Programming on Cape Town TV

Cape Town TV has developed innovative programming practices that incentivise and support local producers to produce, distribute and monetise content that meets the needs of the audience we serve through a bottom-up approach.

Contribution types:

Established independent producers with capacity to produce their own shows,
Emerging producers or individuals with subject-matter expertise who wish to access Cape Town TV’s resources to produce shows.
Hyper-local community TV initiatives serving the needs of localised audiences.
NGOs wishing to develop education and advocacy programmes.
Producers serving the needs of specific interest groups such as women and sport.

Cape Town TV takes four kinds of programme content. These are:

Acquired content (already made for purposes other than broadcasting on Cape Town TV);
Independent productions (made for Cape Town TV by independent producers using their own resources);
Co-productions (made in collaboration with Cape Town TV using our in-house facilities).
Music videos from musicians or music publishing companies.

Click on the boxes below for details.

Acquired content

Acquired content is programming which has already been produced for purposes other than airing on Cape Town TV. For example it may be a documentary or PSA which has been produced by an NGO or an independent producer who has found their own source of financing, material produced for other broadcasters for which the producer holds the copyright, or material which has been shared on the internet.

This material optimally contains no “commercial” content, i.e. advertisements, product placement, marketing messages etc. and is not in and of itself selling or marketing any particular company, product or service.

Cape Town TV does not pay for acquired content. The station does enter into exchange deals for content, where advertising is granted in return for use of the content. This would typically be a ‘billboard’ (i.e. a still image) before or after the programme which advertises an address or website where viewers can obtain a copy of the programme, or a link to the producer’s YouTube channel etc.

Acquired content includes short-form content such as music videos, PSAs, and short documentaries, as well as long-form content such as movies, documentaries, talk shows and other material that fits within the TV programme format in terms of duration and structure.

Independent productions

Cape Town TV also enters into partnerships with content providers for material which is produced specifically for flighting on the channel.

This is where an agreement is entered into between Cape Town TV and the content partner (independent producer), whereby the latter provides a programme or series of programmes which are flighted on the channel over a particular period.

These agreements typically provide Cape Town TV with exclusive airing rights for a particular period, after which time the producer may sell the content to other channels. The intellectual property rights to this content remain with the producer.

Cape Town TV will send out occasional briefs for the kind of programmes sought by the channel, based on Cape Town TV’s programming policy and needs. The channel only accepts content which is produced in the Western Cape in the languages of English, Afrikaans and isiXhosa.

Independent productions provide Cape Town TV with an income stream, so it is expected that these productions will pay the channel a broadcast fee if they get sponsorship. This fee contributes towards the costs of running the channel, so producers have to build this broadcast fee into their budgets. At the same time Cape Town TV is conscious of the need to assist producers to construct viable business propositions for their shows, so we have a revenue-share model where a minor percentage of the sponsorship amount goes to the station and the majority goes to the producer.

In-house and co-productions

Anyone can apply to become a co-producer, based on a TV show concept that they have developed.
Co-productions take place in Cape Town TV’s studios and utilize our equipment, crew and editing facilities.
You do not need to have any prior experience in television or video production.
You must have some expertise or experience in the subject field that you wish to cover in your show.
You should also have links to a network of relevant contacts or to a specific community (e.g. a sports community, business community, social development community etc.)

Criteria for co-producers
Services

Cape Town TV provides co-producers with the following services:

Concept development
Training/mentorship
Volunteer stipend to cover your transport costs
Title sequence/stings
Set (virtual or physical)
Access to studio, crew and equipment
A programme slot in the schedule
Verified audience numbers
Sales support
Invoicing of sponsors

Revenue share:
Any sponsorship income for the show is split with the producer on a 70/30 basis in Cape Town TV’s favour.

Intellectual Property Rights:

- Cape Town TV and co-producers share IP rights to the show
- Cape Town TV has broadcasting rights for the show in perpetuity
- To apply to become a co-producer, please complete the Application Form.

Programming policy

Introduction

Cape Town TV is committed to broadcasting content that is directly answerable to the needs of community, that strengthens civil society, that showcases local talent, that promotes freedom of expression and access to information and that empowers people to tell their own stories.

1. Principles and values

1.1 Equity and social justice

Recognising that the majority of South Africans were deprived of media ownership, control and production, Cape Town TV is committed to:

i. Giving special priority to working class communities;

ii. Ensuring no group or section is deliberately excluded;

iii. Promoting alternatives to commercially-driven cultural values.

