Digital Broadcasting: NBC Pledges To Beat 2015 Deadline

The Nigerian
Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has reiterated its decision to beat the 2015 deadline to switch over to digital broadcasting as prescribed by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
In a news monitored in Port Harcourt over the week, the Director-General of NBC, Mr Emeka Mba, noted that paucity of funds may hamper the process.
He was of the view that digitalization involved much funds, adding that the project would kick start as soon as funds were made available.
Mba, pointed out that the Commission has slated Plateau State for the pilot project which was meant to be launched on later this month.
Sources linked the failed launching to Boko Haram insurgency in the North, but the Commission is yet to give its own side of the story.
According to him, NBC would only implement the digital television broadcast after finding out that it could improve on the current TV penetration.
He explained that TV viewers would set up decoders before they could access the terrestrial TV stations in their respective homes.
The Tide learnt that upon full operation, TV owners may pay access fees to enable them watch programmes on commercial terrestrial TV stations.
The NBC boss, further explained that TV stations would also cease to produce programmes and transmit such at the same time.
It was also learnt that three TV stations which included African Independent Television (AIT) Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) and Silverbird Television (STV), among four TV stations in Jos would be expected to switch over to digital broadcast as first beneficiaries.
Also speaking, the chairman, Digiteam,  Engr Eddy Amana, noted that digitalization would ceate more chances of TV channels establishment in the country.
To buttress his point, he said one spectrum would house about 20 channels with ease, something he explained to mean a more refined innovation.