Digital platform creates room for health education on television
CCK officials flag off the Digital Migration consumer awareness roadshow: A shift to digital TV allows health content providers to offer material in local languages. FILE
The court case about the switch to digital TV has taken time. The government and broadcasters have canvassed arguments, delaying the shift.
Despite the alleged demerits of such a move, technology upgrades usually have better rewards and more opportunities for all players. Analogue signals limit frequency allocation and content diversity.
Current programming, for instance, shuts off many potential viewers either because of lack of appropriate content or if it is available, the timing doesn’t allow detail.
There are people who want to skip the general news but watch business and sports content. Others are keen on content touching on their profession or social interests. This lack of adequate time allocation is one such handicap for health care providers.
Years back, I was in a meeting with private equity investor interested in putting money into a small local firm that generates health content. They were keen on adequate demand that would recoup the investment.
While analyses of online medical information providers suggested growing demand for such material, selling it to the mass market was the challenge.
The investment did not go through. In the looming shift in television ownership to cover rural dwellers, carrying health educational material tailored for them must be a priority. A shift to digital TV allows many health content providers to offer material in local languages.
Perhaps one of the risks local broadcasters foresee is a loosening of their grip on the content distribution. However, a win-win situation for both current players and new entrants is also possible.
Established broadcasters have big marketing and professional production teams than smaller units have. This will always work in their favour. The latter have fresh and untried ideas which increase viewership.
For medics and affiliate service providers with content to offer, the migration creates an easier avenue to monetise their material while also educating the masses.
Currently the only people able to afford TV airtime are herbalists and charlatans giving reasons people are taking quail eggs instead of medicine.
A question the number crunchers should ask is whether revenue from a million pay per view health content viewers would surpass the ‘TV airtime’ from a few advertisers. This is one revenue model that broadcasters should seek.
For medics, awareness about products and services is a key step to realising increased industry revenue.
If data from the revenue generated from mobile phone and Internet-based medical content is anything to go by, then the future is good for us.
