DW’s distribution executives are in in Johannesburg, South Africa this week looking to find new ideas for Africa-oriented television programming. DW has been a trusted voice on the radio for decades in Africa and is now seeking to go deeper into the television market with programming tailored for African audiences. For the past year, DW’s flagship English channel has been available via DTH satellite in Africa.

DISCOP Africa was launched in 2008 and this year’s convention in Johannesburg, South Africa is expected to attract 2000 delegates from 70 countries. International content producers will gain insight and access into African markets and African based producers at the convention will have a platform to promote their content for international distribution.
DW has consistently been a valuable part of the African media landscape– bringing reliable news, entertainment and education to every corner of the continent. For 50 years DW has been broadcasting radio in Kiswahili and also provides news services in Hausa and Amharic. Educational radio programs like Learning by Ear shed light on social issues and help improve people’s lives. If you’re at the convention be sure to stop by and see everything DW has to offer in Africa.

Camarote.21 – DW’s new series in Portuguese for Brazil – will debut this weekend on Rede Minas. It features the latest events and trends from the world of European music, literature, art and film and will be shown every Sunday.

Brazilian born host, Francis França is excited by the possibility to convey German and European culture to a Brazilian audience. “Culture offers a wide range of possibilities to convey and transport information,” she said, “culture has many expressive forms and is not necessarily limited by language.” She hopes the show will help connect Brazil and Germany and foster understanding and an intercultural dialogue. França  also frequently invites Brazilian artists into the studio who are either currently based in or travelling through Germany.

Camarote.21 builds on DW’s Portuguese language programming in Brazil. On October 1o the Brazilian educational broadcaster Canal Futura began broadcasting the successful science magazine Futurando. The channel can be received by a potential audience of 94 million nationwide.

Classical music is one of the most coveted aspects of German culture and DW has always been in tune with this, taking global audiences behind the music with documentaries like Schumann at Pier 2 and the Beethoven Project.  DW’s latest classical music film production, The Highest Level, recently premiered to much acclaim in Berlin. The film was directed by DW’s prize winning director, Christian Berger. It follows the Chinese pianist Lang Lang and the Berlin Philharmonic conducted by Sir Simon Rattle as they put together a stunning performance of Piano Concerto No. 2 by Hungarian composer Béla Bartók and Piano Concerto No. 3 by the Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev. The two pieces are considered to be some of the most intricate and complicated for pianists.  A sneak preview is available now on Euromaxx on DW.  You can see the film on DW television in English, German, Spanish and Arabic from Saturday, November 30 to Monday, December 2 as part of the In Focus documentary series. On December 1 it will be available on-demand in DW’s media center. For those who can’t wait Sony Classical will release the film on October 25, 2013, on DVD and Blu-ray Disc. You can buy the audio CD now online.

DW’s In Focus has always presented an endless variety of insightful and educational documentaries and one of their new productions, Ecopia, is a must-see for everyone who loves cities and architecture.  The six part TV-series on “intelligent building and sustainable living” recently won awards at three European film festivals.

The entire series won the grand prize in the “People and Society” category at the Ekofilm awards in the Czech Republic. Part six of the series, “Tourism goes green”, won the jury prize at the Tourfilm festival, also in the Czech Republic. Part five of the series, “Modern Culture Temples”, received a special mention at the European Environment Festival, “Green Wave – 21 Century”, in Bulgaria.

The series features in-depth reporting with architects and experts on ecological building projects and urban planning in places like New York, Hamburg, London and many other places in almost every corner of the world. Watch it now online.

DW Transtel is looking for new partners at this year’s MIPCOM and highlighting its diverse range of programming with detailed looks at several facets of modern life. Life’s a Beach lets viewers experience classic seaside towns, first-hand. Tricks of the Trade gives viewers an in-depth look at why and what we buy. It provides customers with information about how goods are produced and marketed – from harmful additives and waste to misleading marketing strategies.

Additional highlights include the wildlife series Let’s Go Wild, 50 Years of the Bundesliga, Europe 28, which offers a unique look at the capitals of the European Union and Euromaxx Clipmania with the best, funniest, most gripping and breathtaking clips from the world of online videos.

Visit Booth 19.14. at MIPCOM 2013 to meet up with Petra Schneider and the rest of DW’s Distribution team from October 7-10.