Council on African Studies Brown Bag Lunch Series

Event time: 
Thursday, October 2, 2014 - 12:30pm
Location: 
Luce Hall Room 203 See map
34 Hillhouse Street
Event description: 

“Big Brother - Africa”: Creating television content in

Africa and How Global Youth Culture and Social Media are changing television distribution models in Sub Saharan Africa 

Using media and social media as a change agent is a powerful topic on the African continent as improved access to the web and the demands of commerce are driving the most open information landscape seen in decades.  As mobile technology continues to boom, as Facebook passes the 100 million users mark in Africa, with the arrival of video on demand services, and as the digital migration process becomes ever more a reality, television and video content has never been as important to African consumers as it is right now.  A discussion with an insider on how global youth culture and social media is changing television and film distribution models in Africa.

2014 Yale World Fellow Biola Alabi will unpack her adventures and lessons at the forefront of Africa television content creation. From helming the controversial Big Brother Africa to establishing the AfricaMagic Viewers’ Choice Awards, Alabi is perfectly positioned to spotlight an industry that is growing exponentially, that is changing at a dramatic pace, and that is still, at heart, all about “lights, camera and action!” From the licensing of reality show formats like Big Brother Africa, to Nollywood, to the universal challenge of developing good stories and formats, Biola shares her experiences and provides a perspective on the intersection of media and youth in Africa.