1.2 Diversity and representivity

The Content Committee will, through their selection of content, ensure that:

i. Programming reflects the widest diversity of people and interests in Cape Town, with a special focus on poor working class communities;

ii. One particular interest group (be they education institutions, government, NPOs or independent producers) do not have more than one programme partnership at any given time;

iii. Programming is produced by a wide diversity of people across all ages, sexual orientation, disabilities, class, race and gender, with no one group dominating simply because they have the resources to do so.

1.3 Access and affordability

The Cape Town TV programming policy is informed by the principles of community access and participation, whereby community TV serves as an access point for diverse members of the community as a means to share political, cultural, artistic, spiritual, and individual expression. In order to achieve this Cape Town TV will ensure that:

i. Citizens have direct access to training and production facilities and are empowered to tell their own stories. The developmental objective is to build ongoing and sustainable capacity within communities to utilize the audio visual media for social objectives;

ii. Cape Town TV will serve mainly as an access point for citizens and organisations of civil society. In doing so it will also ensure opportunities for emerging and established film makers to develop and air productions that are in line with the principles and values of Cape Town TV;

iii. Cape Town TV shall aspire to deliver the highest quality programming without jeopardizing the principles of access, affordability, learning, innovation and experimentation. While every effort will be made to ensure access to “broadcast quality” formats, participants should be allowed to produce content in any formats available to them.

2. Exclusions

2.1 Cape Town TV will strive to promote freedom of expression, as guaranteed in South Africa’s constitution, while abiding within the frameworks of other applicable legislation such as the Broadcasters’ Code of Conduct.

2.2 Cape Town TV will not broadcast programming whose overall message is to engender hate or prejudice towards any person or group; inter alia that which promotes racism, sexism, homophobia and xenophobia; nor which is culturally demeaning.

2.3 Age restrictions will be set on programmes that have been rated according to the stipulations of the Films and Publications Act. Content deemed unsuitable for younger audiences will only be shown after the stipulated time.

2.4 Cape Town TV will not broadcast any programming that contradicts the provisions of South African legislation, including but not limited to the country’s Constitution, the Broadcasting Act, Broadcaster’s Code of Conduct and the Electronic Communications Act. The channel will enter into agreements with content providers to warrant that their contributions conform to this prescription.

2.5 The channel will not broadcast programming that Is propagandistic in nature – i.e. which promotes a point of view in a dishonest or misleading way.

2.6 Where possible, content should seek to foster a critical approach to media and information, including an awareness of how traditional media can negatively affect people’s perceptions or behaviour – for example through the reinforcement of amoral standards or negative social behaviour through on-screen characters and role models.

3. Advertising

3.1. Introduction

3.1.1 Community television in South Africa is authorised to gain funding from a combination of advertising, grants, donations and sponsorships.

3.1.2 Cape Town TV accepts advertising from private companies, non-profit organisations and government agencies. In terms of the legislation governing community television in South Africa, advertising is limited to an average of 10 minutes per hour measured annually, with a maximum of 12 minutes allowed in any hour.

3.1.3 Restrictions apply to certain categories of advertising, namely:

i. Advertising targeted at children;

ii. Advertising for gambling;

iii. Any advertising that is sexist, racist, xenophobic, sectarian or culturally demeaning;

iv. Certain categories of products will not be advertised during prime time, e.g. alcoholic beverages.

3.2 Advertising content

3.2.1 The nature of advertising in our society is that it promotes the consumption of products that are sold on a commercial or profit-making basis. This sometimes results in the production of content within ads that may be considered to be harmful to society, for example by way of promoting certain stereotypical views of social groups such as women, foreigners or race groups.

3.2.2 In this regard Cape Town TV takes a progressive stance towards evaluating advertising content. Imagery or wording that fosters adverse stereotypical viewpoints or which fosters a demeaning attitude towards any social group will not be accepted. This includes advertising that objectifies women as the focus of sexual desire in order to promote a product.

