Broadcasting
Africast 2008 to Focus on Digitisation – Bolarinwa
Africast Conference and Exhibition, the much awaited biennial affair will be holding at the Abuja Sheraton Hotels and Towers between 21st and 23rd October, 2008 and is themed: Digitisation and the Challenges of Broadcasting.
Engr. Yomi Bolarinwa, director general of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) speaking at a press conference last week on the journey so far on Africast 2008, said the programme offers a platform where broadcast professionals meet to analyze the state, developments and challenges in broadcasting in Africa.
He said the conference is fast becoming one of the largest gathering points of broadcasters and academia in Africa and the Diaspora, celebrating excellence in broadcasting and providing a market for broadcast equipment manufacturers and content providers.
Being the seventh edition in the series since 1997, he said the focus of this year’s event is timely considering that digitisation is the new trend sweeping across the global broadcast industry; and also informed that the NBC set a deadline for migration to digital broadcasting in Nigeria at 17th June, 2012 – three years before the given date by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
Bolarinwa while fielding questions from the press said: "At the conference, we would talk about the transition from analogue to digital broadcasting; we hope to see digital equipment as people are going to demonstrate television and radio transmission digitally. People would get to see the kind of equipment they need; viewers, listeners and all the subscribers in the broadcast industry will also know what kinds of equipment required. Assuming you go out there and say you want a television set or radio with digital tuner, what will you be looking out for? Some people say they have plasma TV and it has a digital tuner. Plasma is just another display unit, it does not necessarily mean it has a digital tuner. So, when you come to the conference you would be able to see the range of products available for digital transmission and also ask questions and get answers to issues of concern."
"The importance of this revolution to listeners and viewers is the added advantage of clarity of sound and good picture quality. Today, what you find available on satellite television (electronic programme guide) would be available on terrestrial (free-to-air). You will also have more content and also be able to interact with your producers. For example, if they are playing a music on radio, you can see the name of the artist. Also, you can get traffic and weather report around where you are. Without digital transmission, this would not be possible. And then you have the opportunity on television, to pick whatever language in which you want to listen to a programme. You can also record, pause, fast forward programmes while watching. These are the benefits that would accrue to the people much more that we would now have more programmes; broadcasters would now be able to concentrate on turning out specialized programmes and the best in terms of quality. And then again we can go from the standard definition TV we are used to, to high definition TV at a quality that would be able to identify pimples on somebody’s face and show clearly what it is," he continued.
"There is a lot of convincing to be done for people to appreciate the need for this change. This is the greatest challenge and the industry in Nigeria is already convinced that we need that change," he said.
The Keynote speaker for Africast 2008 is Robert Nkuna of the Independent Communications Authority, South Africa among other speakers from the U.K, Switzerland, Kenya. Exhibitors from China, Singapore, the U.S, Italy, Israel, others will grace the event with cutting-edge broadcast equipment and accessories.
Highlights of the event inlude: Switchover Roundtable, Transition Planning Roundtable, Film Premier Night, Programmes Competition Award Night and the Grand Gala.
Mrs. Clementine Wamba, head, Digital Switch Over (DSO) at the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), has stressed the need for broadcasting stations and practitioners nationwide to work towards meeting the 2028 global deadline for the switch over.
She made the call in her presentation titled, “DSO Big Picture: Free TV Audience Measurement and the Evolving Media Landscape”, at the 2026 NBC South West Summit held in Ibadan.
Wamba harped on the need for practitioners to adopt DSO in the transmission of news and other programmes in order to meet future challenges, stating that any country that fail to align with the DSO by 2028 will be shut out of practice.
This development, according to her, may result in job losses and other consequences that could hinder the growth of the industry in Nigeria, noting that Free TV is tailored towards the DSO, with provision for many channels in contrast to the age-long analogue system.
According to her, “The Digital Switch Over is a technological improvement on the age-long analogue style of broadcasting in the country. With the adoption of the DSO, practitioners will be in tune with global practice of broadcast journalism.
“Also, its benefits include efficient use of spectrum, changing of industry landscape, more access to national development programmes and better viewing experience.”
National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has said that Nigerians will no longer pay annual Digital Access Fees under the renewed Digital Switch Over (DSO) project.
