Tanzania's online TV face survival test

Dar es Salaam. A surge in online television channels a few years ago, fuelled by fears of traditional media decline, is now reversing as operators grapple with the realities of running a digital news outlet.

The latest data from the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) show a 7.4 percent decrease in the number of licensed online TV channels during the second quarter of the current calendar year.

Whereas TCRA’s list had a total of 231 licensed online TV channels in March, the number fell to 215 in June.

The report also shows that the number of weblog (blogs) licenses also declined to 64 licenses from 67 licences.

There was, however, an increase of online radio stations from seven to nine.

But though the decline of online TV channels and blogs looks minimal, analysts predict a further fall going forward as operators come to understand the true costs associated with operating a news channel.

Those who spoke to The Citizen say some channels were set up in a hurry and without operators’ clear understanding of the right investment needed to manage such ventures.

They say many newcomers to the market entered with the expectation of earning revenue through platforms like YouTube but have found the reality to be quite different.

The chief executive officer of Nukta Africa, Mr Nuzulack Dausen, said the drop in the number of registered online media platforms, in general, was not a good thing for the nation, especially in the period when quality information was highly needed.

He noted however that the initial reason is that the change in online content regulations (Online Content Regulations 2022) has removed some people or institutions from registration and then reduced the number of those who renew or register.

Mr Dausen said the digital transformation has also reduced advertisements and sent them to big techs like Google, Meta, and X Corp., who later gave online creators a small amount of money, which is not enough even to go to the field to do big stories.

“To solve this, the media should increase creativity in making news and finding income legally, but Tanzanians should commit to contributing to the media that produces quality online content that suits their needs,” he said.

Speaking to The Citizen yesterday, TCRA’s principal engineer, Mr Baluye Kadaya, said that, as part of their support, the authority has decided to reduce the licence costs from Sh1.1 million to Sh550,000, which includes both registration and licence fees.

According to him, it should be noted the competition in the market is intense, and if creators produce acceptable content, they will likely continue to succeed, but if they simply copy and paste content, viewers will quickly lose interest.

“Content creators must stay updated and carefully check what they are sending to the market. By doing this, you will avoid a decline in the number of visitors to your site,” he said.

TCRA provides education to online content creators through various training programs, helping them on how they can continue to exist in the market and remain competitive.

“Numbers will continue to drop, and only those who are genuinely investing will remain. Some creators come here and, when asked about their goals, say they want to attract viewers, but how can you attract viewers if you haven’t invested in the content that will engage them?” he said.

A telecommunications lecturer at the University of Dar es Salaam, Dr Moses Ismail, said that although he has not done a detailed analysis, the drop may be caused by the lack of various skills to create content that can bring engagement.

“In my opinion, many fail because they do not provide content that is engaging. Some believe that once you have a mobile phone and money to pay for the license, you can have online media,” he said.

Citing the example of developed countries with online media, they are constantly learning various ways to acquire skills to create content that will bring many visitors; therefore, young people should also know what others are doing; otherwise, they cannot maintain it.

On the other hand, the founder of Green Waves Media, Mr Hughes Dugilo, said after the media industry collapsed during the Covid-19 several journalists shifted to establishing online media, thinking it could be easy, but the ground is different.

“I admit that there are earnings in online media, but it is not on the spot; you have to work and convince the readers that you are consistent and ready to provide quality content. The current challenge is that many young people want to start a blog today and earn income tomorrow; it is impossible,” he said.