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JOHANNESBURG -- MTV Networks Africa has signed program distribution deals with free-to-air broadcasters in Kenya, Nigeria and Ghana for MTV Base, its pan-African music TV division.

MTV Base launched to roughly 1.3-million households in sub-Saharan Africa on Feb. 22 through South African-based paybox Multichoice's DSTV pan-African satellite service and local pay TV operators FStv, CTL and Trend TV.

�Targeted at African youth, it broadcasts a mix of international music and African genres.

MTV Base programming will air in branded blocks on terrestrial networks Silverbird TV (Nigeria), Kenya's Nation TV (NTV) and Ghana's Metro TV.

Alex Okosi, VP and general manager of MTV Networks Africa, says the deal cemented MTV Base's position as the most widely distributed music TV channel in sub-Saharan Africa, with a potential audience of 8 million households and 40 million people.

Okosi says MTV base and its three terrestrial partners would also explore local co-production opportunities to creating local music content for the program blocks.