3.2.3 One particularly contentious issue is that of advertising alcohol. While alcohol is in widespread use in our society as a means of relaxation and enjoyment, it is also widely abused, particularly in disadvantaged areas, with consequent social problems for groups such as youth, women and children. Cape Town TV therefore takes the position that:

i. The promotion of alcohol as a popular form of recreation should be avoided.

ii. At the same time, CTV recognizes that alcohol companies can play a constructive role in the economy and in social development; thus the depiction of events that are sponsored by alcohol companies (e.g. sporting events) and where the branding of alcohol companies is visible, may be broadcast.

iii. The consumption of alcoholic beverages and the branding of alcohol producers may be depicted in programming, provided that such consumption or branding is not over-emphasized or gratuitous.

iv. Advertisements promoting the responsible use of alcohol or those which condemn or raise awareness around alcohol abuse, may be aired.

v. Alcohol companies may sponsor programmes that are aired on Cape Town TV and their logos and other branding may be visible in such programming.

3.2.4 CTV will not accept advertising that promotes gambling. However:

i. Gambling companies may sponsor programmes that are aired on CTV and their logos and other branding may be visible in such programming.

ii. Events at casino complexes other than gambling events can be covered within programme content, including the name, brand and logos of the complex.

iii. Events involving gambling such as horse races can be covered within programme content, but may not be advertised on the channel.

3.2.5 Cape Town TV will not accept advertising in programmes aimed at children under the age of seven years.

4. Language

4.1 According to the ICASA regulations governing community television, broadcasters must transmit programming ” in languages used in the relevant communities”. Since the main languages used by the population of Cape Town are English, Afrikaans and isiXhosa, Cape Town TV will broadcast programming in these languages.

4.2 Cape Town TV will broadcast programming that is mainly in English since this is the common language in the region and also because most available programming is in this language. However Cape Town TV will strive to provide programming in Afrikaans and isiXhosa and will allocate up to 30% of airtime in the stipulated performance period (5am – 11pm) for programmes in these languages.

5. Local content

5.1 ICASA has set the South African content quota for community television stations at 65%. Cape Town TV will thus endeavour to meet this obligation by way of sourcing content primarily from a) local sources and its own production efforts in the greater Cape Town metropolitan region; and b) nationally in South Africa.

5.2 Cape Town TV will focus its programming on the people, issues, events of Cape Town. The channel will not as a rule cover events in other parts of the country unless there is a story angle which is pertinent to the people of Cape Town. Content sourced from producers in other areas will be generic in nature, i.e. not based on events in those regions.

5.3 The channel will include international content in its programming provided that such programming conforms with the mission and values of the station.

6. Religious content

6.1 Definition

6.1.1 The area of religious content refers specifically to recognized religions. This excludes content dealing with concerns of a “spiritual” nature that does not fall under the banner of a particular religion.

6.1.2 Religious content is defined as that which promotes or promulgates a particular religious creed, dogma or worldview. This includes praise singing addressed to a particular deity or in a particular religious tradition. It does not include documentary or fictional material concerning the beliefs or practices of a particular religious community that has been produced in order to document such beliefs or practices rather than to market or promulgate them.

6.1.3 Cape Town TV’s religious programming will consist of the following:

i. Acquired programming – acquired free of charge by the Programming Department through a licensing agreement with the copyright holder, who would typically be a production house that has produced a programme for purposes other than broadcast on CTV.

ii. Paid programming – acquired through a contractual arrangement between a religious organisation and CTV’s Advertising Department, where the religious organisation pays CTV a placement fee.

iii. Development programming – content acquired by CTV’s Programming Department from local (Cape Town based) religious groups that do not have sufficient finance to pay a placement fee.

6.2 Criteria for airtime sales to religious organisations

In order to ascertain which religious organisations should be charged a fee for programme placement or airtime sales, the following criteria will be considered:

i. Is the religious group making money from the content?

ii. Does the religious group have its own broadcast platform?

iii. Is the religious group international or national in nature, or is it local? (Cape Town organisations will be given preference).

iv. Is the religious grouping explicitly marketing itself or its point of view in a manner analogous to commercial advertising or infomercials?

v. Does the content provide any information of value to the community apart from its dogma?

vi. Can the religious group be defined as developmental in nature? (see definition of developmental programming above)

vii. Does the content promote diversity within the spectrum of CTV’s religious programming?

viii. Does the content address past imbalances?

6.3 Criteria for acquired religious content

i. The content may not be used for fundraising or to further the aims of any particular religious organisation.

ii. Preference will be given to good quality local material. Local content is defined as that which is produced in South Africa and in particular Cape Town.

iii. All programmes are subject to the approval of Cape Town TV’s Programme Manager.

