Flaming pleadings in support of new media and gloomy prophecies of the professional journalism’s downfall dominate the debate on media development in the age of digitalisation. Rhodes University’s Head of Journalism school, Guy Berger, takes a closer look and breaks the discussion down to what should be the main concern for public broadcaster in the age of digitalisation: What impact will the new technologies have on (public) content? Read Guy Berger’s considerations, laid out in his keynote speech to the 18th Annual General Metting of the Southern African Broadcasting Association (SABA).

 

Content is king - but will it be tomorrow? 

by Guy Berger

 

 

1. Introduction:

Is the cliché still valid that “Content is King”? Three arguments say no. First, some people say that today “Conversation” is King - broadcasting can no longer be a one way transmission. To succeed, it has to interact with the audience – through phone-ins, SMSs, live townhall discussion events, etc. Second, others argue that “Community” is King. This refers to creating communities with people engaging each other as a collective entity – whether through social media interfaces like online discussions and recommendations of content, or like elimination voting in reality TV where viewers jostle with each other to influence the outcomes.  Finally, some observers argue that the King’s writ has been cancelled and that the “Commoners” have seized the castle – the audience is not just responding to broadcast content but producing it. It is a “former” audience. The “users” of content are also increasingly “produsers” using new technology to produce and disseminate audio and audio-video (and still photos and text) on mass platforms like YouTube, Zoopy, Myvideo.co.za, etc.  

On the other hand, it can still be argued that Content is still today’s King. This is because Content is still the dominant partner in setting a Conversation agenda with its audience; Communities are being mobilised in relation to Content; and Commoner activities still don’t wholly eclipse the scale or spectacle of traditional broadcast fare.

But clearly some things are a-changing. We could say: the old King is dead; but long live the (new) King! And that means looking at what is becoming different:

• Will the new day change who is the King of Content?
• Is it the same kind of Content that rules with credibility tomorrow?
• Does change chip away at the claims by state-owned broadcasters to wear the crown of Public Service Broadcasting?

 

2. Context:

To investigate these matters, it helps to start with addressing the character of content in the digital era. As UNESCO points out, the world is moving towards knowledge societies within the information age. Africa is not exempt and cannot ignore this trend. At the same time, as UNESCO also notes, there are imbalances in global flows of knowledge and cultural goods – much of which is media content. This leaves everyone the poorer. In this macro-context, a new ecology has evolved for broadcasting. Previous relationships and interdependencies are changing rapidly amongst broadcasters, producers, advertisers, and audiences. Reflecting the challenge that this poses are statements by a number of experts: “The mission and mandate for PSB was framed in a social context that no longer exists” (Hujanen & Lowe)[1]. It is also noted: “Broadcasters’ attempts to redefine their public service role in the new digital environment are often troubled and unclear” (Padovani & Tracey)[2].

The substantial difference in all this is digital technology. It means many things. One is that it will enable, in time, much more broadcasting than exists with the current analogue use of the airwaves – because it allows many more channels to exist on the same frequencies. The serious start of Digital Migration (analogue TV commencing with digital transmissions) is still far away, and after several years of duplicate signal dissemination on both systems, Digital Switch Off (ending the analogue TV signal) is even further off.[3] But, it will come. At the same time, it may be beaten by wireless internet access. In this regard, broadcasters cannot take it easy. Digital also means more audio and video via not only Internet-relayed content (whether on cable or by the airwaves), but also (already) wireless 3G (and the next generation standard LTE).

Parallel to this, there is increasing dis-intermediation of the role of broadcasters as the bridge between content supply and demand. In essence, the means of broadcast production and distribution are being disseminated much more widely. The result is that traditional broadcasters are no longer the gateway or exclusive channel for the relationships. For instance, GoogleTV – involving a special set-top box – is on the near horizon, and it will give audiences direct access to seamlessly choosing between mainstream broadcast content, YouTube and the rest of the vast Internet – all on a TV set. Incidentally, what YouTube has shown that there is large viewer tolerance out there for low-grade video.

Another significant variable introduced by digital is that it makes piracy easy, and it also means that Intellectual Property issues become huge. These are rights to the concept, ideas, creative format, and even signal (cf. WIPO draft treaty).

