Organisation’s Digital Switchover
conference. I flew to Nairobi where
roadside billboards urged people to
join the digital revolution and buy
a StarTimes digital TV subscription.
China-owned StarTimes has been
granted government contracts in
multiple markets in Africa to create
digital TV services. Driving down
the (Chinese-built) road from
Nairobi to Arusha and running the
gauntlet of traffic police in
Tanzania, the competing Zuku
brand is much in evidence. This
Nairobi-based company is pushing
its pay-TV service across East
Africa. It’s a forward-thinking
company that also provides
broadband services. In parts of
Nairobi, it is delivering fibre optic
broadband, piggy-backing its fibre
cables on the power line poles in
the city. Zuku commissions its own
content from lifestyle to sport and
has sold some of its original
programming to international
players like Fox.
Zuku does not have it all its own
way as there’s a new kid on the
block – Tanzania-based Azam TV
that also has its own content and
has invested in three Germany-
built HD OB trucks to provide
extensive live sports coverage.
Azam and Zuku are both giving the
incumbent DStv from South Africa
a run for its money, charging lower
monthly subscription rates. Both
companies, however, complain that
DStv’s SuperSport channels have
the entire continent sewn-up when
it comes to international sport. The
popular European football leagues
are available only on SuperSport
who acquire the rights for all of
sub-Saharan Africa. The regional
platforms complain that they can’t
bid against DStv despite potentially
offering larger audiences in countries
outside South Africa. Nor will
DStv, they say, allow them to buy
SuperSport channels on a wholesale
basis for carriage on their platforms.
Perhaps African governments
should step in to create the more
level playing field for TV platforms
that Europe enjoys, where large
operators such as Sky, for example,
have to provide their sports
channels to rival platform operators.
Such a move would help fledgling
local businesses develop faster and
give more back to local economies.
In Tanzania, I spent some time
channel-hopping on the TV in my
hotel that appeared to be powered
by a StarTimes box. I was surprised
to see that the ad breaks on one of
the South African English-language
general entertainment channels
were populated almost entirely
with commercials promoting
Chinese-made motorbikes and air
conditioning alongside trails for
Chinese-language programmes on
CCTV-4 – in Mandarin. I couldn’t
work out who was getting the
advertising revenue, nor could I
figure out why programme
promotions for a different channel
were being run – particularly when
the channel is aimed at a specific
(presumably small) language
group. It will remain a mystery for
the time being.
In the last quarter century of
travelling to Africa I’ve seen major
changes. In the early 1990s, city
centres across Africa were full of
shops selling short wave radios,
with HP (a form of loan) available
on more expensive models. Short
wave was indispensable as a means
of keeping in touch with news from
home, let alone abroad. And if you
were in Africa and happened to let
slip that you worked for BBC
World Service, you were mobbed
by a crowd eager to ask many,
many questions about the BBC and
life in the UK.
Today, those radio shops have
gone, replaced by an even greater
number selling mobile phones.
Whole industry sectors have been
created around the mobile, from
top-up card vendors to mobile
charging points where there’s no
mains grid. People are in touch via
mobile, accessing information,
getting ideas for starting businesses.
The revolution is not over yet.
CANNES
Back in Europe, the northern
hemisphere autumn (fall to some of
you) brings with it a resurgence in
the conference circuit. IBC in
Amsterdam is in September where
many AIB members will be
searching out the latest technology
for content production and
delivery. Then in October, it’s
down to the south of France for a
stroll among the beautiful people
on La Croisette in Cannes during
MIPCOM. The annual content
market brings together thousands
of programme makers and
broadcasters from all over the
world. I asked Laurine Garaude,
TV Director at MIPCOM organiser
Reed Midem, what makes the event
special: “The two major
international B2B tradeshows
devoted to the global TV business,
MIPTV in April and MIPCOM in
October, are both organised by
Reed Midem. Every genre
imaginable, from documentaries to
drama, to animation and game-
shows, is represented. As the
entertainment industry has become
globally linked and more complex,
the two events have developed
world class conference, awards and
networking programmes. Even in
this digital age of instantaneous
communication, the opportunity to
meet international colleagues or
industry counterparts face-to-face,
remains as important as ever and a
key element of MIPTV and
MIPCOM’s attractiveness.”
AIB is working closely with
Reed Midem to deliver a “channel
distribution day” on Monday
13 October which we hope will
provide insight into what platforms
are looking for in 2015 and beyond
and help to match-make between
channels and platforms. I’ll be
chairing part of the day and am
looking forward to useful,
interesting discussions – against the
backdrop of the Mediterranean and
the old town of Cannes.
Astana, Arusha, Cannes – media
is everywhere. It’s a constantly
evolving landscape, populated by
interesting players and individuals,
surprising you often with
unexpected turns and delighting
you with game-changing leaps
forward. On the whole, I’d say I
made the right choice not to
become the voice behind the clock.
THE CHANNEL
|
ISSUE 2 2014
|
33
AIB NEWS
|
THE CHANNEL
“
Billboards
urge
people to
join the
digital
revolution
”
www.aib.org.uk
