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Digital Migration in South Africa

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Broadcasters need to digitize archives, studios, and production networks ... division not worked still all commercial could get more so with digitisation ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: Digital Migration in South Africa


1
Digital Migration in South Africa
  • January 2009
  • Save Our SABC
  • Libby Lloyd

2
What does it mean to you?What does it
mean for broadcasting in South Africa?
3
Why Digital Migration
  • International Telecommunications Union ruled that
    analogue television frequencies will not be
    protected anymore after 2015
  • Reason?
  • To free up frequencies for new services
    (including mobile services)
  • The Digital Dividend

4
What does it mean for broadcasting?
  • More channels can be transmitted on each
    frequency (in SA proposing eight channels in
    digital for every one existing channel)
  • Better pictures, sound etc
  • More flexibility (e.g. can have multiple sound
    tracks and can choose the language want)
  • Interactive possibilities

5
How it works
  • Digital Terrestrial Television System
  • Production

STB
TV
6
DTT changes the nature of television
  • PROS
  • More channels allows more choice
  • Bouquets for specific interests greater viewer
    differentiation
  • More capacity to deal with specific needs
  • CONS
  • STBs are required
  • Complex decoders
  • DTT requires upgrades on transmitters

7
DTT Impacts on Broadcasters on Different Levels
Signal Distribution and Transmission
  • Content Production, Packaging and Programming

Signal Reception and Devices
  • Transmitter Network rollout
  • Costs of signal distribution will rise
  • Broadcasters need to digitize archives, studios,
    and production networks
  • Broadcasters will need to develop and test new
    DTT channels
  • Design of Electronic program guide (EPG) needs
    to be undertaken may require co-operation of
    different broadcasters
  • STB specs to be developed which will determine
    what kind of services can be offered
  • Revenues and business models will be impacted
    licence fee collection, interactive service
    revenues

DTT migration therefore requires the co-operation
of multiple stakeholders
8
History in SA
  • 2005
  • Minister sets up Digital Migration Working Group
    (DMWG) including all industry players
  • 2006
  • DWMG submits recommendations to Minister

9
DWMG key recommendation
  • That government should establish a joint body
    with industry to develop an action plan for the
    switch-off of analogue television broadcasting,
    to monitor the switchover process and promote
    consumer awareness.

10
Background cont
  • 2007
  • Cabinet announces in Feb digital signal will be
    switched on 1 Nov 2008 switched off 1 Nov 2011
  • Three year dual illumination period

11
Dual Illumination
  • When analogue and digital signal running together
  • Purpose
  • to test signal,
  • to persuade viewers of benefits and to get ready
    for switch-off
  • Very expensive for existing broadcasters

12
History cont
  • March 2007
  • Government issues a draft policy and strategy doc
  • Asks for comment within two weeks as urgent

13
Promises, promises, promises
  • Government repeatedly states policy will be out
    shortly, next week, next month

14
No policy but
  • May 2007 Budget speech Minister announces Digital
    Dzonga
  • Butonly in next budget speech in 2008 details
    who will sit on Council
  • Includes broadcasters, signal distributors,
    unions, consumer bodies.
  • Responsible for consumer awareness and
    education, liaison with the regulator and
    monitoring of implementation

15
Finally
  • Finally almost 18 months later
  • Digital Migration policy is launched

16
But
  • Very broad

17
policy
  • Repeats switch on 1 Nov 2008 - Switch off 1 Nov
    2011
  • Phased increase in transmission coverage
  • On 1 Nov major urban centres (50 of population)
  • By 2010 80 coverage
  • Promised by switch off everyone will be able to
    receive

18
Distraction. Signal distribution
  • All transmitters need to be converted
  • Sentech (signal distributor) says needs R950m for
    conversion
  • R917m for dual illumination
  • BUT only awarded R600m

19
Policy which broadcasters
  • All existing terrestrial tv channels will be
    accommodated during dual illumination period
  • SABC
  • E-tv
  • M-Net
  • No new players licensed during dual illumination

20
Where are we now - 2009?
  • Do we have digital TV?
  • NO
  • Broadcasters launched pilot on 1 November 2008
    testing decoders
  • But have no SABS approved decoders
  • Have no regulations (ICASA issued draft
    regulations in October)
  • No frequency plan
  • No digital licences

21
Broadcasting during dual illumination
  • Government Policy does not state how many
    channels each will get
  • DWMG suggested
  • SABC five (3 existing and two regional)
  • E-tv two
  • M-Net three
  • Costs high for broadcasters new content and
    double transmission

22
ICASA draft regulations
  • Reserve two multiplexes for existing
    broadcasters
  • One multiplex for public and community television
  • One for commercial
  • Each multiplex can carry 8 channels.

23
What this means
  • Presumption that commercial and public split
    continues
  • No query of if model works
  • Issues of fair competition

24
What it means cont
  • Propose
  • 2 commercial channels for SABC (SABC 3 and
    another)
  • Five channels for public section (SABC 1, 2, 3, 4
    and 5)
  • 1 for community
  • 2 e-tv and 4 m-net

25
How propose allocate?
  • Authorisation of channels for public
    broadcasting will be subjected to a public value
    test and may be subjected to a public process

26
These are just proposals
  • Submissions were made in December
  • ICASA will consider and decide
  • Many different proposals

27
Content
  • More channels More content
  • Costly for broadcasters
  • What will local content quotas be?
  • Is there capacity in independent production
    sector?

28
Content development
  • DMWG
  • Need government support for content development
  • Government policy
  • Vague
  • Digital Content Generation Hubs will be developed
  • But When?
  • Any financial support?
  • No clarity on plans as yet

29
Consumer Issues
  • STBs R700 (estimate)
  • 5 million will not be able to afford this
  • Government subsidy Scheme for Ownership Support
    (SOS)
  • 70 of cost for those on government grants
  • Estimated 5million people

30
Subsidy scheme
  • R2.45 bill
  • BUT
  • Not clear where funds will come from
  • NO CLARITY ON HOW OR WHO WILL MANAGE SUBSIDY

31
Consumer Issues
  • Need clear rules on subsidy system
  • Need to know how will roll-out
  • Need massive awareness campaign
  • Need to have campaigns to show how to use STB

32
What does it mean to broadcasting in SA?
  • Need to review entire broadcasting policy and
    legislation
  • Need to review laws SABC public and public
    commercial
  • Need to review funding for public broadcasting
    increased costs without new income?

33
Public broadcasting issues
  • SABC has been given R700m by government
  • SABC will need more money for more channels and
    for dual illumination
  • Need to rethink funding model
  • Government funding required for digital will
    there be any left over for PBS?

34
PBS cont
  • Public and commercial division not worked still
    all commercial could get more so with
    digitisation
  • SABC previously raised potential for using STB to
    monitor payment of licence fees
  • UK relooking at public broadcasting funding in
    light of multi-channel environment

35
the introduction of new channels will fragment
audiences drive down advertising rates. It is
unlikely that advertising spend will increase
it is more likely that the available spend will
have to be shared across more channels. As more
channels mean higher costs for broadcasters, this
will have an adverse affect on incumbent
broadcasters.Marcel Goldinge-tv CEO
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