Quality is key for local content goals of Uganda’s film industry

Tina Wamala

What you need to know:

  • Sustained operation. The Ministry of Information, Communications Technology and National Guidance, in collaboration with media stakeholders, has developed a five-year media content policy. The purpose of this policy is to provide a framework that will ensure availability and accessibility of diverse media local content that delivers cultural, educational, social and democratic values at an affordable rate while upholding sustained growth and operation of the sector.

In 2013, Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), the regulator of the communications and broadcasting sector in the country, issued a directive to media houses to dedicate 70 per cent of their programming to local content.

The directive was expected to see media houses prioritise local over foreign content in a bid to enhance culture and national identity.

According to the UCC expectations, local drama should contribute 50 per cent of TV broadcasting, with 10 per cent airtime dedicated to local documentaries and 5 per cent dedicated to local children’s programmes and sports while other content should take up the remaining 30 per cent.

While the UCC has not released a local content monitoring report since 2014, none of the television stations in the country are yet to hit the 70 per cent target. Broadcasters continue to blame this on lack of good content that can attract audiences citing, weak story lines and poor quality.

Recently, MultiChoice Uganda launched a Ugandan local entertainment channel dubbed “Pearl Magic” on its DStv and GOtv platforms in a bid to provide more customised content relevant to Ugandans. The channel lineup includes drama, music shows, series, soaps, telenovela’s as well as movies.

This means, Ugandans now have a dedicated channel that will showcase home-grown content and promote Ugandan culture.
Most importantly, this also means that Ugandans can now benefit and earn a living by creating quality content for the channel.
While the media local content industry continues to grow, offering unprecedented opportunities for economic growth and development of the country, Uganda’s film industry still faces several obstacles.

One such obstacle is poor quality of production plus the lack of distribution and exhibition infrastructure. As the continent’s leading supporter of local content, MultiChoice remains committed to the growth of a world-class entertainment industry by encouraging quality standards of the content showcased on it channels.

Pearl Magic aims to motivate local producers to enhance the quality of their work and produce in greater quantities through regular technical forums to up skill them and ensure parity of the work they produce.
To ensure a future pipeline of more quality production, MultiChoice introduced the MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF) to address the skills gaps by giving budding film makers exposure to technical skills, work place experience and the production of local content.

The initiative provides internship opportunities for local producers in cinematography, audio and scriptwriting in a bid to enhance quality of local content productions.
Achieving the quality of the local content needed, however, will involve all stakeholders working together.

This is why the Ministry of Information, Communications Technology and National Guidance, in collaboration with media stakeholders, has developed a five-year media content policy. The purpose of this policy is to provide a framework that will ensure availability and accessibility of diverse media local content that delivers cultural, educational, social and democratic values at an affordable rate while upholding sustained growth and operation of the sector.

It will guide media content creation, production, dissemination, archiving and attendant content capacity enhancement for key stakeholders in the electronic media industry with the view of addressing challenges, offer relevant support services to enhance the creativity, quantity, quality and competitiveness of the creative industry in general.

The main benefit of developing local content will be to create more work for locals in all aspects of development from film production to marketing a new breed of producers, actors, and crew.
Consequently, new stories of Ugandan genre will emerge and most importantly, new voices will be heard.

Ms Wamala is the PR & communications manager,
MultiChoice Uganda.