DSTV is not only about Ghana, Nigeria
Television producers, movie directors, musicians, and other professionals, who fail to create and present top quality content should not expect their works on the DSTV and GOTV platforms operated by Pay TV giant, Multichoice.
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Panellists at a press conference organised by AfricaMagic at the just-ended Multichoice Africa Content Showcase Extravaganza in Mauritius jointly stated that only the best from Africa must be broadcast to the rest of the world.
Some journalists from East and Southern Africa had questioned what they described as the dominance of West African content, particularly those from Ghana and Nigeria on DSTV and GOTV.
Some of the journalists openly expressed their disquiet about the apparent concentration of Multichoice activities in Nigeria and asked that other countries should be given the opportunity to showcase their artistic talents through the Multichoice channels.
In her response, a member of the panel and eminent filmmaker, Mildred Okwu, said content producers on the continent should not expect anybody to come to their respective countries to develop their crafts.
“Start small and eventually you will grow to produce top quality works that will be accepted everywhere in the world,” she advised.
Ms Okwu invited professionals such as lawyers, publicists, financial experts and accountants to support the industry to grow.
The M-Net Regional Director for West Africa, Ms Wangi Mba-Uzoukwu, reiterated AfricaMagic’s commitment to the development of the African film and television industry, and encouraged players in the sector to always aim at producing only the best works.
At a separate meeting with the press, the Chief Executive Officer of Multichoice Africa, Mr Nico Meyer, told journalists that the company was committed to ensuring that MultiChoice subscribers received world class news and entertainment.
“That is why we put together this event to showcase the best of international and local content that DSTV and GOTV have to offer,” he said.
Mr Meyer encouraged television and film producers to create more local content to feed the various channels, saying, “That is critical because local content encapsulates the culture of the people”.
The event which began at the Trou Aux Biches Resort on Tuesday, June 24 ended on Saturday, June 28.
It was on the theme; “Only the best”, which is in line with MultiChoice Africa’s resolve to continue to deliver the best local and international television content in Africa on its DStv and GOtv channels.
The channels include BBC Lifestyle, BBC Entertainment, E! Entertainment, Style, Cartoon Network, Boomerang, Telemundo, Comedy Central, MTV Base and Nickelodeon.
Others are History Channel, Crime and Investigation, Africa Magic, Ebony Life TV, Channel O and SuperSport.
MultiChoice also launched “Africa Rising”, a campaign designed to inspire Africans to become involved in community-based social upliftment projects.
The campaign was launched with a Pan-African song composed and performed by top African artists, drawing on the very best talent from across the continent.
The six artists who collaborated to create the song titled, “Rise Up” are Ghanaian artist and brand ambassador, Sarkodie (also referred to as Obidi Pon Bidi), Tiwa Savage, a Nigerian singer-songwriter, recording artist and actress; and Diamond Platnumz (aka Diamond), a Bongo Flava recording artist from Tanzania. Others are Davido, a Nigerian American recording artist and record producer; Lola Rae, a British singer of Nigerian/Ghanaian descent who garnered recognition as a dancer in the street dance group “Myztikal”; and Mi Casa, a South African band consisting of three members, Dr. Duda, Jsomething and Mo-T.
With the launch of GOtv in 2011, the company introduced a low cost digital television service using the latest generation Digital Video Broadcast standard that represents the most advanced digital terrestrial television (DTT) broadcast system and infrastructure and that put Africa at the forefront of technology in the digital migration process.