Kofi Akosah-Sarpong reports from Toronto about the launching of Canada’s first African television channel devoted exclusively to culture and entertainment

Canada’s first African television channel was launched in Toronto’s Luna Ballroom on October 13 with a galaxy of African dignitaries, the diplomatic community, academics, businessmen/women, municipal big-wigs, religious and cultural groups, artists, the media, and a cross section of the African community. As the CEO of the African Entertainment Television (AETV), the Ghanaian-born Nana Kwabena Agyemang, told the large audience, “AETV is a tool to educate ourselves, to promote ourselves and to uplift our image positively.” AETV’s mission is not only to counter the long-running negative image of Africa in the Canadian society but also to let the Canadian society appreciate the positive developments in continental Africa and Africans in the diaspora.

With over ten staff, AETV was awarded a license to broadcast shows on Toronto Star TV, channel 21 and 17 in Toronto and Scarborough areas respectively on Rogers cable. Stephanie Asare, an AETV anchor and a graduate student of International Relations at the University of Toronto, said, “AETV’s primary aim is to bring Africa to Africans in Canada…To educate, empower and uplift ourselves as African people…Our dynamic team will bring Canadians the latest developments from African countries. We will be profiling African leaders, scholars, academics, businesses, community leaders and outstanding youth to show the world the positive side of what Africans are doing around the world. We will discuss pertinent social issues affecting our community. We will be traveling around the globe to bring you the latest African cultural event.”

Dr. James Tabi, of the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC), said AETV “is going to bring African culture to Africans in Canada” and asked “Africans to support the right course and the leaders’ vision” and requested that AETV institute the right management. Charles Adjei-Amoamah, Ghana Deputy High Commissioner, reinforced this when he said that AETV philosophy goes with the new African development project of NEPAD. He said the coming of AETV follows a long road by African non-governmental organizations in Canada, from newspapers to the electronic media, which has finally culminated in AETV. “It is going to take hard work, many would like to bring you down but you have to stand tall…Not to be deterred.” While saying the Ghanaian diplomatic mission will support AETV, Adjei-Amoamah sees AETV as finally emerging as Canada’s equivalent of America’s Black Entertainment Television (BET). Nana Juantuah, 62, a heavy-duty mechanic, who knows the African community very well, said ! while he came to show support for AETV, the granting of the television license shows that the African community is growing in Canada. “The negative should give way to the positive. If Africans have anything to support now, it is AETV.”

Recognizing the capital-intensive nature of such media outlet, a Toronto-based lawyer Charles Anipare, enjoined the African businesses to help uplift AETV. Nana Agyemang himself reiterated this when he said that AETV is in its infant stage and that “it takes a whole village to raise a child…In order for AETV to grow and flourish we need your financial support and encouragement.” Prof. George Dei, head of Sociology and Equity Studies of University of Toronto, said, “AETV has a positive future. The leadership needs support. We need such medium to present Africa because success depends on education tool. The African community need to see AETV with a sense of ownership.” Most of the African diplomats said they are willing to support AETV. Mike Mkangwana, South Africa’s Consulate General, said AETV has already asked his mission for cultural products. “We will provide them and assist AETV in whatever is possible so it can succeed.” Dr. Nuradeen Aliyu, Nigeria Deputy High Commissio! n, his mission recognizes how AETV can help promote Nigerian and African culture, and African activities. “AETV will be a way of showing African identity in Canada and the Western world. It should try to be unique in terms of our entertainment and our social activities, our social culture. Artists like Wole Soyinka can be promoted.” Already, the Nigerian mission is having rapport with AETV—already AETV has aired a Nigeria tourism promotional piece.