6.4 Criteria for developmental religious content

i. The religious organisation cannot afford to pay placement fees.

ii. The religious organisation is based in Cape Town.

iii. The religious organisation serves a disadvantaged community.

iv. Developmental religious programming will be subsidized by paid religious slots, resulting in no more than 2 broadcasts per church under the development category.

6.5 Holy Days

Cape Town TV will take cognizance of identified holy days of various religions and may broadcast religious programming pertaining specifically to these times on or close to the days specified.

6.6 Exclusions

i. Cape Town TV will not broadcast religious content that contains scenes likely to disturb viewers, outside of the context of a balanced and responsible documentary or debate. This includes but is not limited to, black magic, demon worship, exorcisms, sacrifices, ritual torture, or any other material that might outrage the sensibilities of the public.

ii. The content must not incite violence or hate speech, nor must it attack or denigrate any other religion or religious or social group.

iii. The content must not undermine the human rights as enshrined in the South African Constitution, including those pertaining to issues such as abortion or sexual orientation.

iv. The content must be factually correct, i.e. not misinformation on any topic.

v. Religious content may not promote any political party or political views.

7. News

7.1 News services will report news truthfully, accurately and fairly.

7.2 News shall be presented in the correct context and in a fair manner, without intentional or negligent departure from the facts, whether by:

i. Distortion, exaggeration or misrepresentation;
ii. Material omissions; or
iii. Summarisation.

7.3 Only that which may reasonably be true, having due regard to the source of the news, may be presented as fact, and such fact shall be broadcast fairly with due regard to context and importance. Where a report is not based on fact or is founded on opinion, supposition, rumours or allegations, it shall be presented in such a manner as to indicate clearly that such is the case.

7.4 Where there is reason to doubt the correctness of the report and it is practicable to verify the correctness thereof, it shall be verified. Where such verification is not practicable, that fact shall be mentioned in the report.

7.5 Where it subsequently appears that a broadcast report was incorrect in a material respect, it shall be rectified forthwith, without reservation or delay. The rectification shall be presented with such a degree of prominence and timing as in the circumstances may be adequate and fair so as to readily attract attention.

7.6 The identity of rape victims and other victims of sexual violence shall not be divulged in any broadcast without the prior consent of the victim concerned.

7.7 News programmes will advise viewers in advance of scenes or reporting of extraordinary violence, or graphic reporting on delicate subject matter such as sexual assault or court action related to sexual crimes, particularly during afternoon or early evening newscasts and updates when children would probably be in the audience.

7.8 News shall employ discretion in the use of explicit or graphic language related to stories of destruction, accidents or sexual violence which could disturb children and sensitive audiences.

Programme proposals

Cape Town TV accepts programming proposals from independent producers, NGOs, CBOs, education institutions and government departments that are in a position to produce content independently.

Programming partners are selected on the basis of Cape Town TV’s programming policy, as well as on their ability to produce the show. When evaluating the viability of a production we consider aspects such as the skills, experience and business acumen of those involved; as well as partnerships with companies or community organisations that can aid the production.

If a proposal is approved, programme partners are first provided with a Letter of Intent to Broadcast that enables them to raise sponsorship finance from commercial, NGO or government funders. Once the finance is in place and production can begin, Cape Town TV then enters into a Broadcast Contract with the producer or producing organisation.

Proposal process

The process whereby a programme partnership is arrived at begins with the producer submitting a programme proposal to the channel. This proposal is then evaluated according to the following criteria:

The content is appropriate to Cape Town TV as a local channel serving the interests of the people of Cape Town. The channel’s editorial focus is on people, events, issues pertaining to Cape Town and its surrounding areas. However the channel does accept content from all over South Africa covering generic topics that are not place-bound to areas outside of Cape Town.

The content is in line with Cape Town TV’s values as a community channel. These include human rights, freedom of expression, democracy, social justice, developing creativity and local talent. We would not consider programmes that reinforce negative stereotypes.

The capacity of the producer. Independent productions require producers with sufficient experience and ability to make the programme themselves and to source the necessary finance. It helps if a producer has access to relevant networks and in-depth knowledge of the field which they are covering. Business skills are essential for dealing with sponsorships where companies provide money for production in return for publicity/marketing exposure.

If you’re new to the production field and want to develop your skills as a producer or presenter you can submit your idea with the Application Form and we will consider developing your show as an in-house production (this applies to studio-based talk shows only).

