The International Telecommunication Union set aside the year 2015 as deadline for the transfer from analogue to digital broadcasting, a trend that has remained a challenge to both public and private broadcasting outfits, especially in Africa, where Nigeria claims to be the giant.
The ITU in 2006 resolved that Europe, Africa, Middle East and Iran should transit from analogue to digital broadcasting by June 17, 2015 so as to be protected from interference. In compliance to the ITU resolve, the Federal Government of Nigeria had earlier set June 17, 2012 as switch-off date after which the analogue television signal will be switched off completely to pave the way for digital broadcasting.
The digitization drive has dragged Nigeria into broadcasting revolution, bearing in mind that the process is a technological innovation that seeks to change the scope of broadcasting in the country
The Presidential Advisory Committee on Transition from Analogue to Digital Broadcasting in Nigeria was inaugurated by the Federal Government on October 13, 2008 to among other responsibilities recommend a policy on Digital terrestrial broadcast transition in line with global best practice. The presidential advisory committee submitted a Draft White Paper on transition from Analogue to Digital broadcasting, which had been approved by the Federal Executive Council in March 2004, as a result of which a new switchover date of January 1, 2015 was also set.
To midwife the process, the then Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, inaugurated the DigiTeam Nigeria, a committee that will implement the transition from Analogue to Digital broadcasting in Nigeria, along with the National Broadcasting Commission as the regulating body, on December 19, 2012.
To involve stakeholders in the broadcast industry, the Federal Government (then) took some policy decisions to lure Nigerians to appreciate its commitment to the implementation of the Transition from Analogue to Digital Broadcasting. These included the separation of functions in the broadcast industry in Nigeria, which saw the emergence of content providers, signal distributors, who are responsible for the transmission of the signals to viewers at home and content aggregators. The government had also resolved that Digital Video Broadcast Television second generation (DVB-T2), with Mpeg 4 AVC compression format, shall be the standard of transmission in Nigeria, while three signal distributors that included Integrated Television Services Limited, were licensed.
Some of the benefits derivable from digital broadcasting include the creation of more local contents in news and programme production; involvement of more locals in TV production, which will ultimately lead to job creation; better viewing experience and job opportunities for engineers and technicians alike.
It is unarguably clear that digital broadcasting has immense advantages over analogue most important of which is the improvement in programme presentation, interns of clarity and quality of signals and spectrum efficiency.
Digitization will also afford TV stations the opportunity to interact with their viewers as the TV set would now do more than just receiving signal and as well provide more frequencies where various programmes will be aired simultaneously on one station. Under the digital technology, TV set would perform some tasks of computers or telephone handset, meaning TV set will be able to have access to the internet. It would be able to store data from received audio and video signals, thus reducing the ephemeral nature of the broadcast media. To the advantage of broadcasters, digital broadcasting provides the benefit of simultaneously broadcasting of at least four programmes in four channels in one station, so it is a 4 in 1 station.
Digitization offers so many advantages apart from clearer picture quality; it also enhances the screen from an aspect ratio of 4.3 to 16.9.
Unfortunately, both the broadcasters and their audience do not have the basic information required to achieve this feat looking at the unfolding events surrounding the Digital question. For Nigerians to be able to receive digital signals after the digitization drive, they must acquire an analogue to digital converter called SET TOP BOX. And looking at the weak purchasing power of the common man in Nigeria as a result of the depreciating value of the Naira against the Dollar, it is likely that many will be left out.
It is Unfortunate that Nigeria has failed to meet up with the June 2015 deadline set for the transition from analogue to digital broadcasting due to so many lame reasons that are not convincing to all. Nigeria, with 180 Radio and 140 TV stations, is still yet to join the digital world in spite of setting up of various committees of experts in digital broadcasting who had worked tirelessly to draw a blueprint for the digital perspective.
In conclusion, Nigeria’s failure to meet the June 2015 deadline for the transfer from analogue to digital broadcasting might not be unconnected with the lack of political will on the part of the government and agencies responsible for enforcing the digital migration phenomenon, and lack of adequate training of broadcast personnel who will eventually man the digital equipment. Government-owned broadcast media were starved of funds to prepare for the digital drive, while the erratic power supply from the national grid did not guarantee the safety of the digital equipment and facilities.
To ensure the success of the journey to the digital world, there is the need for government to show practical commitment to the digitization drive by implementing the various recommendations put forward by experts, subsidize the cost of the Set Top Box to enable people with low purchasing power to own and use them, and at the same time embark on effective awareness creation to ensure that the public is well enlightened and educated on the concept of digitization and its challenges and advantages both to the industry and the audiences.
. Geidam is a 400 Level student of Mass Communication at the University of Maiduguri.
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