By Ogova Ondego
Published January 23, 2020
A new distribution platform aimed at connecting independent content producers with audiences across Africa has been launched.
The owners of the pan-African platform known as MVMO (Movies, Video, Music, Opportunity) who say they are not only using ‘unique video technology’ but are also focusing on ‘premium content including movies, news, drama and music’, pledge to serve ‘high-quality entertainment on all networks from 2G to 5G’.
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“This is a breakthrough for the African Creative economy because of its reach and affordability for Africans. MVMO will serve as a key monetisation platform to make the creative economy more viable and impactful,” says Sandra Iyawa, Chief Executive Officer of Times Multimedia and Chief Content Officer for MVMO that is developed in association with Creative Africa Exchange (CAX) with the support of Afreximbank.
Launched in the Rwandan capital, Kigali, on January 17, 2020, MVMO comes at a time when Content creators and mobile service providers alike are exploring the opportunities for delivering streaming platforms in a continent where mobile penetration represents a vast opportunity but bandwidth remains a challenge.
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“While investment in cellular infrastructure in Africa continues apace, with a number of 5G networks expected to launch imminently, the vast majority of consumers will still only have access to 2G or 3G services for years to come. Thanks to a collaboration involving video compression technology pioneer V-Nova and OTT TV leader Simplestream, MVMO is able to deliver robust and reliable video quality at extremely low bit rates – making the platform suitable for the full range of network environments,” writes Becky Taylor of Page Melia PR. “In accordance with the rapid growth of Africa’s creative industries across film, TV and music, MVMO aims to become the ‘go to’ platform for the best new content being produced across the continent. It is actively seeking to build relationships with both established and emerging independent producers, helping them to publish and monetize their content, as well as optimize their reach throughout Africa.”
Describing MVMO as a platform that serves ‘exceptional quality at very low bitrates’, Iyawa says “MVMO is ideally placed to help consolidate the content streaming sector in Africa” as it “has been developed to accommodate variable mobile network environments and make it possible to deliver robust video quality at very low bitrates to consumers throughout the continent.”
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Meanwhile, content producers in Kenya shall have their royalties collected from users of their work by Kenya Copyright Board (KeCoBo) on behalf of Performers Rights Society of Kenya (PRISK), Kenya Association of Music Producers (KAMP) and Music Copyright Society of Kenya (MCSK), their respective collective management organisations (CMOs).
In his State of the Nation Address, President Uhuru Kenyatta said, “To receive royalties, Content Service Providers will be required to channel all payments of royalties through a single, centrally managed account at the Kenya Copyright Board. This will enable oversight by the regulator and ensure that the collection and distribution accounts are easily auditable. The Kenya Copyrights Board, with assistance of the Ministry of ICT, has already reviewed and agreed on the Tariffs for 2020. These tariffs are to be gazetted and will form the basis on which compliance will be monitored. In this regard, I direct the Ministry of ICT, in consultation with the AG’s office, to ensure the tariffs are gazetted within the next 30 days.”
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“Further,” the President said, “I direct the Ministry to remove conditions requiring digital platform to only work through licensed Content Service Providers. This will enable musicians to work directly with platforms such as Skiza. I further direct the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife, and Ministry of ICT to ensure that public service vehicles, the hospitality industry, and broadcasters respectively, meet all their obligations in paying the required tariffs. This will be a basic requirement for renewal of any business licences for the broadcasting houses, matatus, hotels, bars and other such premises.”
The President, in the address made on January 14, 2020 from the port city of Mombasa, noted: “These new measures will see the rise of tariffs collected and will create immense savings on the processes of collecting royalties. It is estimated that the new system will see an increase in collections from a previous Sh200 Million per year to an estimated 2 billion shillings per year, a tenfold increase.”
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Though royalty collection and payment to copyright holders isn’t within the mandate of KECOBO that is established under Chapter 130 of the Laws of Kenya (Section 3 of the Copyright Act) to administer and enforce copyright and related rights in Kenya, the President explained that stakeholders of copyrighted content had on December 20, 2019 signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the state corporation enabling it to act on their behalf in the collection of royalties.
“Content Service Providers who work with digital platforms such as SKIZA and Viusasa, will be eliminated. And this is because they sit outside the Collection Management Organisations. My practical direction on this is to have all rights holders register on the National Rights Registry,” the President said, noting that he had “directed the Ministry of ICT to work with all stakeholders to resolve the legacy issues that have plagued rights holders for decades.” That directive, Kenyatta said, was what had led to the MoU that had been signed on December 20.
