Cape Town TV, AFDA join forces

Apart from opening an office on the AFDA campus in Observatory, Cape Town, CTV will also base its final control centre in AFDA's new television school studios which are currently under construction.

Says CTV's station manager Karen Thorne, “The partnership represents an incredible opportunity for CTV in that it significantly offsets our operational costs and so helps us to get the channel up and running.

“It is a mutually beneficial partnership that gives us access to facilities while AFDA students gain hands-on experience in television production. We commend AFDA's management on their vision and initiative in engaging with CTV in this manner. It shows openness, innovative thinking and generosity that we really appreciate.”

In terms of the agreement CTV will direct its operations from the campus in exchange for providing AFDA students with on-site, situational training, learner assessment and an outlet for student productions.

“A very power instrument”

Comments AFDA executive chairman and MD Garth Holmes, “AFDA is always looking for opportunities to provide students with situational training and opportunities to exhibit and broadcast their work. We believe that community TV can be a very powerful instrument in the Western Cape, particularly because the region is so isolated from other television broadcasting outlets.

“The partnership with CTV will bring enormous benefits to AFDA in terms of situational training, giving our students the opportunity to participate in the activities of a real TV station. It is also a very privileged position to watch a TV station being established and to see how it develops over the years to come. Students can gain insight into how they too can develop things for themselves from small beginnings.”

Notes Thorne, “The relationship reflects our commitment to working with training providers in Cape Town. This positions CTV as an interface between the formal education institutions and the video industry by providing emerging film makers with a development ground. At the same time the relationship won't affect CTV's independence and accountability to the Cape Town community and we will still engage with other training institutions.”

CTV is establishing a network of production centres around Cape Town, based principally at tertiary education institutions. Partners now include AFDA, the University of the Western Cape, the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) and CityVarsity. A number of programme partnership agreements have been entered into with independent production groups and volunteers are being mobilized to participate in production and broadcast activities.

After being formed by a group of media NGOs in 2006, CTV has built a strong base in civil society. In addition to the educational institutions, CTV has the support of labour and sports organisations, and various NGOs and community structures.

Broadcasting delays

But not everything has run smoothly for the fledgling channel - it was due to begin broadcasting on 1 August 2008, but has had to postpone its startup date to 1 September after delays in obtaining a transmitter from the signal distribution company Sentech.

Nevertheless, the partnership with AFDA has set the channel on a firmer footing. As Thorne concludes, “We are excited to be in AFDA's space where there is such a vibrant, creative energy. This signals the beginning of a long-term relationship between CTV and AFDA.”

Holmes concurs. “There is something inherently good about being involved at community level,” he says, “it has its own integrity and our people will benefit from that. Our engagement with CTV will be an enormous benefit for AFDA students. It's exciting, it's new and it's great to be a part of that excitement.”