Al Jazeera expands reach in Africa

Notes and media contacts

About Al Jazeera

Al Jazeera started out over twelve years ago as the first independent Arabic news channel in the world dedicated to providing comprehensive television news and live debate for the Arab world. In 2006, Al Jazeera was ranked by brandchannel.com as the most impactful television broadcast news brand globally. As a result of its expansion and the creation of new channels and services, Al Jazeera was formally named the Al Jazeera Network in March 2006, transforming its operation into an international media corporation. The Al Jazeera Network now consists of the flagship Al Jazeera Arabic channel, Al Jazeera English, Al Jazeera Documentary, Al Jazeera Sport, Al Jazeera.net (the English and Arabic web sites), the Al Jazeera Media Training and Development Center, the Al Jazeera Center for Studies, Al Jazeera Mubasher (Live), and Al Jazeera Mobile.

About Al Jazeera English

Al Jazeera English is the first English language world news channel to be headquartered in the Middle East. Launched in November 2006, Al Jazeera English is setting the global news agenda and acts as a bridge between cultures. With unique access as the channel of reference for Middle East events, and broadcast centres strategically placed around the world in Doha, Kuala Lumpur, London and Washington DC, Al Jazeera English is balancing the information flow from South to North, providing independent and impartial news for a global audience from a grass roots level, giving voice to different perspectives from under-reported regions around the world.

Al Jazeera English is available in over 100 countries to over 140m households worldwide, and was recently awarded "Best 24 Hour News Program" at the 48th Annual Monte Carlo Television Festival. The channel also recently received its first two International Emmy nominations in both news and current affairs, for its groundbreaking coverage of the military crackdown in Myanmar and for its Red Mosque coverage.

Al Jazeera started out over twelve years ago as the first independent Arabic news channel in the world dedicated to providing comprehensive television news and live debate for the Arab world. Al Jazeera has been ranked by brandchannel.com as the most impactful television broadcast news brand globally.

About Africell



Since inception, Africell's slogan has been Bringing People Closer and we have spared no efforts translate our slogan into reality through a policy of continuous capital reinvestment and aggressive network expansion. Africell has witnessed exceptional growth within the last two years and is currently the market leader with more than 617,000 active subscribers by the end of Q3 2008.



Africell has achieved the first position in terms of market share and plans are underway to achieve the country's widest coverage footprint by the fourth quarter of 2008.

As with other operators, the secret recipe behind this success was a strategy of aggressive marketing network roll-out. Aside from the growth in the subscriber base Africell Sierra Leone's major success was in winning the hearts and minds of the people in a record time and to become an inherent part of the Sierra Leonean society through a very active social agenda.

The Africell parent holding company Lintell Holding, is targeting to expand throughout the African continent and currently owns a majority stake in another GSM network in Gambia, also operating under the brandname Africell (www.africell.gm). Africell Sierra Leone began operations in 2005 and is also witnessing exceptionally rapid growth, reaching more than 450,000 active subscribers at the end of 2007.

During the course of 2006 and 2007, Africell Sierra Leone was the GSM operator with the highest growth both as a percentage and n numbers. As in Gambia, all core network and radio equipments are supplied by Siemens and the prepaid intelligent network is supplied by Intervoice.



About Strike Media
Strike Media offers a complete mobile marketing solution, with campaigns that are personal, direct and instant. The company has provided mobile services since 1998 and its experience of the market combines with custom technology and strategic marketing and business knowledge to provide a real return on investment for its clients. Strike Media maintains strict anti-spam policies and is a founder member of WASPA, the Wireless Application Service Providers Association.

For further information please contact:

Christina Aivaliotis
Tel: +974 489 2555