With BBC News 24 celebrating it's tenth birthday, it's clear how much things have changed over the past ten years in media-ville.
Every day in London we are bombarded with media - from the Metro and London Lite free newspapers, to giant plasma screens in every train station constantly streaming news, and the internet making world events accessible at the touch of a button. It seems that you can't sneeze without it being instantly reported.
And yet it would be wrong to assume that London's experience is replicated all over the world. Living in Madrid taught me that not everyone is as obsessive about keeping their finger on the pulse of world news. And for many, the technology to transmit and produce this media onslaught is just not available.
Last week I was priviledged to hear an inspirational talk by Salim Amin about his struggle to set up Africa 24 - a continuous news channel for the continent. It seems like such a fantastic idea one wonders why it hasn't been done before. I suppose that the answer lies in technology - that it is more difficult for people in developing countries to access the internet, own televisions. The radio is still king in many parts of Africa.
BBC News 24 can be very proud of a decade of coverage. And Africa 24 should be a welcome addition to the stable.
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