Duplication of programmes. Cape Town TV cannot air programmes which are similar to existing programmes even if such programmes are still in development. If another producer who has submitted a similar idea to yours fails to develop their concept into a programme after a specified period of time following approval, then their rights to the concept fall away and another producer will be given the opportunity to develop his/her concept.

Please Note: We receive many proposals, many of which are similar in nature, and we cannot be bound by confidentiality agreements and the like.

When a proposal is accepted, the producer is provided with a Guarantee of Broadcast letter. This letter is valid for 6 months and commits CTV to broadcasting the programme once it is produced. The letter may be used by the producer to raise finance for the show.

Cape Town TV will provide the necessary documentation required by prospective sponsors such as the channel’s viewership figures, audience demographics, broadcast signal footprint, etc. You may wish to meet with the Sales Department who will talk you through the sponsorship rights. From time to time Cape Town TV will run workshops for independent producer based on assessed needs to provide them with the information they require in order to build financially viable productions.

When the necessary resources have been procured for production the producer may then enter into a Broadcast Agreement with the channel. This document sets out the terms of the agreement between the producer and the channel for airing the programme/series, the level of payment required, etc.

Where commercial sponsors are given exposure within a show, the producer must follow Cape Town TV’s Sponsorship Guidelines. These set out what manner of exposure the sponsor is entitled to, including one free 30-second ad per half-hour, sponsor logos, break-bumpers, product placement etc. Cape Town TV is also willing to offer additional advertising outside of the programme to give sponsors a better return on investment.

Cape Town TV will ensure, through the selection of programming, that:

Programming reflects the widest diversity of people and interests in Cape Town, with a focus on mid-to-lower LSM audiences (although programmes targeting higher LSMs are also accepted).
No one particular interest group dominates the airwaves.
Programming is produced by a wide diversity of people across all ages, sexual orientation, disabilities, geographical area, class, race and gender.

Conditions

Cape Town TV accepts proposals for programme series, documentaries, short films etc. for which producers wish to raise production finance and have aired on the channel.
If you have a programme which has already been made, you can have it aired on Cape Town TV – contact acquisitions@capetowntv.org for details.
Once a proposal has been approved, Cape Town TV may support partners by providing certain production services such as access to a TV studio at minimal cost.
Cape Town TV and its sales partner Viacom may assist partners to leverage funding or sponsorship.
The producer retains intellectual property rights to the show and may sell or distribute it elsewhere after a limited period.
This pertains specifically to:

a) the physical material of the programme and

b) any unique elements of the concept of the show.

Cape Town TV will have an exclusive broadcast window, after which it will retain non-exclusive broadcast rights for a contractual period.
Independent producers are encouraged to submit proposals in partnership with non-profit organisations in order to;

a) ensure skills transfer,

b) to ensure that film makers are accountable to the community they are engaging with and,

c) to make it easier to raise funding or sponsorship. This is not a rigid policy as there will be certain types of programming where there is no obvious NPO partner.

Programme sponsorship

Sponsorship of Cape Town TV programmes will give your organisation excellent public exposure as well as providing Capetonians with great programming on their community channel.

Programme sponsors get the following benefits:

Opening and closing 10 sec billboard, e.g. “brought to you in association with…”.
Sponsors may have one free 30-second commercial in each half-hour of the programme.
Five-second break bumpers going both into the commercial break and back into the programme immediately after.
In-studio branding, i.e. sponsor logos on studio backdrops or video monitors.
Limited product placement.
Corner screen logo for no more than 50% of the programme (not in top right corner where CTV’s logo is situated).
Competitions can be run in the programme (e.g. product give-aways).
Mentions by the presenter.
Mention in on-screen promos advertising the show.
Sponsored segments (i.e. “advertorial”) about the sponsor or its products/services.

Sponsors

May not influence the content in any way, or censor content.
No ads promoting alcohol consumption or gambling are allowed, although companies in these industries may still sponsor programmes.

Sponsored programmes usually get an additional (repeat) flighting during the week to add value.

For more information, contact marketing@capetowntv.org.

User-generated content

How to create your own TV content

Cape Town TV invites viewers to submit video material to the channel for broadcast.

Types of Content

You can submit any type of programme material. However Cape Town TV does have some programmes that make use of public contributions; these include:

Arts

Profiles on artists, arts debates or issues, animations, experimental videos, documentary inserts on various types of arts including crafts, fine art, street art and cultural art.

