26 October 2008
Nairobi — As Kenya awaits a major digital revolution with the arrival of cheap broadband, there will be a paradigm shift in the demand for local content, which will call for more investment and employment of the youth.
Information and Communication Permanent Secretary Dr Bitange Ndemo admits that the country still lags behind in the development of local content, even as the government wants 30 per cent of programmes aired by broadcast stations to comprise local content.
With this background, it is obvious the just concluded first African Film, Broadcast and Convergence Conference was a timely wake-up call for industry players.
"Our biggest challenge today remains the generation of local content," Kenyan media owner Chris Kirubi said, arguing that the Communications Commission of Kenya, the industry regulator, could ameliorate the situation by reinvesting part of the licence fees it receives in the development of local content, including the establishment of drama schools.
Clearly, poor infrastructure and lack of research hamper the development of local content. As Ian Fernandes, managing director of Nation Digital Division puts it, local content is critical but it is six times more expensive to produce it.
Moreover, within the region, language barriers pose a serious problem to cross-border cultural trade, as Fernandes argues that Tanzanians are not comfortable with the Kiswahili spoken in Kenya while Ugandans have a general problem with the language.
According to Charles Kofi Bucknor, director of television at Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, joint production of television programmes by free-to-air African broadcasters can help address the needs of their diverse local audiences and thereby address the lack of an African voice in the global media arena.
However, there is some hope as efforts at formulating a film policy could solve Kenya's problem of local content.
Kenya Film Corporation managing director David Maingi argues the government has to subsidise the production of local content as the future lies in diversity and accessibility of local content. Indeed, of the 20 films so far shot in Kenya, 12 have won Oscar awards. Yet Kenya still lacks a vibrant local industry.
But as the continent grapples with the challenge of local content, another bigger challenge lies ahead -- the shift from analog to digital broadcasting.
The three-day conference was the first of its kind on the continent and was organised by AITEC Africa under the auspices of the Ministry of Information and Communications.
Held under the theme, "Broadcast and Film Convergence in the Digital Age," it attracted over 200 delegates from the continent and beyond. Wananchi Group was the lead sponsor. The conference ran parallel with an exhibition on broadcast equipment and film making facilities.
Whereas CCK Director-General Charles Njoroge is optimistic that Kenya will have attained a simulcast (full migration) position by 2012--three years ahead of the ITU deadline--plans have not been put in place to acquire cable Set Top Boxes that will aid in the transition.
The regulation of content is also an issue still under discussion. What remains clear though is the fact that with digital migration, broadcasters must get their act together if they are to retain a share of the pie, as audiences will have a variety of platforms to choose from.
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