JiangJianguo,Minister,InformationOfficeoftheStateCouncil
ChinesecompanyboostsdigitalTVinAfricaandopensawindowtoChina
ByXiaYuanyuan
There’sgoodnewsforfootballfansinAfricawhohavebeensighingovertheendof2016UEFAEuropeanChampionship.NowtheycanswitchtowatchingChineseSuperLeague(CSL),China’shighesttierofprofessionalfootball,whichkickedoffits13theditioninMarchwiththefinalescheduledonNovember5.
AttheSixthAfricanDigitalTVDevelopmentSeminarheldinBeijingonJune23,StarTimes,aBeijingbaseddigitalTVsolutionsprovider,signedadealwithIMG,theNewYorkCity-basedsportsmanagementcompanywhichisastrategicpartneroftheCSL.Accordingtotheagreement,StarTimeswillhaveallrebroadcastingrightstoCSLmatchesinSouthernAfrica.ThisisthefirsttimetheCSLisbeingbroadcastinAfrica.
ThoughtheCSLisnotaspopularastheBundesligainGermany,ithasnumerousworld-classplayerslikeGervaisYaoKouassifromCoted’Ivoire,ObafemiMartinsfromNigeria,AsamoahGyanfromGhanaandBrazilianGivanildoVieiradeSouza,betterknownasHulk.Africanfootballaficionadoscannowwatchthefixturestotheirhearts'content,thankstotheinnovativeChinesesatellitetelevisionprovider.
Inaddition,withsevensportschannels,StarTimeshasalreadybeenofferingAfricanfootballfanssomeoftheworld’smostpopularfootballleaguematchesliketheBundesliga,ItalianSerieA,andFrenchLigue1.
Acompellingchoice
Foundedin1988,StarTimesisaChinesecompanythatinitiallyprovidedinformationtechnologysolutions.FacedwithincreasinglyfiercecompetitioninChina,PangXinxing,headoftheenterprise,decidedtotransformhiscompanyintoamediacontentproviderandwasinspiredtolooktooverseasmarkets.
In2003,StarTimesdecidedtoheadforAfrica.Thankstothedecision,today,ithassubsidiariesin30Africancountries,rangingfromNigeriaandKenyatoRwandaandMozambique.Withabout8millionsubscribers,duetoitsaffordability,StarTimesisnowanestablisheddigitalTVoperatoronthecontinent.
“WecombinesatellitecommunicationtechnologywithterrestrialwirelessdigitalTVtechnology.Thisal-lowsustoconstructadigitalpayTVoperationplatformwithwidecoverage,enablinglocalstowatchcolorfulprogramsatalowerprice,”Pangsaid.
“Seventoeightyearsago,gettingdigitalTVinAfricameantpaying$200asinitialinstallationfee,another$50asinstallationandcommissioningfeeandamonthlylicensefeethatwasatleast$47,”saidWuJuan,whoworksinStarTimes’publicitydepartment.
However,toaccessStarTimes,theyneedtopayonly$5initiallyforthedecoder,theequipmentthatallowsthemtoreceivetheTVsignals,and$3-5monthlyaslicensefee.ThesmallinvestmentallowssubscriberstowatchawiderangeofTVprograms.
Atthe2016LagosChamberofCommerceandIndustryAwardsonMay14,StarTimeswasawardedthefastestgrowingandmostinfluentialdigitalpayTVoperatorinNigeria.
AsliceofChineselife
ZhuoDong,whohasbeenrunningasmallfoodandbeveragebusinessinNigeriaforeightyears,usedtomissChineseTVprogramsatfirst,especiallythesoapsandrealityshows.Thenthe46-year-oldcametoknowaboutStarTimesandsignedupasasubscriber.
“Therearemorethan1millionChineseinAfricabutforalongtime,therewasnogoodTVchannelforustogetdomesticinformationorentertainment.Languageandculturaldifferencepreventedusfromgettinginvolvedinlocalleisureactivities,”ZhuotoldChinAfrica.
“ThelandingofStarTimesinNigeriaisdefinitelyasavior.SwitchingontheTVafterwork,IcanwatchpopularChinesesoapsandrealityshows.ItmakesmefeelIambackinChina,”Zhuosaid.
StafferstakeabreakfromdubbingtheanimationPoppyCatintoSwahili
WorkinfullswingatStarTimes’translationanddubbingcenterinKenyatodubtheTVseriesWhoisinChargeofMyYouthintoSwahiliStarTimeshasintroducedmorethan440internationalchannelsinAfricaaswellasChinesemainstreammediachannelsandchannelsownedandoperatedbythecompanyitselfthatbroadcastprogramsinnearly10languagesusedonthecontinent.
TheserangefromEnglish,FrenchandChinesetoSwahiliandHausa.Thecontentsincludenews,publicinformation,sports,filmsandsoaps.
WindowtoChina
StarTimesprogramsarenotonlyalinkbetweenChinaandtheChineselivinginAfricabutalsoawindowforAfricanstoknowChina.
In2011,StarTimesestablisheditstranslationanddubbingcenterinKenyawhereChineseTVdramasaredubbedintoAfricanlanguages.DubbeddramaslikeStruggle,portrayingthepost-1980sgenerations,WhoIsinChargeofMyYouth,whichrecordstheconflictbetweencontrollingparentsandrebelliouschildren,andJourneytotheWest,adaptedfroma16th-centuryclassic,areabighitamongAfricanaudiences.
“ThedramasmadebyStarTimesareawindowforAfricanstoknowChina,”saidGuoZiqi,VicePresidentofStarTimes.“Bywatchingthem,AfricanslearnaboutChineselivesandgetatrueglimpseofChina.”
AttheSixthAfricanDigitalTVDevelopmentSeminar,JiangJianguo,MinisteroftheInformationOfficeoftheStateCouncil,saidtherapidandcomprehensivedevelopmentofChina-AfricabilateralrelationsinrecentyearsispartlyduetotheeffortsmadebybothChineseandAfricanmedia.
“BycooperatingwithAfricanmedia,StarTimesimprovesthequalityofTVsignals,reducestheinstallationandmonthlyfees...andmakesdigitalTVaffordableforordinaryAfricanfamilies,”Jiangsaid.
Duringtheseminar,PangannouncedthatStarTimeswillheadtoZimbabwe,EthiopiaandGhanathisyear.
“WewillboostdigitalTVinmoreAfricancountriesinthefutureandenhanceculturallife,”hesaid.CA