Youth

Anything made by youth for youth. Contributions can range from serious issues such as social issues, politics, community issues, human rights and social justice issues, education, sports and career options as well as more light hearted subjects such a fashion and sport. Short films will also be accepted. No arts, music or religion coverage because these items would go into other programmes.

Music videos

Bands, singers, musicians playing original music, musicians profiles of all genres will be accepted. These contributions require a release form signed by the artists, giving Cape Town TV the right to broadcast their music free of charge (i.e. no royalties are payable for broadcast of these videos).

Other

Cape Town TV will also accept children’s programming, short films, documentaries, news, sport and community events. No personal events such as weddings and birthdays. No music events (because of copyright issues).

Submission Process

ideo material can be submitted to Cape Town TV online using a file transfer or sharing service, or physically on a portable hard drive or Flash drive
You must complete a licensing agreement form (available from the CTV office or from acquisitions @capetowntv.org)

Technical Specifications

You can submit your video in any digital format (usually AVI, MPEG2, MPEG4 or MOV files). Cape Town TV will convert these formats to broadcast specifications, which are as follows:

Resolution:	720 x 576 pixels
Frame rate:	25 frames per second
Video system:	PAL
Aspect ratio:	16:9 (PAL widescreen)
Display ratio:	Interlaced (top field first)
Audio:	Stereo, peaking at -20dB. Audio levels must remain consistent throughout the video, averaging at -24dB
Bitrate:	8000 Kbps

Be aware that if your video is in a format size smaller than 720 x 576 pixels, it is likely to pixelate (digital distortion) when the size is increased for broadcast.

Legal Requirements

Cape Town TV needs your written permission to broadcast your material. You must sign a licensing form, available from our programming department. You can get a form via email – send a request to acquisitions at capetowntv.org or come into our offices to sign.
Contributors may not claim to be shooting their content on behalf of Cape Town TV. When shooting material you must specify in all interactions with subjects or authorities that you are filming for your own purposes.
When shooting on government-owned property you must have a permit from the Cape Film Office.
When actors are used they must sign a release form giving you permission to use them for television appearances.
Material must not contain any commercial content – i.e. which promotes products, businesses or other commercial ventures.
Material that contains content which may result in an age restriction must be marked as such. This includes scenes of violence, strong language, drug and alcohol use or abuse.
Cape Town TV will not broadcast any material that contains offensive or illegal material such as hate speech, prejudice, sexism, homophobia or pornography. Also no material that promotes gambling or the use of alcohol.
Cape Town TV reserves the right to not broadcast contributions.

Music Content Requirements

If your video has music in it, you must adhere to the following rules:

No commercial music may be used (i.e. from popular artists who you hear on radio or see on TV).
Cape Town TV is registered with CAPASSO. Therefore you can use what is called “library music”, that is music that has been specially recorded for use in broadcast programmes.
You can use royalty-free music that is available on certain websites (see below).
You must fill in a Music Cue Sheet (available from Cape Town TV) that gives the title of the track, the name of the artist, the title of the album it appears on and the name of the music publisher who distributed the album. The duration of the track in your video must be stated and this must be done for each piece of music that you use.
Content needs to comply with the legal requirements of our national laws including the South African Constitution and Bill of Rights.

Religion

Material that documents the social or community upliftment efforts of religious organisations or practitioners may be submitted.
No material that promotes sectarian beliefs, religions or religious events will be accepted in the user-generated content category.
Religious organisations may apply to the Programme Manager to have their promotional content broadcast.

Shooting guidelines

Video:

Video material can be shot on cell phones and small consumer-level digital cameras. However the better the quality of your camera, the better the quality you will be able to achieve with your video images.
Videos consist of shots arranged in a sequence. Avoid simply waving your camera around wildly.
Keep the camera steady while taking your shot. Avoid shooting from a moving vehicle.
Take the time to establish your shot – as a close-up, medium or long shot.
Avoid zooming in and out of the subject.
Pans (i.e. moving the camera from side to side) should done as slowly and smoothly as possible.
Subjects should be well-lit – take care when the subject is back lit (lots of light behind them) to ensure that your camera is set for the light on the subject and not the back light. Avoid shooting directly into the sun.
Take care of framing so that everything you want to capture is in frame.
Avoid very long shots where the subject is lost in the distance.
Video often does not capture fast motion very well, unless you have a camera that has controls for shutter speed.

