ZBC to pay for content

Jonathan Mbiriyamveka TV
It is the second Tuesday of 2015 and yours truly hopes that everyone feels rejuvenated and well. The good thing about a year is that it gives us a new start as well as a new beginning. And it is always good to start the year on a good note.

Looking at the previous week, most news channels on DSTV kept a shattered world glued onto their screens with news of the Charlie Hebdo publication attack.

It is sad that journalists and others who do not determine the editorial policy of any media house should be murdered for the line taken by their publication.

I personally don’t agree with the publication’s position but or what they do, but along with the rest of the world, I am shocked that someone would find that a justifiable reason for mass murder.

The old saying that the pen is mightier than the sword is proving true as more newspapers are republishing some of the offending cartoons by Charlie Hebdo.

And that publication has gained international mileage that it never dreamt of.

Prior to the Paris terror attack, as the massacre has been labelled, few people had ever heard of Charlie Hebdo.

Too bad that the fame has come at such a high price

Getting back home, did you notice that the strap line is now back on ZBCTV main news bulletin?

I guess its something that came with the New Year.

Thumbs up to whoever decided to get us back to the here and now in news casting. Another welcome development is that last week, ZBC announced that they would start paying for content. One of the things that was affecting the programming on ZBCTV was the issue of content.

While there are brilliant productions in Zimbabwe, the national broadcaster has been unable to pay for the content. The world over, television stations pay handsomely to the producers of content. In South Africa, there are a number of quality programmes but those programmes do not come cheap.

For instance, soaps such as “Generations”, “Isibaya” and “Muvhango” rely on money they get from the national broadcasters.

“Studio 263”, “Tiriparwendo”, “Small House Saga” and “Amakorokoza” are just a few of the local productions that had potential if they had the right support.

Last year, MultiChoice Zimbabwe were part of a tour of South Africa where journalists from across Africa visited different production houses.

What came out clearly is that while there is talent in South Africa it would be almost impossible for any production to see day light when there is no adequate funding.

One of the things that make any production expensive is the setting.

This is evident in most South African productions that change settings almost on every scene or episode. It is quite appalling for producers to use the same setting over and over again.

Besides, it is quite boring to watch the same setting in a developing storyline.

The Nigerian films with all their faults rarely do that.

Recently, ZBC announced that it will soon disburse funds to pay writers and actors once the national broadcaster accepts their programmes. It is hoped that the move is set to stimulate activity in the local arts industry.

Acting chief executive Patrick Mavhura said the move will make it possible to have quality products on television. “We have called actors and actresses to make a payment plan and very soon we are going to start paying our players in the industry which is set to raise the morale among artists,” Mavhura was quoted as saying.

Actors, actresses and writers commended ZBC saying the move would add value to the local arts industry.

One only hopes that with ZBC’s digitalisation project that is underway the face of local television will be for the best with more diverse channels.

There was once good quality productions on ZBCTV and everyone would tune in.

Now it is about time viewers enjoy quality entertainment.

The first step is for ZBCTV to digitalise.

Most channels on DStv are broadcasting in High Definition and the quality is second to none.

This is the sort of thing that people want and there won’t be need to buy productions such as “Sabhuku Vharazipi” or “VaMayaya: The Seed of Corruption” from the streets.

Most filmmakers that I have interviewed reiterated that funding was the major handicap for quality content but now that ZBC will be paying, it is time to get down to business.

We hope they do not come up with other excuses.

Until next week remember this is television and it is real.

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