Pan-African music channel MTV base (DStv Channel 88) has launched a new daily music and entertainment news service that promises to provide viewers with an inside track on what's happening in the international and African music scene.

The unique news service, 'Base News' airs daily on MTV base every day from 20:00 CAT, bringing targeted, up-to-date entertainment news to viewers across Africa. The bulletin repeats at 21:00 CAT, 22:00 CATand then at 07:00 CAT, 08:00 CAT, 16:00 CAT and 18:00 CAT the next day, before a fresh news bulletin starts again at 20:00 CAT.

African music fans can now watch daily bulletins of targeted entertainment and music news focusing on their favourite African and international artists' providing bite-sized chunks of entertainment news from Africa as well as UK, USA, France and the Caribbean. News stories encompass everything from artist signings, to Award wins, album releases, tour news and emerging music trends.

Each bulletin of base News is presented by top MTV presenter Tim Kash, a veteran of the MTV music and entertainment scene who has interviewed stars from Madonna to JayZ, and who recently interviewed British Prime Minister Tony Blair for MTV base exclusive, 'MTV base Meets Tony Blair'.

Commented Alex Okosi, "MTV News is a staple features of MTV channels around the world, so we're delighted to launch an African news service for the first time. 'Base News' provides African musicians with yet another platform for promoting their music, artistry and successes to a pan-African audience, while fulfilling our audience's appetite for topical stories about their favourite artists."

MTV base's news service will provide yet another avenue by which African artists and musicians can achieve Pan-African exposure on MTV base. African artists now regularly feature on more than a dozen different shows in the MTV base schedule including: Hitlist Base, Artist Top 10 and MTV base Spotlight, Legends, as well as music playlist hours Base Trebles, Base Alternative, MTV base Kickoff, Non Stop Hits, Raw, After Hours, Partyzone, Base Soul and Spanking New Music.

In addition, the channel regularly secures exclusives on new video releases, ensuring that MTV base viewers get the first chance to view new, hot and emerging TV.

Any artists, labels or promoters who want to submit a news story to MTV base, should contact the MTV base news team at baseafricanews@mtvne.com. Artists wishing to secure airplay for their video on MTV base should contact their local MTV representative as follows:

Angola: Nelson Mangueira: +244 912 821 078, mangueira.nelson@mtvne.comNigeria: Femi Olagbaiye: +234802 3400 381, olagbaiye.femi@mtvne.comKenya: Henry Njuguna: +254 722 710 163 holyghost_99@yahoo.comIvory Coast: Mac-Davies Anouma: +225 07 11 43 70 macdavies26@yahoo.frTanzania: Christine Mosha: +255 222 773 337 seven@uient.comUganda: Donald Mugisha: +256 71 681 455 binka@yesthatsus.co.ug France: Saira Sow: +33 6 18 02 25 65 saira@rootsycom.comRest of Africa/West Indies/Caribbean/UK/USA: Hamid Idjou: + 44 207 478 6000, idjou.hamid@mtvne.com