Imagine a world where you can no longer watch addictive local series like Inspector Bediako, Madam, Eno, homegrown movies such as Queen of Akra, or your favourite sports event like the FIFA World cup or Euros. This could be a reality if copyright is not protected.

While streaming a series from a dodgy site may seem harmless, content piracy cripples Africa’s creative industries.

Piracy occurs when an individual, who is not the copyright holder, copies content and resells it for a significantly lower price than the copyright holder charges. Many perpetrators of piracy do not realise the impact it can have…

It starts when producers have less money to invest in new projects, technology, and talent. Investors lose faith in Africa’s creative industry as their rights aren’t protected, and then the quality and variety of content dwindles.

Soon, local productions are replaced with mainstream, one-size-fits-all material, which means there’s less and less work for local content creators – along with less investment in local economies and livelihoods.  If you’re unsure that the content you’re consuming comes from a legit source, follow this decision tree:

Piracy might seem like a victimless act, but it impacts Africa’s entire entertainment industry, from studios to individual creators. By choosing legal options, you’re supporting the local movies, shows, and music you love – and ultimately helping to protect Africa’s creative industry!

To learn more or find a safe, reliable source of local content, visit: https://www.multichoice.com/partners-against-piracy

MX24 is thrilled to announce the successful wrap-up of the first half of the 2024 CroxItOut breast cancer awareness campaign, a pivotal initiative aimed at empowering and educating young women across Ghana. Over the past six months, the campaign has successfully reached over 5,000 students in five prestigious high schools, culminating in a 6th grand event at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) campus.

Since January, the CroxItOut team has made impactful stops at Aburi Girls, Achimota School, St Mary’s, Krobo Girls, and OLA Girls. Each session was designed to engage and inspire students, fostering an environment of learning and growth. The campaign’s focus on providing mentorship and awareness has resonated deeply with participants, leaving a lasting impact on the young attendees. This year marks the third year of the campaign which has grown from a TV awareness show, to a nationwide awareness tour focused on high school students. We believe early education means early awareness, sensitisation and greater impact.

The 6th event at KNUST was nothing short of spectacular, featuring special guest Tracy Owusu Addo, who shared her inspiring journey and invaluable insights with the students. The event not only served as a platform for education but also celebrated the achievements and potential of Ghana’s young women.

MX24 extends its heartfelt gratitude to its speakers Akosua Naana Lexis Obenewaa Opoku-Agyemang & Dr Erica Ntiamoah Mensah, MzDru, Dr. Hectoria Awekeya and Dela Seade for championing the cause of enlightening and inspiring the thousands of young women during the tour. We’d also like to thank our ambassadors LaliXLola for the exceptional work in pushing the message of breast cancer awareness within the last few months.

MX24 also extends gratitude to its sponsors, McPhillis Plantain Chips, Top Choco, and Flora, whose support has been crucial in making this campaign a success. We also thank our media partner, YFM, for their extensive coverage and promotion of the campaign’s events and milestones.

Looking ahead, the CroxItOut campaign is set to continue its mission in the second half of 2024, with more schools and inspirational sessions planned. Stay tuned for updates and highlights from today’s session, and mark your calendars for our upcoming events.

For more details about the CroxItOut campaign and to join us in this empowering journey, please visit our dedicated campaign page here.

#CroxItOut #MX24 #GirlChildEmpowerment #Education

Monday 1 July marks 25 days until the start of the 2024 Summer Olympic Games, which will be held in Paris, France, from 26 July (opening ceremony) to 11 August.

DStv is your ultimate destination for the Olympic Games, while DStv Stream allows viewers to watch their favourite sport live anywhere, any time. Upgrade to DStv Premium to enjoy the fastest sport in the world.

The Kenyan Men’s Sevens Rugby team have qualified for the Olympic Games in Paris and will battle World Seven Series champions and Olympic bronze medallists Argentina, Samoa and Australia in a tough-looking Pool B with only two sides guaranteed a place in the quarterfinals.

Yet ‘Shujaa’ assistant coach Louis Kisia believes his side will relish the underdog status in the French capital: “We played with Samoa in Madrid and we have a good idea of their strengths and weaknesses. Argentina are the champions of the series and are a dynamic and very skilled outfit, while Australia are quick and very experienced.

“It’s what we had expected from our calculation. There are no easy teams and we are ready for the battle ahead. The boys are in good spirits and ready to face any team which comes their way.”

He added, “We learnt useful lessons in the promotion playoff which I believe the boys will take to the Olympics. The boys handled pressure well and never panicked at any point. This shows the maturity and mental fortitude of the boys.”

Elsewhere, United States football icon Alex Morgan has been left out of her nation’s squad for the Women’s tournament in Paris. Coach Emma Hayes says it was a tough decision to leave the 35-year-old who has struggled with injuries this year at home, but believes it is the right one.

“First off, I want to talk about what an amazing player and human that Alex Morgan has been. I’ve only had one opportunity to work with her, in the last camp, and I saw first-hand not just her qualities but her professionalism, and her record speaks for itself,” Hayes said.

“Second of all, it’s not easy making a decision that there’s only 16 outfield players and two goalkeepers on a roster of 18. So, it was a tough decision, of course, especially considering Alex’s history and record with this team. But I felt that I wanted to go in another direction.”

And finally, the Nigerian Olympic Committee (NOC) has vowed to end the nation’s long wait for an Olympic gold medal. Nigeria’s last gold was in the year 2000, when the Men’s 4x400m won silver but saw this later converted to gold by the IOC (after the disqualification of the US team for fielding a drug offender in the final race), while another famous triumph was the Super Eagles winning gold in the Men’s Football tournament in 1996 in Atlanta.

