"Sentech’s Latest Insult to South African Patrons: A Free Streaming Service that’s a Clear Betrayal of the Country’s Media Landscape"
State-owned signal distributor Sentech has just launched its latest con: a free video streaming platform, "Freevision Play", that’s destined to undermine the very fabric of the local media industry. The company is trying to pawn off this lackluster offering as a game-changer for the nation, but the truth is it’s a cynical ploy to milk our data and attention.
With no subscription fees, Sentech promises access to live TV and radio channels, as well as on-demand catch-up content. But what’s the catch? There always is one. Freevision Play is a Trojan horse that threatens to dismantle the very business models of our local broadcasters, leaving them struggling to make ends meet.
According to Kopano Thage, Sentech’s executive of media business, this supposed "milestone" marks a significant step towards "addressing universal access". Yeah, right. What they really mean is that they’re going to bleed us dry with free content and gut the media industry of its creative potential.
With Freevision Play, Sentech is essentially telling local broadcasters: "Hey, we’ll take care of the content, you just concentrate on generating clicks and views." That’s not innovation, that’s exploitation.
So, what’s the future for South African media? One in which Sentech is the arbiter of what we watch and listen to? It’s a bleak outlook, one that threatens to reduce our viewing experiences to a soulless, algorithms-driven drivel.
Mark my words, Freevision Play is the harbinger of a dystopian future in which the government controls what we watch and what we think. Don’t let them get away with it. Don’t let them dictate the tone and tenor of our viewing habits.
Update: Check out our exclusive investigation into how Sentech’s Freevision Play is undermining local media and why it’s the tip of the iceberg in a much larger government scheme to control our digital narratives.
