Thinus Ferreira
Canal+ has installed Hala Saab, who will remain in Issy-les-Moulineaux in Paris, as the new Canal+ Africa communications boss overseeing MultiChoice in Africa.
Canal+ and Canal+ Africa's communications approach about what it's doing within MultiChoice has been disastrous, detached and beyond misguided since Canal+ under new Canal+ Africa boss David Mignot took over full control of MultiChoice in late September.
Hala Saab will sit in Paris and not relocate to Johannesburg, South Africa, similar to how MultiChoice Africa did communications in the past for the Rest of Africa (RoA), besides South Africa, out of MultiChoice's office in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Hala Saab has been appointed director of communication for Africa. She has already been responsible for Canal+'s communication across the African continent, but her scope has now been expanded to include the English and Portuguese-speaking MultiChoice markets.
According to MultiChoice Hala Saab will now "oversee all Canal+ communication activities across Africa". Hala Saab will report to Emilie Pietrini, Canal+'s chief brand and communication officer.
According to Canal+, Hala Saab is a graduate of ISC Paris with a specialisation in strategic marketing who began her career as a media buyer at Mediacom.
In 2001, she
joined Canal+ France’s advertising sales division as advertising executive, then account director,
and then head of sponsorship and special operations.
In 2010, she took over
as the head of product communication at Canal+ International.
Four years
later, she was appointed director of international communications,
tasked with supporting the group’s development in Africa, Europe, and
Asia.
Canal+ has been battling a barrage of extremely nasty and highly damaging news reports for weeks since it took over MultiChoice about shocking demands of 20% cost-cutting at MultiChoice that shocked and angered independent service providers, suppliers and producers.
Canal+ has apparently done nothing to stem the tide of highly negative news and lurid details like MultiChoice even running out of toilet paper for refusing to pay suppliers what they are owed and even SuperSport almost missing a sports broadcast.
Canal+ has so far not answered any questions posed by TVwithThinus seeking answers around the issue.
Hala Saab from Paris has a full plate if there are going to be attempts made to liaise and engage with and get to know South Africa and Africa's news media, who have had little to no contact so far with Canal+ Africa and are still waiting for responses and answers on the Canal+ Africa cost-cutting scandal that engulfed MultiChoice since October.
