Videos should make the cut – MTV Base

There is a growing notion that international TV networks just don’t have time for the music videos that are made by Tanzanian artistes and directors.

To the proponents of this notion, it is the reason why Tanzania’s music is not popular outside the country save for a few artistes.

Some believe it is a conspiracy that has seen mainly content from Nigeria and South Africa dominating airplay of channels such as MTV Base, Trace and even Sound City.

This according to video platforms such as MTV Base is a far-fetched validation that bears no truth at all.

Speaking exclusively with the Beat, MTV Base channel director Tim Horwood said as far as they are concerned they don’t care where the content comes from as long as it suits their profile.

“There is a very simple submission procedure which allows anyone to submit their videos online and that doesn’t have to come from a particular part of the continent, all we care for is the quality,” he says.

He adds that in the event that the video submitted to the channel always gives a detailed feedback on why the video did not make the cut.

“Through this we think we are trying to help the artiste and his production team realise what they need to do the next time for their video to reach the required standards,” says Tim Horwood.

According to Horwood, what he has seen in the past was that the videos didn’t tick the relevant boxes which made them unplayable.

“Sometimes you find that the sound is good but the picture quality or the lighting is not at the required standard and at such point we are left with no choice,” he says.

He adds that as a channel, they have to remain relevant to their pan- African audience which has continued to grow in the past decade or so, which means the content has to resonate with the audience.

“At the end of the day we are a business that has to maintain its rating, remember we are dealing with an audience who are as young as eight and to satisfy this audience means you have to give them what they need,” he says.

With competition quite rife from other channels this would have far reaching consequences in terms of business once the ratings drop.

“What we have encouraged artistes to do is to produce work that is representative of the whole continent,” says Tim.

According to Tim what artistes like Diamond and Vanessa Mdee have done makes them relevant almost in every part of the continent.

He urges other Tanzanian artistes to follow this example to break into the international arena because it is incomprehensible how a country with hundreds of talents can only have a handful of artistes dominating.

“Gauging by what we have seen we would love to see more of this creativity coming out from Tanzania to reach out to the other markets,” he says.

Rapper AY whose videos were among the first to play on MTV Base corroborates Horwood’s statement saying most TV networks provide the format in which they want the work to be delivered.

“There are no short cuts; you meet the standards they play the video and no way out.”

He adds: Our music is loved by both fans in West and Southern Africa what is remaining is upon us to follow the criteria but as of now many of our compatriots are not putting in that extra effort.

MTV Base is a 24-hour music and general entertainment channel from Viacom International Media Networks.

The channel focuses primarily on music from the world of R’n’B, hip hop, reggae, soul and urban.

The MTV Base brand was first launched in the United Kingdom on 1 July 1999, later it was launched in other European territories such as the Netherlands and Germany.

MTV Base Africa was launched in February 2005 throughout the African continent and began broadcasting on widescreen in 2012.