Head of the NOC, Habu Gumel, believes a gold medal will come back to Nigeria from Paris 2024: “We are working hand in hand seriously with the Federal Ministry of Sports Development to ensure that our journey to the Paris Olympics will be a huge success. So far, we have qualified 85 athletes for the Paris Games and some of our athletes are still participating in qualifying championships and more qualifications will come in.”

He added, “We believe that this time around, we will do our best while in Paris to make Nigeria proud. You know what we have been singing all along and the last time we won golds in the Olympics was at Atlanta 1996. All along since Atlanta 96 we have been getting silver and bronze medals, but we’ll break the jinx in Paris.”

DStv is your ultimate destination for the Olympic Games, while DStv Stream allows viewers to watch their favourite sport live anywhere, any time. Upgrade to DStv Premium to enjoy the fastest sport in the world. Visit www.dstv.com to subscribe or upgrade and join in on the excitement.

MX24, a leader in innovative media broadcasting, is thrilled to announce its new partnership with Innova DDB Ghana, a frontrunner in marketing and advertising, to launch a ground breaking TV show series, Marketing Mavericks. This series is set to air quarterly, starting Tuesday 25th June at 5pm, 2024, exclusively on MX24. Viewers will be able to watch the show on television and also stream online on both Innova DDB Ghana and MX24’s Facebook, X-space, YouTube platforms as well as MX24’s new 24/7 Internet Protocol TV platform.

Marketing Mavericks debuted in 2023 as Innova DDB Ghana’s flagship thought leadership program. The series features interactive panel discussions led by industry experts, covering a wide range of marketing communication topics. These discussions are designed to ignite engaging conversations both online and offline, delving into key industry matters, highlighting best practices, and exploring evolving trends within the marketing communications space.

Under the agreement signed between both parties, Innova DDB Ghana will handle the production and content creation, including the development of the moderator’s script guide and the selection of panelists. The show will broadcast from MX24’s furnished studio space, equipped with state-of-the-art lighting and equipment to ensure a high-quality production.

Antoine Mensah, Head of Operations at MX24, expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration: “We are excited to partner with Innova DDB Ghana on Marketing Mavericks. This series not only aligns with our commitment to provide dynamic and educational content but also enhances our portfolio of innovative programming.”

Dr. Kenneth Hammond-Aryee, Chief Operating Officer of Innova DDB Ghana, added, “This partnership with MX24 is a significant milestone for Marketing Mavericks. By harnessing the power of this platform, we are committed to driving meaningful conversations, fostering innovation, and pushing the boundaries of marketing communications with creative excellence. Our goal is to inspire and empower our audience with actionable insights and bold ideas that will shape the future of our industry.”

Marketing Mavericks will offer sponsorship opportunities, allowing businesses to feature their brand-related adverts during the show. This collaboration is expected to create a significant impact on the marketing communication and media landscape in Ghana.

The show will air four times a year, with each episode offering fresh insights into the marketing communication industry. For more information on Marketing Mavericks and other programming, please visit [MX24’s website] and follow @mx24gh on social media.

MultiChoice Ghana Limited wishes to remind all broadcasters and the general public that SuperSport International has the exclusive Pay TV broadcast rights to broadcast UEFA European Football Championship matches (informally referred to as “Euros 2024”) on DStv and GOtv platforms across Sub-Saharan Africa.

No person, media station or event organizer without accreditation from the rights owner is permitted to undertake a public screening, live or delayed broadcast or re-broadcast on any free to air, pay TV channel or social media platform, or carryout radio commentary of these matches. 

Any violation of the foregoing will be met with exemplary civil and criminal sanctions available under the law.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Alex Okyere

Managing Director, 

MultiChoice Ghana.

Following an arrest, investigations are under way into the “thousands of individuals connected to the Waka TV pirate network”.

MultiChoice Group and its technology security subsidiary Irdeto have succeeded in nailing a pirate internet streaming service with the help of Western Cape police investigators.

In a statement on Wednesday, MultiChoice described the dismantling of the pirate steaming operation, called Waka TV, as “a significant victory in the fight against internet streaming piracy”.

The broadcaster said it was involved in a “meticulously planned raid” on 31 May, which led to the arrest of a “key suspect involved in one of the most extensive pirate operations in Africa”.

“This operation represents a major milestone in our relentless commitment to protecting MultiChoice Group’s content and the integrity of our broadcasting services,” it said.

It added that Irdeto made a “substantial investment” to investigate and identify the main suspect involved in the piracy network.

“The suspect, who is believed to have managed several pirate customers and resellers, was detained,” it said, adding that Waka TV “illegally distributed live TV channels, including several DStv channels, movies and series. The disruption caused by this raid is a significant blow to the illegal streaming industry in Africa.

“MultiChoice is working actively with the police as investigations continue into the thousands of individuals connected to the Waka TV pirate network. Resellers supporting the pirate operation are also under investigation. This collaborative effort aims to dismantle the entire network and bring all perpetrators to justice.”

More arrests imminent

It said the arrested suspect – it did not name the individual – appeared in court on 3 June and is facing charges of fraud and contravention of sections 2 to 8 of the Cybercrime Act. “Additional charges are being considered in consultation with the senior public prosecutor.”

The broadcaster said the Western Cape cybercrime unit will thoroughly analyse all the equipment seized during the raid. “This comprehensive analysis is expected to provide additional insights into the extent of the pirate network, and more arrests are imminent,” it said.

“MultiChoice Group would like to extend our deepest gratitude to the cybercrime unit and the Western Cape provincial commercial crime investigation unit for their outstanding support and professionalism throughout this operation. Their efforts have been crucial in achieving this significant breakthrough.”  — © 2024 NewsCentral Media