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ESTVA INCREASES BROADCASTING OF LOCAL CONTENT TO 66%

19/08/2024 07:33:00 Mxolisi Dlamini

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MBABANE – Eswatini Television Authority (ESTVA) has increased broadcasting of local content from 56 per cent to 66 per cent.

This was revealed in the Ministry of Information, Communications and Technology (ICT) Portfolio Committee report on the first quarter performance for the financial year 2024/2025 dated August 14, 2024. The report comes after a debate held in the Senate Chamber on Monday, August 12. According to the report, the increase in the broadcast of local content is aligned with the Ministry of ICT’s goal to have more local content in local media, such as television and radio. “The ministry remains committed to increasing local content in our broadcasting stations and we continue to make strides towards this goal. ESTVA has increased broadcasting of local content from 56 per cent to 66 per cent.

Premium

As such, two high-end programmes have been commissioned (Ekhaya Season 2 and Journey to Buganu). These programmes are intended for the local and SADC markets and will generate premium licensing revenue,” reads the Ministry of ICT report. Having increased the broadcast of local content to 66 per cent, ESTVA still has a long way to go, as the recently launched Eswatini National Arts and Culture Policy requires national broadcasters to have at least 90 per cent local content. This is listed as part of key interventions under creative cultural industries in chapter seven of the policy. “The national broadcasters shall be encouraged and required to air at least 90 per cent of local content,” reads part of the policy.

When launching the policy, the Minister of Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs said having 90 per cent of local content on national broadcasters will make local art a source of descent. “This will allow us to make our art a source of descent and sustainable livelihoods for artists. There is no doubt that our artists are immensely talented and creative. However, there is a need for their work to translate into profit, benefit them as well as others around them, thereby assisting the country to alleviate unemployment and poverty,” Minister Nzima said.

The report further states that Eswatini Broadcasting and Information Services (EBIS) have renewed programming and introduced over eight new programmes. “EBIS renewed programming in the English Channel with an initial 10 new programmes premiered. Programme rescheduling is underway in the siSwati channel. The station also hosted 13 students for the inaugural Youth Month radio experience session that culminated in the reading of a siSwati news bulletin in Braille by a visually impaired student under the hash tag #BreakingBoundaries, a first for Eswatini radio,” reads the report.

Upgrade

However, in light of these achievements, the report further highlighted two major challenges that the Ministry of ICT has experienced in carrying out its mandate. The challenges are system obsolescence, theft and vandalism of infrastructure. “The ever-changing ICT environment demands that we continuously upgrade our systems, which come at a high cost, within a limited budget. The ministry has started deployment of new ICT infrastructure, such as the rollout of optic fibre and the upgrade of broadcast transmission systems to meet the demands of stakeholders and the public,” reads the report under the system obsolescence challenge.

When it comes to theft and vandalism, the report states that the ministry is in the process of fighting this challenge. To minimise this unfortunate scourge, the ministry has engaged the Attorney General’s Office to draft legislation for the protection of critical infrastructure. Eswatini is not the only country, where more local content is demanded to be aired on national broadcasters. Countries such as South Africa and Australia have joined an international campaign calling on governments to provide better protection for local screen industries in a market dominated by global streaming platforms.

Earlier this year, Screen Producers Australia (SPA) issued a joint statement with counterparts in Spain, France, Italy, Portugal, Germany, Ireland, New Zealand and Canada demanding regulation to force streaming services to make content that is relevant to local markets where they operate. The international campaign argues that the independence and viability of the global screen industry will remain under threat unless mandatory quotas for local content are introduced. In the statement, the production companies and peak bodies say governments have a responsibility to address the issues in the market and that digital platforms have a cultural responsibility to make ‘fair and proportional contributions’ to the creation of local content in markets where they generate revenue.