Silver Screen with Tafadzwa Zimoyo
Happy New Year!!!

Last year’s words belong to last year’s language and next year’s words await another voice.

Well the coming of a new year is not only about a new season. Unless a man starts afresh, he will certainly do nothing effective.

Remember, we spend January walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done and cracks to be patched.

Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives, not looking for flaws, but for potential.

Television, if not film, was one of the most exciting inventions of its time, and its evolution over the past century has been remarkable.

From cathode ray tubes to internet television, the development in television is a reflection of the audience’s ever-changing demand, and expectation from the medium itself.

For some, it has been the biggest source of entertainment, while for others it has been a weapon more powerful than an AK47, when one takes into consideration television’s ability to advocate global policies and reformation.

Television media, over the years, has earned its share of negative publicity alongside the positive.

Audiences automatically do not trust what they see on television because they believe it to be a means through which certain people want to fulfil their own personal agendas.

That assumption is not completely misplaced, since media requires sponsorship and funding from stake-holders to operate and, more often than not, these stakeholders will try to leverage as much as possible through the dissemination of information that may serve their best interests.

This has existed through the ages for obvious reasons.

When it comes to entertainment, international channels have become more popular recently, whereas, for news, they tune into the local channels, since only these channels can cater to the regional information demands of the audience. The current situation may look a bit dismal for local entertainment producers, but it does not mean there is no potential to turn things around.

A combination of local information mixed with the right blend of entertainment can enable local channels to regain popularity. This format of programming is popularly termed ‘infotainment.’

The internet is a dangerous place these days for those looking to stay spoiler free.

In the past, a viewer would have to wait patiently for a week between episodes, building up suspense, waiting to find out what had happened to their favourite characters.

It was something you would look forward to every week.

The internet has changed this, leading individuals to demand immediacy from their media.

For example, no sooner had the first episode of this series of ‘‘How To Get Away With Murder’’ or ‘‘Empire’’ or ‘‘Game of Thrones’ ‘among others aired, then you could illegally download the next six episodes.

Of course, huge numbers got hold of them and watched them instantly.

Certain corners of the internet were unsafe for those who had not jumped on the torrent train.

With this in mind, ZBC TV and DSTV should understand that television is being watched in a completely different way.

TV is changing and we need to change with it.

We must adapt our discussions, where it sits culturally and how it is watched.

Give us best not better this year because of the technological era we are in, everything is possible and if we left out, chances are very slim to keep up the pace.

It is wiser to start having good programs for good start rather than continuation with repeats.

We all know that DSTV, will not stop introducing new programs which is a fine but make sure those responsible should not recycle rather bring new ideas.

ZBC TV, we still waiting on the complete turnover for digitalisation, programming and setting among others but well, for how long.

This is the time to set it out all on your budget and engage responsible authorities to assist.

Please Mr Producer or Programming Officer, whatever you call yourself, make haste while the sun still shines and have people at heart.

We need a good start, good entertainment.

To you the DSTV, we are living in what is widely acknowledged as the Golden Age of television.

What began as a trickle of captivating, intelligent, and creatively challenging series such as NYPD Blue and Oz became a flood with The Sopranos, Deadwood, and The Wire.

So move with time.

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