Broadcast Media Africa got the opportunity to speak to Prof. Amin Alhassan, the Director-General of Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, ahead of the “Broadcasting And Digital Media Convention – Nigeria,” where he will be one of the panellists. The summit mentioned above is scheduled to take place in Abuja, Nigeria, from Tuesday, March 22, to Wednesday, March 23, 2022.
Prof. Amin Alhassan discussed the fast-changing nature of Nigeria’s broadcasting and media industry and the unpredictable nature of digital convergence in terms of online learning, revenue streams, and advertising. Prof. Amin Alhassan believes that the preceding necessitates industry leaders to learn, strategise, and innovate constantly.
He continued by stating that the industry requires clear cut policy guidelines. Long-term, the goal is to establish a sustainable funding structure for public media while leaving the private media market out. Publicly funded media should not compete with private media for advertising.
To find out more about Prof. Amin Alhassan’s thoughts on Nigeria’s Broadcast and Digital Media industry, read the following excerpt:
BMA: What influenced your decision to agree to participate in the Industry Summit on “Broadcast And Digital Media Summit – Nigeria”?
Prof. Amin Alhassan: This summit is timely and relevant. The fast-changing nature of the industry requires some new learning, some peer learning on what works and what does not work. The challenge of convergence is simply making it difficult to predict and plan. Revenue streams are becoming unpredictable. The decline of revenue of legacy media and the rise of online advertising revenue, the high cost of content and the migratory nature of the audience all combine to make it necessary that industry leaders continue to learn, strategise and innovate. I hope the forum will provide the opportunity for cross-fertilisation of ideas and learning from colleagues. This is why I readily agreed to participate in the summit.
BMA: How would you describe the current transformation that is taking place in the broadcasting industry, especially in relation to digital terrestrial broadcasting, reliable infrastructure and the accessibility of financing and funding? How can practitioners take advantage?
Prof. Amin Alhassan: DTT is fast facing a challenge as DTH has now also become a Free-to-Air through convergence. So in a way, the question is now: What is the future of DTT. Given the initial heavy financial commitment and running cost, how can it compete with DTH?
BMA: What is the biggest industry challenge faced at the moment in relation to the digital switchover, funding, and having to operate in an accelerated multiscreen and multi-platform ecosystem?
Prof. Amin Alhassan: The challenge faced in digital switchover is more or less an issue of political commitment.
BMA: In your opinion, what do you think can be done to improve the dynamics of a fully-digital broadcasting ecosystem, taking into account the relationship between the public and private sector?
Prof. Amin Alhassan: We need clear cut policy guidelines. The long term goal is to clearly define a sustainable funding scheme for public media and leave out the marketplace for private media. For example, publicly funded media should not compete for adverts with private media.
BMA: Could you please tell us what you hope fellow participants will take away from this industry event?
Prof. Amin Alhassan: Participants should be able to update their knowledge, network, share experiences, and leave Abuja more assured of the future path of the industry.
