{{Short description|Defunct pan-African television network (2001–2003)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2026}}
'''African Broadcast Network''' ('''ABN''') was a South Africa-based television network created by the African Barter Company, which up until 2000 was known for its barter syndication to multiple African territories. Similar to TVAfrica, it was a pan-African television network where its affiliate broadcasters aired its programming. Registered in the United Kingdom and with offices in Johannesburg, Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Zambia and Zimbabwe,<ref name="bows"/> it was dissolved in 2003.
==History== The network was formally announced on 18 October 2000. The network was set to deliver its output via satellite and most of the programmes to be screened were American, as Africa usually spent little on buying American output. One of its launch titles was set to be the US soap ''Passions''. At the same time, the African Barter Company became an ABN subsidiary.<ref name="takesflight">{{cite web |title=Pan-African satellite net takes flight|url=https://variety.com/2000/tv/news/pan-african-satellite-net-takes-flight-1117787909/ |access-date=5 February 2026 |website=Variety |date=18 October 2000 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260205111445/https://variety.com/2000/tv/news/pan-african-satellite-net-takes-flight-1117787909/ |archive-date=5 February 2026}}</ref> At the end of the month, a trade launch was held in London, attracting broadcasters from Ghana, Nigeria, Tanzania, Kenya, Zambia and Zimbabwe. ABN was also starting relations with content suppliers such as Columbia, Warner Bros., Hearst and CNN. Funding was provided by the Washington DC-based Modern Africa Growth and Investment Company.<ref name="ABN2000">{{cite web |title=African Broadcast Network To Begin Operation|url=https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/business/African-Broadcast-Network-To-Begin-Operation-11799 |access-date=5 February 2026 |website=GhanaWeb |date=1 November 2000 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241222055437/https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/business/African-Broadcast-Network-To-Begin-Operation-11799 |archive-date=22 December 2024}}</ref>
On 2 January 2001, it was announced that ABN would begin operations on 29 January.<ref name="bows">{{cite web |title=Pan-African b'caster bows|url=https://variety.com/2001/tv/news/pan-african-b-caster-bows-1117791273/ |access-date=5 February 2026 |website=Variety |date=3 January 2001 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260205121642/https://variety.com/2001/tv/news/pan-african-b-caster-bows-1117791273/ |archive-date=5 February 2026}}</ref> The signal was delivered from Orbicom's facilities in Johannesburg, while uplinking was done locally from its South African offices at ZSE-TV (Video RSA). In order to attract more commercial revenue into Africa, it struck a deal with Granada Media as its international sales agent.<ref name=ABN2001/>
The Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation announced on 9 May that it would take off its programmes from its television channel, a move which was not notified to the higher-ups in Johannesburg. Nearly two months later on 2 July, Africa Independent Television started airing ABN's service.<ref name=ABNZim>"ABN bye bye ZBC, good morning Nigeria", ''Africa Film & TV Magazine'', nº. 29, February 2001 – May 2001</ref> On 18 October, Savannah Maziya was appointed its CEO.<ref name="Maziya">{{cite web |title=Maziya appointed CEO of African Broadcast Network|url=https://www.screendaily.com/maziya-appointed-ceo-of-african-broadcast-network/407230.article |access-date=5 February 2026 |website=Screen Daily |date=18 October 2001 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241108022512/https://www.screendaily.com/maziya-appointed-ceo-of-african-broadcast-network/407230.article |archive-date=8 November 2024}}</ref> On 15 October<ref name="STBCagreement"/> 2001, Swazi TV started broadcasting ABN's output.<ref name="ABNSwazi">{{cite web |title=African Network ABN Signs Up Swazi TV|url=https://www.warc.com/newsandopinion/news/african-network-abn-signs-up-swazi-tv/en-gb/10158 |access-date=3 November 2023 |website=WARC |date=19 November 2001 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231103153928/https://www.warc.com/newsandopinion/news/african-network-abn-signs-up-swazi-tv/en-gb/10158 |archive-date=3 November 2023}}</ref> A year into its operation, it had signed up advertising spots for fifteen of the largest advertisers in Africa, among them Caltex, Unilever, Reckitt & Coleman, Johnson & Johnson, Barclays Bank, Schweppes and Cadburys.<ref>"ABN attracts big brand names", ''Africa Film & TV Magazine'', nº.32, February 2002 – April 2002</ref>
In May 2002, ABN signed deals with Television Rwanda, Television Malawi and Desert TV of Namibia. By then, ABN estimated its total viewership to be at 100 million.<ref name="ABN3">{{cite web |title=ABN signs on three more broadcasters|url=https://www.bizcommunity.com/InBrief/148/59/393.html |access-date=5 February 2026 |website=WARC |date=3 May 2002 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130607064040/https://www.bizcommunity.com/InBrief/148/59/393.html |archive-date=7 June 2013}}</ref> Desert TV was previously a TVAfrica affiliate, but left the network because of problems with the company, which wanted "excessive shares of the revenues", causing the station to suspend operations in March 2002.<ref>{{cite web |title=Desert TV On the Air|url=https://allafrica.com/stories/200205210317.html |access-date=3 November 2023 |website=AllAfrica|date=21 May 2002 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020601084136/https://allafrica.com/stories/200205210317.html |archive-date=1 June 2002}}</ref> In mid-2002, WBS started carrying ABN, bringing the service into Uganda, though the offer was limited to ''Passions'' and its sitcom slot. Plans to expand into Francophone Africa were in the cards.<ref name="ABNUganda">"Uganda’s most watched television station offers prime time to ABN", ''Africa Film & TV Magazine'', nº.34, August 2002 – October 2002</ref>
