Text of press release by London-based CNBC Europe website on 31 August

Johannesburg and Englewood Cliffs, N.J, 31 August 2006: CNBC, first in business worldwide, has concluded an agreement with Africa Business News Limited to launch the first regional business and financial TV news channel for sub-Sahara Africa.

The new channel, CNBC Africa, will focus on Africa's business markets and provide global business news from an African perspective, initially with six hours of dedicated African programming each weekday. CNBC Africa will report real-time business and financial news, with insightful and informative commentary, CEO interviews, news analysis and live data.

CNBC Africa will carry CNBC's signature real-time share ticker of live stock price data, which has made it one of the most powerful trading tools on television. It will also incorporate live data from key African stock exchanges with data from all of the leading European bourses and from the US and Asia, during their trading day.

CNBC Africa will broadcast free-to-air, 24-hours a day and will also air programming from CNBC, CNBC Europe and CNBC Asia, including CNBC's popular global business news programme Worldwide Exchange, which is tri-anchored in New York, London and Singapore.

CNBC Africa will offer the powerful combination of global and regional business news coverage, with local expertise and relevance. CNBC Africa will be based in Johannesburg with correspondents reporting live from Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, Botswana and London.

The channel will tap into CNBC's global network of journalists and news bureaus in each major financial centre, providing unparalleled resources across the globe.

Zafar Siddiqi, Chairman of Africa Business News Limited commented, "The launch of CNBC Africa will be a milestone in the African broadcasting landscape. By focusing on real-time regional business and financial news, combined with that from other regions around the world, our aim is to provide our viewers with independent news and analysis that will enable them to make informed decisions when doing business in Africa."

Mark Hoffman, President of CNBC said, "CNBC Africa is an important development for CNBC and this region. We are the world leader in business news and financial information and our programming is trusted by business leaders and the financial community around the world. We are delighted that we will be able to bring global real-time news and analysis to the region, which is growing in significance as a centre of business and commerce."

CNBC Africa is expected to launch programming in the first half of next year and will be available free-to-air across Africa. More details about CNBC Africa's programme schedule will be announced closer to launch.

For photography or further information, please contact:

CNBC Europe
Hugo Foulds
Direct line: 44 (0)20 7653 9398
hugo.foulds@cnbceurope.com

Africa Business News Limited
Rakesh Wahi
Director
CNBC Africa
971 4 3290984
rakesh.wahi@cnbcafrica.com

About CNBC

CNBC is the recognised global leader in business news, providing real-time financial market coverage and business information. The network's Business Day programming (weekdays from 4:00am - 7:00pm ET) is produced at CNBC's global headquarters in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., and is widely recognized as the leader in real-time business news and analysis. CNBC primetime and weekends offer broad-based news, business and political talk programming. In addition to being seen in North America, South America and the Caribbean, CNBC is also incorporated into CNBC Europe and CNBC Asia Pacific programming.

About CNBC Europe

CNBC Europe is the only pan-European real-time financial and business channel dedicated to European CEOs and senior corporate executives, the European financial services industry and the European investor. Today the channel is available in over 100 million homes, 1,400 banks and financial institutions and thousands of four and five star hotel rooms throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa. CNBC Europe is wholly owned subsidiary of NBC Universal. NBC Universal is the broadcasting unit of the General Electric Company (GE).

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(c) 2006 BBC Monitoring Media. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.

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Published: 2006/11/17 12:00:37 CST

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