Taking stock of all these issues, the significance is that there is a “de-institutionalising” of broadcasting. It is no longer a requisite that to produce broadcasting there has to be a dedicated organisation, or even an organisation as such (as distinct from an individual, a family or an informal group of friends). For example, today it is evident that teenagers, the airlines, NGOs, retail stores, food companies are all actually and potentially involved in audio and audio-video production and/or distribution. In the same vein, Public Service Broadcasting is now no longer identical to Public Service Broadcasters or state-owned broadcasters that claim to have this status. Instead, Public Service Broadcasting (as a distinctive kind of content) is distributed across many players.

All this means global competition for audience and advertising. Further, it means that digital’s impact on broadcasting is much wider than the massive issue of the transition to digital broadcasting (as important as that transition is). In short, digital intensifies the challenge of content creation across the board. It doesn’t just call for more broadcasting; it challenges the very nature of broadcasting as a one-way flow to a mass audience with no other choices and no other receiving devices.

But what digital raises most fundamentally is demand in relation to the creative nature of media content – for skills, knowledge and talent. In the new ecology of more and more content being in circulation (and we ain’t seen nothing yet), there is pressure to produce the most compelling content. Not everyone generating content can do this; in fact most can’t. But broadcasting needs to rise above the clutter through top quality content – and content that engages with the changing nature of content and audiences. As Robert Picard has noted, production facilities can be developed, but people are harder and take more time. He notes: “Every nation suffers from a limited pool of talented writers, musicians, actors, and directors. …Because training opportunities are limited, even creative and talented individuals … find it difficult to get training.”[4] In other words, in the emerging context and new ecology, content becomes an ever more critical factor if broadcasters are to keep their heads above the water in a crowded river in flood.   

 

3. Changing content:

What kind of content are broadcasters called upon to create today? The focus has to be on “better” content. That is: “better” than what’s currently on offer today, and in particular better for audience preferences, democracy and development (rather for those of government ministers!). Digital means credible content, not propaganda, is a pre-requisite for success. In addition, digital means that local content must compete with international production values; broadcasters should also exploit interactive possibilities and work with User-Generated Content and Creative Commons licensing. In preparation for digital broadcasting plurality, the focus should be on providing single-issue channels – through specialist niche content like news, children, minority languages, culture and education.

How broadcasters address these issues relates largely to budgets – and strategic priorities in how they use their budgets. The cheapest programmes are acquired from abroad – but they don’t garner the best audiences. There is also typically little audience or income from re-runs, and no real benefit to local independent producers. There are “new engines”[5] such as working with proven and popular franchised formats in joint ventures. However, there is a danger here in that instead of local broadcasters or local independent producers as the principal source of new programming, the international production industry supplies this. Indeed, this is a process that is deliberately and systematically planned for by the industry outside of Africa. This means, therefore, that African broadcasters need to recognise that local content is best, and find ways to source and supply this.   

That means promote the growth of an independent production sector and home-grown formats. This can also entail joint productions with others, and even carrying quality content produced by NGOs. This needs policies over rights to exploit works, sub-licensing, revenue-sharing arrangements for all platforms, and re-sales.

At the same time, because budgets are an issue, it is also important to develop other strategies. These include building-up in-broadcaster capacity. How? By training and more training, and more training. There is also a need to develop strategies to source funding from donors, and to run innovative projects like enrolling citizen journalists by lending out cheap video-cameras.

With all this, there is a need for broadcasters to plan to play out content on all possible platforms (on TV and radio sets, on cellphones, on the Web), and to cross-promote the content on all these platforms. Especially, the focus should be on enhancing distribution channels and re-sale opportunities – and not forgetting export opportunities. All this takes skill and talent.

Where should this be done? It has to start at home, in each broadcaster in each country. It should also be regional – the Southern African Development Community (SADC). Imagine a Sollywood - “Made in southern Africa!” It should also be done for Africa’s market, and for the globe. That means outsourcing some production to the diaspora; selling content to foreign and transnational channels; and monetising web delivery of content abroad.

It is worth observing that the European Union’s “Television without Frontiers” initiative is now 21 years old. It was in 1989 that the EU set out a policy to create a single European television market, rather than one market for each EU member state. It set standards whereby 50% of content there should be of European origin, and either 10% of transmission time or 10% of budget for European works to be created by independent producers.

