It is less than a month since Tanzania being the first country to shutdown analogue broadcasting in the region of East and Central Africa. The meaning of this is all TV viewers now need to use digital compatible TVs and decoders to watch programs.
Besides installation costs these decoder companies charges extra subscription fees for most of viewers favorites channels. Most of favorites channels have been grouped to some packages which are simply expensive
Tanzania has more than ten types of authorized decoders which show some common TV channels and many other different channels depending on the type of the decoder. The big concern to viewers is the subscription costs for those termed to be mostly favorite channels.
Some decoder distribution companies which broadcasts most favorites channels keeps on reviewing installation and subscription prices to make sure that the production and operation costs is not affected and profit obtained, but the big question remains is, can standard income earners afford this?.
This high costs in subscribing TV services resulted to two major behaviors. The first one is the decrease in number of TV viewers. Considering the change of life style for many Tanzanians which spend most of their time at work, on roads, getting news updates from the internet through computers and smartphones hence many of them opted out paying high costs for subscribing Television channels.
Some stay at restaurants , bars to watch their favorite programs
The second behavior involves illegal distribution of the service. The black market of television decoders is now getting too common. A good number of unregistered decoders which can serve same purpose are now available in the market at low cost, this involves installation and regular subscription charges or no charges at all. Although sometimes these unregistered decoders experiences many technical difficulties still viewers accepts to bear them as long as there is a time they can enjoy a service. As we go on these illegal decoder market is getting too common to the extent that providers are even offering tolerant support services.
Now both behavior resulted to new trends of living with the first one causes new life style and the second one increases illegal acts, it is up to stakeholders to determine the way to go. Government as the main stake holder and regulator should analyses if these costs are affordable despite of the free market preach.
Moreover, it should uses their bodies to make sure most of the common channels are available in all decoders and some of them for free as it has promised.
Television channels and Decoder companies should compete to broadcast more favorites channels and programs so as to decrease monopoly and automatically provides more options which will result to cost reduction.
Also it is an opportunity to new investors to stop strengthening the black market and legalize their business with cheaper solutions and appropriate rights.
SOURCE: Knowcache
