Creatives upbeat about DBS 80% local content airplay
Goitsemodimo Kaelo | Sunday April 3, 2022 14:01
On Tuesday, the Department of Broadcasting Services (DBS) and the Copyright Society of Botswana (COSBOTS) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the decision to increase local content across all DBS platforms, being RB1, RB2 and Botswana Television (Btv) starting from the April 1, 2022.
The latest development, which comes years on the backdrop of an outcry from the creative sector, changes a long-standing policy adopted by local broadcasters to the effect that foreign content should be dominant. Industry players, who also feel that the move was long overdue, see the decision as a positive development.
Renowned music promoter, Gilbert ‘PP Wa Pimp’ Seagile who has been at the forefront of the campaigns to increase local content airplay, told Arts & Culture that this is a major development towards resuscitating the creative sector especially after the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. PP Wa Pimp, as Seagile is commonly known, said this was long overdue. He said they have called on government to take the creative sector as a major contributor to the economy, as such it needed to be protected.
He challenged private broadcasters to follow suit and give local creatives a bigger share of airplay than their foreign counterparts. Seagile said the current quota of 60/40, whereby foreign content receives 60% airplay and local content only share the remaining 40% is outdated and is not working for the local creative industry.
“You know, I have been calling for this for a long time. It is long overdue. We are losing a lot of money to outside artistes because their content is dominating the local airwaves. The 60/40 quota was good in the past when RB1 began because we did not have enough local content to feed it. The broadcasters survived through foreign content, but now things have changed. But I’m happy that finally government is leading the way in this regard,” Seagile said.
Another industry player, Seabelo Modibe also said the move by DBS is a good starting point and has to be commended. He stated that DBS is the biggest payer of royalties for COSBOTS in the country, as such it is a major factor to the survival of creatives.
“DBS contributes about 90% of COSBOTS turnover. DBS pays out P10 million, so at 80% airplay, it now means P8 million will remain in Botswana. There is massive royalties paid for advertisements as well that we could also tap into,” said Modibe.
He explained that this move is meant to curb money going outside the country while it will improve procurement of local programmes. He said state and public broadcasters in other countries have adopted a 100% local content airplay.
Botswana Musicians Union (BOMU) president, Phemelo ‘Fresh’ Lesokwane, said while the move will grow the local industry, more studios will now start being profitable and artistes will go back to writing and recording new music and producing new content.
However, BOMU challenged the minister in the Office of President, Governance and Public Administration Kabo Morwaeng to extend the 80% local quota to NowTV and UPICTV as they are also government funded broadcasters.
“The move will ensure that a further amount of more than P3 million of royalties paid to COSBOTS by these two broadcasters stay in Botswana and go all the way towards building a vibrant local industry,” Lesokwane said in a statement.
Lesokwane also said BOMU would work tirelessly with government on projects and programmes that are geared towards improving the economic conditions of creatives in this country and create employment for the creatives and beyond.
COSBOTS and DBS have agreed to replace any foreign soundtracks used in radio and television broadcasts with local musical works and sound recordings, conduct a major registration of folk and indigenous musicians.
They have also agreed to ensure that over the next 12-18 months all local television programmes commissioned in Botswana employ 80% of musical works and sound recordings made in Botswana by local artistes, while they embark on re-documenting all works in their libraries to ensure that royalties are paid to the rightful holders.
The MoU on the 80% local content quota would also extend to other creative sector disciplines such as literacy works, visual arts and audio-visual works.