In this neck of the woods, Siphiwe Nyanda, the Minister of Communications in South Africa, correctly observed in 2010 that: “The success of a strong local content industry in South Africa depends on our partnerships with our SADC neighbours. This is critical for creating a borderless content market with multiple licensing opportunities for our local content creators.”[6] 

All these issues should be addressed yesterday. That entails each broadcaster thoroughly examining existing assets: archives and personnel. Building bit by bit is the way to go… on the basis of a scenario plan and a defined timetable. Hard targets need to be set, and performance reviewed. This can’t wait until it’s too late: broadcasters have to start positioning now. Adaptation can’t be done in a day! Plans need to be made for more content to fill the prospect of more channels availed by digital migration. But urgent action is needed to produce better and different kinds of content even on analogue broadcasting, and to really exploit cellphone and Web and the already-here developments like user-generated content, interactivity and community.

 

4. The actors

The significance of this period in broadcast history is that state-owned broadcasters can use the growing content challenge as part of their efforts to reform towards becoming vibrant public service broadcasters. Private broadcasters can resist the temptation to fill the gaps by imports (which, because it is so easy, can and will be done by many players), and go for a unique local content edge. They can also make public service programming a lucrative part of their business models. Community broadcasters have expertise in audience engagement, but they still do need to compete by exploring more digital ways of being.

A question missing in all this is: “Who?” One answer that can be looked at is UNESCO, particularly with its content clearing-house at creativecontent.unesco.org/welcome. At the same time, this commendable initiative has no Southern African content on it as yet. So, its scale of impact is limited. However, UNESCO does point the way ahead by calling for “fresh ways of co-operation among governments, artists, industry leaders, broadcasters, decision makers and citizens”. There is an opportunity here of jointly convening national summits with the prestige of UNESCO behind such gatherings.

Governments are also important contributors to meeting the content challenge. For example, SA’s Department of Communications held a Local Content Summit in 2010. Unfortunately, though, at the time of writing, there was no sign on the website of the resolutions, despite pledges to the contrary. Another issue in regard to governments can be seen by the announcement in 2010 that the SA Minister of Communications has called for nominations for a Local Content Advisory Committee. However, as was acknowledged by the Minister, this was being done “as required by section 38 of the Broadcasting Act of 1999”[7]. In other words, it took 11 years for the law to begin to take effect. That raises the fair question: “Will governments deliver?”. Broadcasters should not count on it. As UNESCO has warned: “Many developing countries are sufficiently hard-pressed in budgetary terms to even have a national policy on culture as such, let alone the means to articulate and implement it.”     

That leaves the initiative squarely in the laps of those who currently lead Southern African broadcasters. The constituency needs to deeply internalise this point: You are not too big to fail. Take a major institution like SABC. It has secured a government guarantee to borrow R900m – at least half of which has gone on covering past deficits. At the time of writing, the Board says there is still no turnaround plan on how this money (plus interest) will be generated so that it can be repaid. At the same time, SABC certainly cannot take it for granted that government will be able or willing bail it out again. In sum, forward-looking leadership is needed by broadcasters – and content strategies should be top of their list.

5. Conclusion

To summarise thus far, the argument here has looked at how the changing eco-system calls on broadcasters to generate better content – and the threats and opportunities entailed. The point is that broadcasters need to have a strategy that addresses the question of how the digital era is likely to impact upon three issues: their content, who will be the “King of Content” in your country, and claims to Public Service Broadcasting?

What can be concluded is that broadcast content “Kingship” could well look different in 2015 to what pertains now. Three scenarios can be identified. First, to pursue the royal analogy, it is usually the case that the creation of a republic marginalises the monarchy completely. Second, there are some cases where there is co-existence – although, even then, those who dominated the domain have had to adapt in order to retain partial influence. Third, is the rather atypical case such as the UK, where there is a still influential and very wealthy queen and a (still relatively) powerful public broadcaster, the BBC. Southern African broadcasters need to assess which of the three trends their country will exhibit. In shaping the outcome, the key challenge is: “Will your content strategy keep you a player?”