Open letter to ZNBC DG Chibamba Kanyama
The great initiative
The Government of the Republic of Zambia, through its Ministry of Information and Broadcasting responded to calls for a new TV channel that would be used to create a platform for local film and television producers, create additional air space for commercials messages and to generally decongest the main ZNBC channel, hence the advent of TV2.
The launch of this second broadcast channel under the auspices of ZNBC was well received among the film and television society seeing as for the first time in a long time, the public broadcaster ZNBC was commissioning local producers and thus creating employment opportunities for the youth.
In proceeding months, there was an influx of production houses and local content flooding the channels.Under the leadership of Commissioning Editor Henry Ngilazi the broadcaster was successfully creating capacity and beginning to harness the local film industry.
Throwing the baby with the bathwater
However Mr Ngilazi was transferred from his post and not long after that commissioned content was cut and producers sent back to the streets, languishing in poverty and depression. The few producers who remained have all since been frustrated with the exception of the ‘elite’ few.
Reasons given were that the cost of the local content is high compared to the price at which the corporation was acquiring foreign content. Worse off, there were some producers who were advanced funds by the broadcaster but have not delivered the desired quality to date.
Granted, most of the content that was on air was poor, however there were a few producers that did produce quality content despite the tight budgets on offer.
Most of the cream of Zambian film producers have since weaned off commissioning with ZNBC opting for private funded independent film productions and other commercial productions i.e. music videos, TV commercials and sponsored TV content.
In the midst of the radical shift in perspective came an outcry in the film and television society with the likes of Chala Tumelo producer of the famous TV Series ‘Loose Ends’ shouting from the roof top while most of us cowardly whispered our indignation in dark corners for fear of persecution and abuse.
As time went on, we heard of how many more people where horrified by their commissioning experience with ZNBC and how they felt that the process is not inspiring.
How to protect proudly Zambian TV industry
1. Re-organisation of the ZNBC commissioning structure
2. Specific legislation that requires all broadcasters to air a certain amount of local content in prime time
3.Creation of capacity among local players.
4.The sale of broadcast rights
5.Bartering of content in exchange with airtime,
6.Co-productions with the broadcaster.
Worldwide content distributors and broadcasters are moving away from directly commissioning and are passing on the financial burden to the private and public sector. The core business of a broadcaster should be to broadcast, yet play a link role with distributors, producers and the market. In this case, the broadcaster will provide the airtime, the producer will provide the content and ‘market’ will fund both the broadcaster and the producer to the delight of audiences.
There should also be legislation in place to protect local players who are often pitted against international players with more clout. For instance, when I contacted SABC and BBC with my content proposal for commissioning, I was asked to partner with a local company, and yet we have left the market wide open to our own peril.
Otherwise in its current structure, ZNBC commissioning is not sustainable hence the need to revisit the commissioning structure to give local producers a competitive advantage in this global world!
We must be careful now and make responsible decisions as a country. Ignoring the obvious and allowing foreign content to reign over local content is hazardous to the development of our country at so many levels.
With the advent of digital migration where the airwaves will be flooded with all sorts of content on several channels, if left unchecked, the prevailing situation where the local film and television producers continue to be frustrated by an ineffective commissioning process and the foreign content is promoted ahead of our own, not only we risk inhibiting the growth of an industry with the potential to create thousands of jobs for the youth but we will also ultimately lose a sense of pride and identity as a nation!
Written by Mingeli Palata
Nice article.I completely agree with everything written in this piece.
As long as local film producers are not given the right and complete platform to showcase our products. Local TV is doomed!!!!
Can’t agree more.
Production costs in zed are too much. Producers want to get rich with one production.
Mingeli Palata has a point and I hope the authorities that be are listening!
Gelo mu picture yabendeka kamwa zoona, ai? That’s what I call ‘focussing on one’s work’! Very natural…
Solola Bye!
Eish…all camera men and women do that, maybe you have not seen a woman hold a camera before. Get out more!
I prefer my air conditioned environment, thanks. Too much dust…
Solola Bye!
I think the way to go about this is emulating the music industry. I remember a time when Zambia’s favorite music was rhumba. Now we have what is termed as Zambian music. What did the players in the industry do right that film makers are not doing? How did they utilize the platforms they had?
Let film makers also consider defining “Zambian Production” just like every other production from around the globe is defined by where it comes from.
