In spite of satellite television technology, many African immigrant groups are unable to obtain cultural programming in North America. Vidvo.tv is filling the service void for this growing demographic in the United States and Canada with its subscription-based IPTV broadband service. Designed to be practical and affordable, Vidvo’s programming includes television channels from countries such as Ghana, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Sudan, and Senegal.

Vidvo’s IPTV service utilizes broadband technology to deliver African channels to its customers. Unlike most IP services, Vidvo’s technology allows its customers to watch high resolution video streams directly on their television set. Because the service is broadband-based rather than satellite-based, it is more accessible to recent immigrants, many of whom rent their residences or live in apartments.

Compared to satellite television, Vidvo’s IPTV service also offers African immigrants a greater range of cultural television stations. Stations streamed by Vidvo include Ghana’s MetroTV and OBETV; Ethiopia’s ETV and EBS; Senegal’s RTS; Haiti’s GlobalTV; SudanTV; and the continent-wide African Movie Channel, among others. While the demand for these channels and others exists, as the African immigrant population in the United States alone has grown 166% between 1990 and 2000, satellite providers continue to offer African immigrants a limited selection of cultural programming.

Vidvo is a subsidiary of TA Broadcasting currently headquartered in Silver Spring, MD. The company specializes in niche international television channels, video-on-demand, VoIP and other broadband-based technologies.