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One of the frustrations - and challenges – faced by both public service
and commercial broadcasters in Africa is that research about television
viewing in the continent is still far from totally accurate or
comprehensive. But there are some important pointers. They show that
television is already playing a tremendously important role in the
continent, and, indeed, is expanding at an almost exponential rate.
Research carried out by TV Africa, for example – one of the pan-African
television organisations with which ABN is closely associated with in
the optimisation of available pan-Africa focused free-to-air broadcast
infrastructure – found that in 1995, there were just 12m sets in the
continent. By 2001, the figure had grown to 24m sets in sub-Saharan
Africa, reaching 24% of the population. And growth is so now so fast
that it is predicted that the total will be 42m sets by 2004. This means
that 252m of the population (42%) will be able to access television
services. On that basis, expansion well beyond the 50% level is easily
within sight. An indicator of the growth pattern in individual countries
can be found in Kenya, where the number of sets has risen from 550,000
in 1995 to 2.02m now.
Research about viewing habits is also still relatively scanty, something
which ABN is working hard to remedy. But initial surveys have found
that on average each set is watched by between 6 and 12 people,
making television the focus of community and neighbourly life. And in
terms of reach, astonishing facts are beginning to emerge. Work carried
out by ABN in Zambia – not the most
affluent of African countries – in small-
town and semi-rural areas, found that
92% of those questioned had watched
television at some point within the
previous 48 hours.
The growth is primarily driven by the
availability of cheap second-hand sets
being brought in from areas such as India.
And in addition, for many Africans
working outside the continent, an
increasingly common attribute and almost
mandatory requirement now, is to equip
folks back home in Africa - family and
close friends – with television sets.
But above all, developments instituted by ABN and TV Africa has clearly
demonstrated that a very keen and growing appetite for quality
entertainment, sports, and education programmes is now prevalent amongst
indigenous audiences throughout sub-Sahara. TV Africa, for its part, is
feeding the huge enthusiasm for sport through coverage of the major
leagues and events like the football world cup. These are being brought to
the continent’s viewers on a regular basis for the first time. ABN, by contrast,
is concentrating initially on the provision of entertainment programmes.
Passions
– a popular NBC daytime television show in the US - is part of the
mix, as is the US versions of
Kids Say the Funniest Things
. A deal in the
making, which is about ready for signing as this article goes to press with
a major US programme provider, will greatly augment the range and quality
of programmes, which the ABN brand will be able to offer primetime
television audiences across the continent.
This combination of sport and entertainment is precisely the formula
that has triggered the switch to digital television elsewhere in the world.
The exciting thing is that it is now happening in Africa, and progress to
date has demonstrated beyond doubt that the African television market
is in many respects no different from in other more developed areas.
The key to what ABN offers to its clients is
that the programmes that are distributed from
Johannesburg via TV Africa’s satellite
transmission infrastructure, can be fitted into
each country’s primetime broadcast schedule
as is considered locally appropriate by its local
partner broadcaster. In return, ABN sells the
commercials slots within its programming
strands, which the host broadcaster benefits
in line with a contractual revenue share
agreement.
For the first time “Africa” can be sold as a
relatively unified ratecard item. And with
audiences approaching the 100m mark, this
is proving an increasingly attractive
proposition to a wide range of companies,
including several Africa focused multi-
nationals.
The next big challenge facing ABN, and its not-for-profit sister organisation
the African Public Broadcasting Foundation (APBF), is expand unto the
provision of public service broadcasting – defined in the Reithian sense
of entertainment, education and information - as part of the programme
mix on offer to client broadcasters, and to kick-start the production of a
greatly increased volume of indigenous programmes in these areas.
One of the tragedies of my native continent is the lack of regular
access to development enhancing education and information which
relatively, throughout other continents around the world, is freely
available to people at most levels in society. There is a strong and
increasing acknowledgement that free-to-air television in sub-Sahara
Africa can help fill the gap and thereby play an integral part in improving
the lives and prospects of millions of its people. The danger, however,
is that unless the right broadcast initiatives are started now, as television
grows strongly, other less desirable influences will fill the gap.
Television has in the past been considered to be relatively unimportant in Africa.
This is primarily because of its supposed low reach and because African
broadcasting organisations have little money for original productions.
But that position is changing rapidly in the wake of deregulation across sub-
Sahara Africa and as a result of new Pan-African broadcasting initiatives.
These are already providing attractive programming – and facilitating
commercial sales on a continent-wide basis. Even outside the major urban
areas, viewing is growing to the point where penetration of 50% and beyond
is now firmly within sight.
Here,
George Twumasi
, the deputy chairman of AIB member ABN - launched
two years ago and reaching an estimated 100m people in 10 countries - describes
the tremendous opportunity now opening up for broadcasters in the continent.
Television - Africa’s future
media oppo
Twumasi:
Africa has a keen
and growing appetite for
quality entertainment, sports
and education programmes