As much I agree with the broadcaster being the favorable platform, film makers should strive to getting that power from the broadcaster by creating platforms themselves…. and this takes unity.
one more channel is needed to cater for more local content. the music industry has boomed ever since private radio boomed too, now radio is everywhere. Muvi Tv has the same obligation, as a zambian company it should look at giving airtime to more local productions.
If explored fully,the film and music industries have potential to contribute greatly to gorvernment revenue through various tax contributions like withholding taxes and PAYE just to mention a few.
why not approaching muvi or any of the other under five stations.
Hehehehe…
Mr Bean Vs Bikkiloni & Difficulty..
Mexican soaps Vs kabanana…
Braodcasters Vs Producers & Viewers
Ma rubish!!
Thanks.
Everyone wants kulyamo even grey haired ZNBC that old station older than some of us, how then can a production be of Quality and make sense, can they just shut it down?
Nice thinking Mr Palata.. even at The Kamwala High School we had Talented people in art ,they are exposed by Nataz..our movie industry just couldn’t support the young stars ..and our women are now even adopting Nigerian accent…very easy even to be ruled by Nigeria…its really a Shame in Zambia..We respect anything foreign..
Solve this dependence on ZNBC by forming film company/corporate of zambia.
I hate the Bugger whose there as their Director of programs. He doesn’t have an accommodating heart like Young Henry Ngilazi. Henry was open to everyone and had a listening ear just like Ba Ben Kangwa compared to the deaf chap who’s there.
I remember Meeting Henry in some barbershop pa Kangwa, Libala area, Exchange ideas and contacts, He pushed us to an extent where a Local movie i was subcontracted to edited while operating as Elway Visual Studio but shot by my colleague Morgan Kolomu from AE entertainment entitled “Forces of Darkness” was almost set to air on the National Broadcaster. The buggers squashed our dreams.
Same applies to this guy Master Chimbala with ears of a Rat. The Late Augustin Lungu referred us to him for the same movie deal after failing out with ZNBC…
ZNBC cant be removed from the picture. It uses taxpayers’ money so it should reinvest that money into production houses. Apart from not having the budget, Muvi TV has no such obligation as ZNBC’s.
Mingeli, the TV industry in Zambia has ways to go. In Zambia, a very good production will not be aired even when it has the potential of bringing the station substantial revenue. I was appalled when I was at MUVI TV how the station was slow at acquiring some independent productions that came our way. For some reasons, TV producers cannot just accept that their content is crap and other Zambians can produce better content. Instead they are quick to condemn it and disregard it. Meanwhile, they are quick to air foreign outdated content.
Legislation is no doubt the way to go. I have even before advocated for the same in radio. Only in Zambia where the musicians pay the TV/Radio station to have their video/music played. For starters ZNBC needs to be ran as a private company.
Mingeli, there is also a reverse side to our genuine and well meaning outcry; for starters, we as independent producers or productions houses do not have one voice for representation. Am talking about a Guild or an Association that controls and regulates “things” for the majority. Developed countries have Guilds which are responsible for the art, craft, and science of production and consists of those individuals whose interdependency and support of each other are necessary for the creation of motion pictures, television programming, and New Media content. In a nutshell, they are recognised by their governments as official bodies representing their fields. I feel like we never have a genuine/serious Film/TV Industry in Zambia if we ignore the basics. Together we make a difference.
solution number 1, fire camera lover chibamba kanyama. This chap has sunk znbc to its lowest ebb. No seriousness,no ethics,shambolic programming and overall shallow management skills.
Znbc thrives on mexican soaps coz kanyama is shot on ideas. He, like many other zambian ceo’s who love cameras, spends most of his time parading on tv than planning. Deal with kanyama on a one on one you ll understand what am talking about.
Znbc should ve been the best had it not for outdated mentality in most of its staff.
There goes my country Zambia. Always behind time. ZNBC mamamamama
They say foreign films are cheaper than our local films with a straight face despite knowing that those foreign films had already made their profits by the time they would be sold to the international market!!! All those telenovelas we see are produced by different tv stations around the globe telemundo,ABN CBN ,tv3, GMA, Globo, KBS,SABC etc.If other tv networks can produce such great films and realize great profits why can’t our own znbc?? The money they spend in acquiring those same foreign products can be used to finance a worth while production we can all be proud of.They need to be realistic there is no way znbc can ever afford any foreign production straight from production!!! i repeat, foreign films are cheap to buy coz they have already made their profits in their own…
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