Audio:

Capturing good quality audio (sound) is an important aspect of video production.
If you don’t have a separate microphone, keep the camera at the right distance from the subject to capture the sound that is not distorted (too high) or too low to be heard. You may have to do some experiments to determine what this distance is.

Sources of royalty-free music

YouTube

http://www.publicdomain4u.com/

http://opsound.org/

http://www.openmusicarchive.org/

http://www.danosongs.com/

Free video editing software

There is a variety of free software available for video editing. Such packages include Canva, DaVinci Resolve, Lightworks, HitFilm, Shotcut, ACDSee Luxea Video Editor, Adobe Premiere Rush and Apple iMovie, to name but a few.

Technical specifications

Video files can be delivered to Cape Town TV through online file sharing service or share drive. Content can also be delivered on an external hard drive or Flash drive to our offices in Observatory.

Two versions of the programme or episode must be delivered – one is for broadcast and one is for online distribution.

Video spec

Here is the specification for broadcast video files. If you are unable to apply these specifications then deliver your videos in HD format with normalized audio.

Format:	PAL, 25 frames per second, interlaced, top field first
Video Aspect Ratio:	SD 16:9 (widescreen)
Video Codec:	IMX
Video Wrapper:	MXF OP1A
Video Bitrate:	30Mb/s
Video Resolution:	720 x 608 – if this isn’t available then 720 x 576
Audio Codec:	PCM
Audio Bitrate:	48KHz
Audio Bit Depth:	24bit
Audio Channels:	2
Audio Levels	Average at -24dB and peak at -20dB. Audio levels must remain constant throughout the timeline.

File separation

Programme files for broadcast must be split into sections. There are three sections to a 26-minute programme and six sections to a 52-minute programme. These parts must be greater than or lesser than 15 minutes duration (i.e. not 15 minutes exactly) to enable ad tracking.

Advertisement files must be provided separately from programme files. This includes the 30-second commercial, opening billboard, closing billboard and branded break-bumpers.

File title

Please use the following naming code when submitting your files:
Show Title – Date of Broadcast – Season & Episode Number – Segment Number

Our broadcast system does not recognize special characters or spaces – only underscore.

Example

Let’s say the title of your show is My First TV Show. Take the first letter of each word for the title code, which is then MFTS. (If your video has a one-word title then write the whole word).

Write the date of broadcast, for example if the TX date is 12 June 2022 then the code is 120622.

Give the season and episode – for Season one, Episode one write S01E01.

Each 26-minute editorial period on air is split into three segments for ad insertion, so you should deliver your video file in parts. The segment or part number is the last code, so the first segment would be P1, the second P2 and the third P3.
If your video is under 15 minutes in duration then you don’t have to segment it.

Your segment naming codes will look like this for a 26-minute TV show:
MFTS_120622_S01E01_P1
MFTS_120622_S01E01_P2
MFTS_120622_S01E01_P3

Online file format

The format for file delivery to CTV’s online platform is HD and MPEG4. Programmes must be delivered as one whole show, i.e. not segmented as in the broadcast format.

In addition to the video file, the following information must accompany the submission:

Series logo (512 x 512 pixels)
Episode thumbnail (512 x 512 pixels)
Generic series description
Short description of the episode

Programming on Cape Town TV

Acquired content

Independent productions

In-house and co-productions

Why work with Cape Town TV?

How to Apply

Independent Producer Proposal Form

Programme Proposal for Independent Producers

Applicant Details

Programme Details

Verification

Music Video Submission Form

Music Video Broadcast Licence

Details of music video supplier

Details of music video

Verification

Co-production Application Form

Co-production Proposal

Applicant Details

Programme Details

Resource mobilization

Marketing and Promotion

Verification

Programme Acquisitions Form

Submit your film/documentary/TV series

Details of Licensor

Details of Film/Programme/Series

Verification

Television Distribution Licence Agreement

Programming Information

Programming policy

Introduction

1. Principles and values

1.1 Equity and social justice

1.2 Diversity and representivity

1.3 Access and affordability

2. Exclusions

3. Advertising

3.1. Introduction

3.2 Advertising content

4. Language

5. Local content

6. Religious content

6.1 Definition

6.2 Criteria for airtime sales to religious organisations

6.3 Criteria for acquired religious content

6.4 Criteria for developmental religious content

6.5 Holy Days

6.6 Exclusions

7. News

Programme proposals

Programme sponsorship

User-generated content

How to create your own TV content

Technical specifications