MTV to be seen in Africa

Viacom’s MTV Networks will launch its first local channel next year in Africa, the final global outpost for the music video and kids’ broadcaster and its 100th channel worldwide, it said Monday.

MTV Base in Africa will reach only about 1.3 million homes in 48 countries, primarily South Africa and Nigeria, when it begins broadcasting in February, but follows MTV’s pattern of setting up local infrastructure before expanding.

MTV was born in the United States in 1981. Since launching in Europe in 1987, MTV Networks has expanded to the Asia-Pacific region and Latin America, increasing its reach to more than 1 billion people in 164 territories and making it a key outpost for advertisers around the world.