The company ultimately went insolvent at the end of 2003. In December of that year, the company was handed over to British insolvency administrator Kallis & Co.; similar to what happened to TVAfrica, its pre-sold commercial spots were illegally dumped by local broadcasters who chose to air their commercials instead.<ref>{{cite web |title=Greed grounds ABN, TV Africa|url=https://variety.com/2004/tv/news/greed-grounds-abn-tv-africa-1117899674/ |access-date=5 February 2026 |website=Variety|date=21 May 2002 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20241105085334/https://variety.com/2004/tv/news/greed-grounds-abn-tv-africa-1117899674/ |archive-date=5 November 2024}}</ref>
==Programming== ABN started off as a one-hour satellite-fed programming block with emphasis on quality programming. It already set up goals for local programming, which it hoped to consist of 20% by the end of the first year, rising to 40% by the end of 2006. The one-hour block would increase to two hours by the end of the first year, then to three hours by the end of the second year.<ref name="bows"/> Unlike TVAfrica, the service was entirely free-to-air. Foreign content was obtained from trilateral cooperation between sales houses in Africa, the UK and the US.<ref name="ABN2000"/>
Its launch programming consisted of the following series: *''Passions'' *''Damon'' *''Cosby'' *''One World'' *''Everybody Loves Raymond'' *''The King of Queens''<ref name=ABN2001>"African Broadcast Network: new television network heralds a new era", ''Africa Film & TV Magazine'', nº. 28, November 2000 – January 2001, Television Networks in Africa supplement</ref>
ABN supplied footage of World Press Freedom Day on 3 May 2001 for both UNESCO and Saba. Footage was provided by the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation.<ref>"World Press Freedom Day to Africa on ABN", ''Africa Film & TV Magazine'', nº. 29, February 2001 – May 2001</ref>
In October, it launched the ''African Movie of the Week'' slot, with thirteen titles. Network head James Makawa noticed that there were difficulties in obtaining the titles, due to a lack of database or controlling body for distributing African films.<ref>"ABN delivers the best in African films", ''Africa Film & TV Magazine'', nº. 31, November 2001 – February 2002</ref> Around the same time, it added ''Kids Say the Darndest Things'', hosted by Bill Cosby, and hoped to produce a pan-African soap opera, which it hoped to sell to the African diaspora and people of African descent in the UK, the US and the Caribbean,<ref name="ABNSwazi"/> as well as the Paramount-produced drama series ''Soul Food'' and an additional two hours of programming per week.<ref name="lure">"Luring Africa's audiences", ''Africa Film & TV Magazine'', nº. 31, November 2001 – January 2002</ref> By the time of the October expansion, ABN's programming increased to 90 minutes a day.<ref name="STBCagreement">"Swazi TV: Programming agreement with ABN", ''Africa Film & TV Magazine'', nº.32, February 2002 – April 2002</ref>
During the first half of 2002, ABN's daily sitcom line-up was like this: *Monday: ''The Parkers'' *Tuesday: ''Cosby'' *Wednesday: ''Suburban Bliss'' (South African sitcom) *Thursday: ''The King of Queens'' *Friday: ''Becker''<ref name="ABNKenya">"Independent Television Broadcasting: A Herculean Task in Kenya", ''Africa Film & TV Magazine'', nº.33, May 2002 – July 2002</ref>
It had also partnered with the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation to produce ''Afro Centric Arts'' to air on the ABN network. ABN manager Tony Clegg-Butt believed that the programme would have massive appeal in both Kenya and Africa. ''Passions'', shown on weekdays, as well as the sitcom line-up, has been showing an increase in ratings in Kenya alone.<ref name="ABNKenya"/>
2002 also saw the introduction of four new hour-long dramas: *Thursday: ''Walker, Texas Ranger'' *Friday: ''The Crow'' *Saturday: ''Psi Factor'' *Sunday: ''Queen of Swords''<ref name="ABNKenya"/>
==Affiliates== {| class="wikitable sortable" ! Country ! Channel ! Type ! Period ! Ref. |- | Ghana | Ghana Television | Public | 2001–2003 | <ref name="ABN2000"/> |- | Tanzania | Independent Television | Private | 2001–2003 | <ref name="ABN2000"/> |- | Kenya | KBC TV | Public | 2001–2003 | <ref name="ABN2000"/> |- | Zambia | ZNBC TV | Public | 2001–2003 | <ref name="ABN2000"/> |- | Zimbabwe | ZBC TV | Public | February–May 2001 | <ref name="ABN2000"/><ref name="ABNZim"/> |- | Nigeria | Africa Independent Television | Private | July 2001 – 2003 | <ref name="ABNZim"/> |- | Swaziland | Swazi TV | Public | October 2001 – 2003 | <ref name="ABNSwazi"/> |- | Rwanda | Television Rwanda | Public | May 2002 – 2003 | <ref name="ABNZim"/> |- | Malawi | Television Malawi | Public | May 2002 – 2003 | <ref name="ABNZim"/> |- | Namibia | Desert TV | Private | May 2002 – 2003 | <ref name="ABNZim"/> |- | Uganda | WBS Television | Private | Mid 2002–2003 | <ref name="ABNUganda"/> |}
==See also== *African Barter Company *TVAfrica
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Television syndication distributors Category:Television channels and stations established in 2001 Category:Television channels and stations disestablished in 2003 Category:2000 establishments in South Africa Category:2003 disestablishments in South Africa Category:Mass media in South Africa Category:Defunct companies of South Africa