Said Ijeoma B. Udechukwu, head of the Nigeria Information Service Centre, “Its to project Nigeria and Africa positively instead of the dark, poor Africa. There are many good things in Africa instead of the negative images. So AETV can project Africa positively. This is Africa’s own TV because the Chinese, Italians and Indians have their own television channels.” Catherine Ataa Serwah, an AETV anchor, said, “Its nice, interesting to see what African community is doing. We are showing a lot of things we wont know about. AETV let us know the good things about Africa instead of the bad things.” Samuel Yirenkyi, president of Okuapeman Cultural Association of Ontario (OCAO), said, “AETV is good opportunity in terms of educating the kids and special announcements to the African community. We hope to provide through advertisement towards AETV program. OCAO has a cultural show that can entertain the African community about the rich cultural values we have in Ghana.” Akuamoah Boateng,!leader of Trinity Singers of the Church of Pentecost, which performed inspirational songs at the launch, said, “AETV will be a positive medium to portray African spirituality and image to the Canadian society.” William Amoah, technical director of AETV, who was in Dakar, Senegal to cover Gore Island during the first Emancipation Day In Africa in 1998, said, “AETV looks really good. With hard work and lot of discipline, we will be able to achieve much for the African community with AETV as a tool. We will bring the best of Africa to the world map instead of portraying Africa as a jungle. We will promote Africa’s beautiful culture to Canada…I will use my experience to do this.”

In his address, the chair of the occasion, Dr. S.K. Addah, a Toronto-based family physician, said, “Information is so much now that we miss the trees from the forest. AETV should let us see the African trees from the Canadian forest. It is in AETV that for the first time Canadians will be seeing Africa in positive light. Only Africans can project Africa positively. I ask everybody to support AETV.” Michael Appiah Kubi, the master ceremony at launch, who was shifting between English and French, said just as Martin Luther King had a dream that one day Blacks will be liberated and this came through, so was AETV when five years ago Nana Agyemang had the dream of floating an African television program which will counter the negative impressions about Africa and that dream has given birth to AETV through the help of Melynn Erasmus, a South African-Canadian account executive at Toronto Star.

The occasion saw many cultural performances such as Toronto highlife queen Comfort Asante electrifying presentation of her latest album Holy Ghost Power, the superb display by Okyeman Kete Cultural Troop, and the overwhelming feat by the Ewe Dance Emsemble (made up of Ghanaians, Togolese and Beninoise) of their toku dance normally performed during moonlight in the Ewe region of West Africa. Feeling Good Francis aka Kofi Nti performed his debut Soldier, attracting some audience to the floor. Ghanaian hip-hop group Nemafoo revealed the growing hip-hop culture in the African community. And so were the duo-rap group African Connection. Mike Nkwangwana and Jack Pillay, both of the South Africa High Commission, performed the group raffle draw.

Later, AETV screened its first five episode featuring the Toronto-based actor Michael Asante aka Asanco being interviewed; a long interview with Ghana High Commissioner Samuel Odoi-Sykes on the burning issue of dual citizenship; California-based Ghanaian highlife maestro Gyedu-Blay Ambulley; Toronto-based Ghanaian reggae star Kwesi Selassie; highlife queen Comfort Asante; and Accra-based artist Abrantie Amakye Dade. Also featured were the installation of the new Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu 11; the installation of the king of the Asantes in Toronto, Nana Asare Bediako; a Nigerian tourism piece, Discover Nigeria, showing the country’s huge tourism potential; a stunning Nigerian beauty contest; Emancipation Day in Ghana—a special homecoming occasion for Africans in the diaspora (Rita Marley, reggae supreme Bob’s wife, is seen here)—showing the dead African Americans who want to be buried in Ghana; and the bestowing of chieftaincy titles on the United Nations Secretary-General! , Kofi Anan, by Asantehene Osei Tutu 11 during his recent visit to Ghana. The first five episodes show that AETV need not only technical help and has to reached to most of the African communities but also adverts—almost half of the small adverts were from Indian businesses.

Nana Agyemang said AETV finds it difficult to get adverts from African businesses. “We are trying to approach the churches and ethnic associations for help. We have got some help from the Ga-Dangbe and Amansia groups.” Added Kwesi Sarfo, AETV’s co-coordinator/marketing executive, “Its not easy getting advertisements now. Lots of people are yet to know about AETV. But it will be O.K. Since July advertisement is going up but it’s very, very slow. Advertisements now are from the African community, nothing much from the Canadian community.”

Albert Boamah, a factory worker who came to support the AETV launch, said he believes AETV will succeed despite its initial problems and can bring the African community together. “If it succeeds its good for the African community. A lot of things happen in our community we don’t know, so its good. Also AETV will help build Africa’s new generation in Canada.”

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