From Tuesday, 2nd November to 4th November 2021, from 09h00 GMT+2, Broadcast Media Africa (BMA), in partnership with Southern Africa Broadcasting Association (SABA), will be hosting a hybrid Summit on “Broadcast Media Convention Of Southern Africa 2021”.
Leading up to the online Summit Broadcast Media Africa talked with Ms Menesia Muinjo, the Chief Programming at Namibia Broadcasting Corporation. Muinjo called for the industry role players to embrace the change that COVID-19 has brought to the broadcast space, fully understand and adopt multi-media platforms and finally package content according to related formats of the multi-media platforms.
Muinjo further drew particular attention to the speed at which transformation is taking place in the broadcast industry, noting that broadcast media needs to grasp the current opportunities and developments unfolding in this dynamic industry.
Below is an excerpt of the conversation Menesia had with BMA on the forthcoming Summit where she is a panellist:
BMA: What influenced your decision to agree to participate in the Hybrid Summit on “Broadcast Media Convention Of Southern Africa 2021”?
Menesia Muinjo: This is a unique platform for the regional broadcast experts to put heads together to sustain further the industry business post the COVID-19 pandemic, which impacted the backbone of media houses to the core. Broadcast brains have to share ideas on the innovation for the media industry as part of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. I want to be part of that transformation, and the 2021 Convention is one such catalyst for that change.
BMA: How would you describe the current transformation that is taking place in the broadcasting industry? How can practitioners take advantage?
Menesia Muinjo: The speed at which the transformation is taking place in the broadcast industry is “Unprecedented”. Not many expected to work remotely and acquire the necessary technology, which appeared to be impossible to use the business then. However, such technology has been on the market for some time.
Today, our production teams are streaming their content – and beam the streaming signal simultaneously on various multi-media platforms (TV, Radio and Online/Digital platforms). Who thought that streaming would become a norm that has proven effective and affordable than the traditional live broadcast?
The traditional live broadcast format meant there had to be an Outside Broadcasting (OB) Van with a production team of up to 24 people. This was a costly exercise as it came with S and T payments, transport, accommodation, broadcasting lines, etc., especially if a particular live broadcast takes place some km away.
Today, the streaming team only takes a maximum of 4 persons (Producer, Streaming Officer/Expert and two camera persons or so) – a considerable reduction of direct costs. That’s just one general example; the list is endless.
Broadcast producers are acquiring the necessary skill sets in the rapidly changing environment and striving to remain relevant. Almost everyone is trying to be a content creator and producer, especially in the Social Media Sector. It’s therefore advisable for broadcast media to grab the opportunities and developments unfolding in the dynamic industry. I love the change, which is the only permanent thing. We have to adapt or risk remaining stagnant or close shop.
BMA: What is the biggest industry challenge faced at the moment concerning broadcasters revenues and the extent that COVID-19 has impacted broadcasting organisations, content producers, OTT operators, solution providers and vendors?
Menesia Muinjo: The significant risk is the tendency to remain in the comfort zone and hope that things will return to normal. Time is a non-renewable resource – once it’s gone, then that’s it. Broadcast Media Houses whose leaders are not innovative and re-engineering their businesses in an effort to diversify their businesses without diluting it may risk driving in the highway of “the road of no return”.
We have to find potential new revenue streams in business and forget partnerships with untapped markets among our midst. Furthermore, we must open our eyes as the years of relying 100% on “Shareholders’ Annual Subsidies” are being counted.
Soon, those companies that survived because of that financial support may find themselves choking & drowning in the sea of the inability to sustain themselves. The slow economic growth – caused by globalisation – and worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us that “it’s doable”; we have to use our brains to make it happen in our industry.
Look, our Artists survive on their public performance – music and all. And all of a sudden, boom, they had to stay home – due to the impact of Corona then – when it was at its peak time – but with creativity and innovation – we say them performing virtually – and that was a great initiative. Today, we are talking about the Hybrid Broadcast Media Convention right here. Why didn’t we hold such Convention formats before? (We seemed to have been waiting for COVID-19 to hit!! Nonetheless, all is doable; it just needs a little bit of our brain power-push in our industry!
