Content is King … but will it be so tomorrow?

1. Content is King … but will it be so tomorrow? Guy Berger, Rhodes University 18th Annual General Meeting of the Southern African Broadcasting Association Luanda, 12-14 September 2010

2. Question 1: Is Content really King? • Some say that today Conversation is King: • No longer one way transmission! • Some say Community is King: • Create communities around interactive content like elimination voting, let them decide… • Some say: the King’s writ has been Cancelled: • The commoners have seized the castle! • So is it outdated to say “Content is King”?

3. Question 2: What’s going on? • Debate is a sign that no one is 100% sure … • Yet Content is still today’s King, because • Conversation agenda is set by Content; • Community is mobilised by Content; • Commoner activities don’t eclipse the scale or spectacle of traditional broadcast Content. • But clearly some things are a-changing…

4. Question 3: the future? • Tomorrow: The King is dead! Long live the (new) King! • 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?

5. Coming up • Better content in a digital era: Why? • What kind of content? • How? • Where? • When? • So what? • Who • Signing off

6. 1. Better content in a digital era • UNESCO: knowledge societies, information age • Imbalances in global flows of cultural goods

7. Why? A new ecology for broadcasting • “The mission and mandate for PSB was framed in a social context that no longer exists” – Hujanen & Lowe • “Broadcasters’ attempts to redefine their public service role in the new digital environment are often troubled and unclear” - Padovani & Tracey • Digital means, in time, much more broadcasting…

8. Even though DSO is still far off • It will come…. • Although it may be beaten by wireless internet access • Cf. Vodacom $50 smartphone • http://mzan.si/EKQX

9. Why? People go direct • Digital means dis-intermediating your role between content suppliers and receivers. • The means of production and distribution are being disseminated much more widely

10. For broadcasters, digital also means…. • More audio and video via 3G • Internet-relayed content coming up fast • GoogleTV – direct access to broadcast &Youtube • Viewer tolerance for low-grade video • Piracy is easy, while Intellectual Property becomes huge: rights to the concept, ideas, creative format, and signal (WIPO) • De-institutionalising broadcasting, re-distributing PSB across many players • Global competition for audience & advertising

11. Digital intensifies content creation • Facilities can be developed, but people are harder and take more time. – Picard • Digital raises demand for the creative nature of media content – skills, knowledge, talent. • “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.” – Picard

12. 2. What kind of content? • The focus is on “better” content. • “Better” than today for audiences! • Digital means local content must compete with international production values • Digital means credible content, not propaganda • Digital means interactive possibilities • Digital means UGC and Creative Commons

13. Manifestações em Moçambique 2010 http://www.verdade.co.mz/manifestacoes/

14. 3. How? • It relates largely to budgets – and priorities. • Cheapest programmes are acquired from abroad- but don’t garner the best audiences. • Little income or audience from showing old programmes, and … • No benefit to independent producers. • Policies are needed over rights to exploit the works, sub-licensing, revenue-sharing arrangements for all platforms, and re-sales.

15. More on how • Franchised formats (new engines) have some potential – joint ventures. • A danger that instead of independent producers as the principal source of new programming, the international production industry supplies this – deliberately and systematically so. • So, try to promote the growth of an independent production sector and home-grown formats. • Embark on joint productions with others • Carry quality content produced by NGOs

16. But budgets are an issue

17. So, also look at alternatives • Build up your in-broadcaster capacity • Train, train, train • Source funding from donors • Buy cheap video-cams for citizen journalists • Play on all digital platforms • Play across all digital platforms • Especially, enhance distribution channels and re-sale opportunities • Look for export

18. 4. Where? • Do it in your broadcaster & country • Do it in SADC - “Made in southern Africa!” • Do it for Africa’s market • Do it for the globe – • Outsource to the diaspora • Sell content to transnational channels • Monetise web delivery of content abroad

19. “Television without Frontiers” • 1989! The EU desires to create a single European television market, rather than one market for each EU member state. • Quotas: 50% should be of European origin. • 10% of transmission time or 10% of budget for European works created by independent producers.

20. Our neck of the woods • “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.” - SiphiweNyanda, Minister of Communications, South Africa, 2010

21. 5. When? • Start yesterday • (examine your existing assets: archives and personnel) • Build bit by bit • Scenario plan and set a timetable • Set hard targets and review performance • Don’t wait until it’s too late: you have to start positioning now. • Adaptation can’t be done in a day!

22. 6. So what? • For state-owned broadcasters, use the content challenge to promote reform towards becoming vibrant public service broadcasters… • For private broadcasters, resist the temptation to fill the gaps by imports, and … • Make PSB a lucrative part of your business, and go for a unique local content edge. • Community broadcasters still need to compete.

23. The next step: • Why, what, how, where, when, so what? • A question missing: “Who?” • What’s your answer?

24. UNESCO?

25. http://creativecontent.unesco.org/welcome

29. Linkages? • UNESCO aims at … “”exploring, in very practical ways, existing and new mechanisms to develop cultural diversity in the information society, proposing fresh ways of co-operation among governments, artists, industry leaders, broadcasters, decision makers and citizens.” • Convene national summits with UNESCO?

30. Government? • SA’s Department of Communications held a Local Content Summit in 2010. • BUT: No sign on the website of the resolutions. • 2010: SA Minister of Communications has called for nominations for a Local Content Advisory Committee. … “as required by section 38 of the Broadcasting Act of 1999”.

31. Will governments deliver? • “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.” – UNESCO • That leaves…. YOU! • Believe this: You are not to big to fail • Leadership is your biggest test.

32. 7. Summing up • Better content: change, threats & opportunities. • What kinds of content, How, Where, When, So what and Who. • Questions you need to answer: In your conditions, how might the digital era change: • YOUR Content? • Who is YOUR country’s King of Content? • YOUR claim to Public Service Broadcasting?

33. Conclusion: Kingship 2015? • Usually, the creation of a republic marginalises the monarchy completely. • There are some cases where they co-exist – royalty adapts and retains partial influence. • Atypical is the UK: an influential queen and a (still relatively) powerful public broadcaster. • Which of the 3 trends will your country exhibit? • Will your content strategy keep you a player?

34. Thank you