Africa: Media Leaders to Gather in Cameroon

By Eric Sande

YAOUNDE---African Media Leaders Forum (AMLF) – which is the continent’s only gathering of top media owners and operators across all platforms: print, broadcast, online and new media has announced this year’s forum will take place on November 18 – 19 in Yaoundé, Cameroon.

The theme of the 2010 AMLF is: “Funding African Media in an Age of Uncertain Business Models”.

AMLF is the flagship programme of the African Media Initiative (AMI), a Pan-African Initiative to promote democratic governance, social development and economic growth by strengthening the continent’s media sector. It does so through a strategic set of activities aimed at transforming the sector to become more professional, financially sustainable and socially responsible.

"The main objective of the forum is to facilitate the emergence of an African media sector that is professional, financially sustainable, technologically adaptable

and socially responsible," according to Amadou Mahtar Ba, AMI CEO.

Guest speakers expected at the Yaoundé meeting include Mr Youssouf Ouedraogo, the former Burkina Faso Prime Minister and Special Adviser to the AfDB President, Mr Linus Gitahi, the Chief Executive Officer of the Nation Media Group, and Mr Trevor Ncube, the CEO Mail & Guardian.

AMLF was created to address media development issues of reforms and resources to strengthen the sector so that it can play a meaningful role in the continent’s development agenda. A key characteristic of media development in Africa has been the heavy concentration on journalism support at the expense of addressing the business aspects of media.

Over 250 participants including CEOs, managing directors, publishers and media leaders from Africa and beyond are expected to attend. The organisers have reported an over five-fold increase in the number of participants attending when compared to the first AMLF which was held in Dakar, Senegal in 2008.