BMA: In your opinion, what do you think can be done to improve the new broadcasting paradigm for a multi-platform, multi-device environment across the African continent?
Menesia Muinjo: Skills exchange and transfer among our broadcast media houses leaders and their teams in the industry is critical. Some of the Broadcasters are introducing Applications and Apps to complement/diversity the business, especially in terms of revenue through subscription. But, not many, including those at the senior level, seem to appreciate that yet, at times due to the lack of complete understanding of how to develop such Apps among the teams and the opportunities such Apps can create for the business.
This knowledge must be improved to embrace multi-media platforms and fully understand how they work – complement one another in terms of content correlation because media houses have the content; it’s just a matter of packing them and branding them according to related formats the multi-media platforms.
Lack of appreciation and understanding of the benefits of such opportunities can offer results in precious content, end up underutilised in terms of potential revenue optimisation by placing it on the various platforms – and only end up in our archives – dormant, never to be repurposed or used again.
This much-needed knowledge must be cultivated among us, the content creators, broadcasters and “stream-casters”. Then, we can extend that to our audience and advertisers out there for all the industry stakeholders to be aligned.
The issue of connectivity in some parts of our countries in Africa – due to limited broadcast-related matters is critical too. And that is why I am referring to the need for a knowledge-based broadcast industry – so that we can solve such bottle-necks ourselves – but we can only do that if we have the necessary knowledge. Yes, it’s a costly exercise, but the brainpower can mean so much apart from the actual finances as some innovations require limited funding. And the example of streaming – with essential equipment which has not become cost-effective.
The usage of Drones is another significant but straightforward value addition to the look and feel of a visual set-up – and again, the question is, who knew then that would be the way to go? I don’t think that using drones nowadays to add value to the final production and quality assurance will cost an arm and a leg – because many people have understood that technology and know-how to acquire it at an affordable price.
Lastly, the quality output of the product in the media industry – is non-negotiable. For a product or content to be “travelling”(saleable), it has to be of a high standard and packaged and branded in an attractive manner that will lure and stimulate the interest of our consumers, buyers. In this changing environment of the broadcast industry, the producers have to understand the needs of their target audience and advertisers clearly, know their target markets/segments, and, most importantly, what their consumers can spend on the product they are producing and selling. Otherwise, we may be creating content to our liking – not understanding the needs of our clients – which is another significant risk why media houses, apart from COVID-19 Impact and general economic hardship, seem to be committing “survival suicide” bankruptcy.
This means, a business will spend money to produce content that is not appreciated by the audience – and that results in the decline of the audience levels (the numbers, the eyeballs and ears), which is a significant “capital” in broadcasting – and advertisers buy those eyeballs and high numbers in order to in return promote their goods and services to their potential clients. Therefore, scientific audience research is a must, although digital platforms nowadays can also be helpful. They give such numbers in real-time by counting those watching or listening to a particular content at a specific time.
Despite all the changes in the broadcast industry – producers must still have fun and enjoy the profession – as they transform nations by influencing their decision making through news and programming education, entertainment and information.
BMA: Could you please tell us what you hope fellow participants will take away from this industry event?
Menesia Muinjo: They will take “hope and inspiration” from the convention to face the future confidently, more than ever before. I look at this convention as a stimulant – for innovation and embrace the change that COVID-19 brought at our broadcast studio space door – and to still believe in ourselves that as we overcome the pandemic, so we will overcome its impact its breathed on our “media houses-broadcasting necks”, Yes, it may have been hard. Still, it is not the end of the world, but the beginning of living and loving this broadcasting profession differently.
Despite all the changes in the broadcast industry – producers must still have fun and enjoy the profession – as they transform nations by influencing their decision making through news and programming education, entertainment and information.
Once again, thank you for the opportunity to be part of this prestigious occasion to change our industry as we venture into the future.
