Catch-up TV with the launch of DStv on Demand, a free video-on-demand service to PVR and PC. From 2008, M-Net has produced a number of local shows for DStv’s High Definition channels.

About M-Net Content Sales Department

The M-Net Content Sales Department – a division of M-Net Group Content Services – monetises all M-Net-owned content through global sales and marketing. It promotes and sells M-Net’s library of content across television, DVD retail and rental, film festival circuit, In-Flight Entertainment, hotel pay-per view networks and broadband internet delivery mechanisms.

Format sales are a new area of M-Net’s sales activity. The division is sourcing sales partnerships and new opportunities to present and sell its fast-growing slate of new M-Net owned formats to the international marketplace.

Press contact:     Franklin Rae Communications

+44 (0) 20 7490 4050

Kelly Lewins                    kelly@franklinrae.com

Nicole Hurwitz                 nicole@franklinrae.com

                      

food for thought

I am a MASSIVE fan of cooking shows but not one of them has given me the biggest sense of joy than Hairy Bikers Meals on Wheels tonight on BBC 2. Of course there was some cooking on show but at the heart of tonight's programme was importance of a dying institution - delivery hot meals to the elderly and vulnerable. Nothing has made me want to smile or cry more than the heart-warming sight of the happiness on the faces of those who received the meals and enjoyed the company of the volunteers that delivered it. 


There are loads of different ways to get involved and you can find the full details here - http://www.do-it.org.uk/campaigns/hairybikers/. You can also catch the first episode (and believe me, you should) on BBC iPlayer now - http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b014sqyx/Hairy_Bikers_Meals_on_Wheels_Episode_1/

Nx

Not so sweet (and sour)

Most people's eating habits change as they get older; taste buds develop and you're probably a little more aware of what you're eating. That said, I sometimes like travelling back down memory lane to sample the 'delights' of my childhood, tucking into the comfort food that reminds me of the 'good old days', and when having a healthy diet was not on the top of my agenda. However, my recent 'trip' did not whip up that sense of nostalgia I was hoping for when I decided that it would be a great idea to have Uncle Ben's Sweet & Sour chicken. I was immensely looking forward to tucking into the sticky orange sauce and tender chicken (with a side of plain rice, of course) but my excitement soon turned into 'what the hell was I thinking' as attempted to eat it. The sauce was of course unnaturally sweet and rather sickly, and the limp peppers floaty around confirmed to me that vegetables are most definitely not at their best when they've been stuck in a jar for a considerable amount of time.


As you can see by the picture below, I should have known it was not going to go down well. 


Nx

Travelling along the rocky road

It feels like a bit of a cheat to say this is my speciality as it only involves melting mounds of chocolate, stirring in an array of goodies and waiting for it to set, but Rocky Road is what I get the most requests for out of my (relatively limited) culinary repertoire. Its a fail-safe if you fancy knocking up something sweet and home-made but can't be bothered to bake and its rather quick to boot. I tend to go for Cadbury's but you go for any brand you prefer and I usually pick up a whole nut bar too so that I don't have to buy nuts. You need about four family-size bars to make a decent amount, a few handfuls of mini marshmallows, as many or as little glacier cherries as you like and one or two crushed-up crunchies. You can obviously add whatever you like but I always find that the classics tend to be crowd-pleasers! However, in my most recent batch I decided to mix things up a bit and added some peanut butter to the mix! I melted it along with some white chocolate and drizzled it over the rest of the mix! It was a definite winner and I'd definitely recommend! 

Nx

the kings of falafel

I usually look upon kebab shops with disgust, and if I do find myself inevitably loitering in one after a night on the tiles, I almost always settle upon what I see as the only safe option - chips. However, this changed when I moved up the road to Stoke Newington and happened to be conveniently situated by The Best Turkish Kebab (http://www.bestturkishkebab.com/index3.html) a Stokey institution situated on the main high street. I knew it was a winner as soon as I moved in and saw a bundle of people spilling out of the doorway and onto the pavement at all hours of the day and night! I can't say I ever try the donor meat as its never appealed (and don't honestly know why anyone would order it, but each to their own and all) but falafel in a wrap is my fail-safe choice. Full of chickpea goodness, oozing houmous, tonnes of salad and a generous smattering of chilli sauce - truly amazing! You can even buy vine leaves and rice pudding, which to me is a sign of a superior kebab house. Their chicken shish looks good too - cooked fresh when you order! I could watch the men behind the counter for ages, seamlessly moving around preparing the orders without forgetting a thing and not a dot of grease anywhere on their brilliant white t-shirts. I love them, as does my sister who had a falafel wrap two days in a row and they now wave at her when she walks past. God knows what I will do if I move as I don't feel any kebab house can compare. 


Nx

From TV cook to reality

Despite watching countless cooking shows, even repeats, I very rarely cook the recipes I "ooh" and "ahh" over and say "I'll definitely try that soon!". However, I recently broke my habit and tried not one but TWO TV recipes. For main, I was inspired by my new favourite TV chef Simon Hopkinson's Tandoori Chicken. Not only was the recipe delightfully simple and summery, I loved the vibrant orange of the marinade and it satisfied my boyfriend meat cravings! The only challenge was attempting to chop off the ends of the chicken legs that he demonstrated with ease for two reasons: 1. I do not own super sharp meat knives 2. I felt slightly queasy at the sound of crunching bones. That said, I was ecstatic with the end result and it tasted exactly as it should! I even made the cooling mint and chilli dip and sambles for the side. If you fancy trying it, check out the recipe here - http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/homemade_tandoori_63396

For desert, I turned to Nigella, the Domestic Goddess herself and her EGG-FREE chocolate mousse! Egg-free you say? Why yes, because you use marshmallows instead! I loved this as it appealed to my child-like nature for soft and squidy pastel sweets and it sets almost immediately! Plus, its good for pregnant ladies (not that I know any) and those with an egg intolerance (I do know one of those). It was lovely, rich and velvety and I topped it off with some raspberry's to cut through the sweetness! 

All in all it was scrumptious! 


Nx

Paella Monday

It's one of my aims to try every independent restaurant that line the village-like Church Street in Stoke Newington - all quaint and sweet with an air of character that chains will never be able to recreate. One of my recent visits was to the very cute Blue Legume (http://www.thebluelegume.co.uk/), which is always bustling with people munching their way through mountains of mourish looking food. Having been delighted with a substantial Tricolore salad (and very reasonable too) and my mum's mountainess salad nicoise, I was ecstatic to find out they did a classic (and vegetarian) paella for 2 people for the bargain price of £12.95. So this week me and the boy tucked into a delectably juicy paella served in the traditional pan. I could not fault it - super chunks of chorizo and chicken, tender squid and calamari and saffron coated rice. I'd even say it was better than a paella I had in Barcelona and a definite step up from my recent homemade attempt when I had to substitute rice for broken up spaghetti - nuff said!


p.s. Their breakfast menu looks amazing too! 

Blue Legume's Paella

My (spaghetti) Paella