eBusiness Weekly
Aurra Kawanzaruwa
In Western superstition, Friday the 13th is considered to be a very, very unlucky day. So perhaps it was allegorical that it was the day that Government announced the proposed merger of the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) and the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ).
But the development comes at a time when broadcast and the internet now go hand in hand. Over the past few years the coming together of these two forms of network has proved to be a regulatory challenge for the State.
Earlier this year the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ) published an invitation for those interested in being licensed for what they called ‘classes that do not require allocation or use of frequencies’. These classes are Video on Demand services (VOD), Webcasting services, and Content Distribution services.
Needless to say the invitation was met by a murky wave of confusion by content creators. The class descriptions were vague, leaving too much room for speculation. Technology has clearly put the Authority in a position where they are reaching for ways to manage and regulate the freedom that the internet has granted the average citizen the ability to broadcast (and watch) what they want.
A study done by IBM earlier this year states that advancements in technology have made it simpler than ever to broadcast video content, even from a device that fits in your pocket. Companies that leverage live video today are seizing the opportunity to enhance the experience for employees, partners, and customers alike.
More business leaders are also realising that live video creates an emotional connection with audiences which simply isn’t achievable through other types of digital marketing or communications. Additionally, live streaming advancements from social media providers have mainstreamed and awareness of live video, leading brands and retailers to go beyond social media for their live video strategies by including their owned and operated channels.
POTRAZ has had a bit more luck when it comes to enforcing rules and regulations within the telecoms sector. A merge of the two Parastatals will see BAZ gain a firmer backbone and possible a bit more muscle to enforce stronger regulations on local content creators.
It’s still unclear which ministry the merged Parastatals will fall under or whether this is indicative of the emergence of a new Ministry of Communication. Details are few and timelines of when this merge take place are yet to be revealed.
Globally, it is best practice to have both broadcast and communications under one umbrella. It reduces the amount of red tape in regards to process approvals. In addition to that, more and more telecoms companies are moving their way into broadcast.
In Zimbabwe, companies like Econet have already launched Kwese TV and TelOne is in the process of licensing their Digital Entertainment on Demand (DEOD) service, which will be the first of its kind in Zimbabwe.
The business opportunities that would result from such a merger have the potential to be lucrative, opening up the playing field especially in the telecoms sector. Whether it will make the lives of smaller content creation businesses easier is still to be seen.