Charles Ebuebu, director-general, NBC, disclosed this in an exclusive interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja,
Ebuebu said viewers only need to purchase an approved decoder and satellite dish which cost below N20,000 to enjoy free television permanently.
“Previously, users paid an annual digital access fee of about N1,500, described as an administrative charge.
“The new system removes that annual fee. It provides free access to free-to-air television channels without any payment.
“Premium channels will be introduced later. Viewers who want those additional channels will be able to access them through paid services.
“Nigerian content on free-to-air channels remains free to watch. Unlike Pay TV, this platform does not require monthly subscriptions for its basic service,” he said
Ebuebu said approved decoders for the FreeTV will cost less than N20,000 and authorised sales outlets will soon be announced.
He urged Nigerians to wait for official information on approved dealers for the DSO decoders, warning that unauthorised sellers are exploiting growing public demand.
He reiterated that people only need a free-to-air decoder, along with a satellite dish instead of the old antenna system to receive the DSO signal.
“Once the equipment is installed, viewers can access all available channels across the country without paying any subscription fees,” he stressed
The DG dismissed claims by some retailers that there are different categories of decoders sold at varying prices, stressing that such sellers are not authorised by the commission.
According to him, the NBC will soon publish the list of approved dealers, official prices, and locations where genuine decoder boxes and accessories can be purchased.
The NBC boss said the DSO project is designed not only to improve television broadcasting but also to stimulate economic growth by creating jobs, attracting investment, and opening up opportunities for businesses that support the broadcasting industry.
Ebuebu noted that content producers and broadcasters stand to benefit significantly from the nationwide reach of the DSO platform.
Unlike the previous system, where many stations had limited regional audiences, he said the new platform will make their channels available to viewers across Nigeria.
He added that the introduction of audience measurement technology will provide scientific and reliable data on television viewership.
Ebuebu added that audience measurement technology will give advertisers greater confidence in placing adverts and enable broadcasters to demonstrate the true size and reach of their audiences nationwide.
Uchenna Mbunabo, Nigerian filmmaker, has raised concerns over the alleged unauthorised broadcast of Nollywood films by some Ghanaian television stations, calling on Ghana’s National Film Authority (NFA) to strengthen the enforcement of copyright laws.
Uchenna Mbunabo, Nigerian filmmaker
Mbunabo made the remarks during a conversation with James Gardiner, deputy CEO of the National Film Authority (NFA) of Ghana.
He questioned whether it was permissible for television stations in Ghana to download Nigerian movies from YouTube and air them without obtaining permission from the producers.
“I noticed that Ghanaian TV stations, the way they are stealing our films and showing them for free with impunity. Is it legalised in your country for TV stations to go on YouTube, download people’s sweat and show it for free?”
According to Mbunabo, some Ghanaian television stations have been downloading newly released Nollywood films from YouTube and broadcasting them without authorisation, depriving producers of revenue generated through the platform.
He also stated that he had not witnessed Nigerian television stations engaging in similar practices and questioned what measures Ghana was taking to protect filmmakers’ intellectual property.
Responding to the concerns, Gardiner acknowledged that the issue exists and said the National Film Authority had begun engaging relevant stakeholders to address it.
He disclosed that the NFA has held discussions with the Ministry of Communications, the National Communications Authority (NCA) and the National Media Commission (NMC) on improving copyright enforcement.
Gardiner explained that while Ghana has copyright laws, enforcement remains challenging because many television stations now operate digitally and may not have physical offices within the country.
“There are copyright laws, but they are not effective because a lot of the TV stations don’t have offices. Most of them are now digital, so they operate from anywhere. They can even have a Ghanaian TV station but be operating from Austria simply because it is digital.”
He added that authorities are considering a new licensing framework that would require broadcasters to undergo a fresh licensing process to improve monitoring and enforcement.
According to Gardiner, television stations found guilty of illegally broadcasting copyrighted content would be required to compensate affected producers through fines.
He added that repeat offenders could face suspension of their broadcasting licences, while a third violation could result in the revocation of their licences.
Although he did not provide a specific timeline, Gardiner said the reforms were already underway and expressed hope that significant progress would be seen next year.
Mbunabo welcomed the proposed measures but urged the National Film Authority to expedite the process, stating that unauthorised broadcasts continue to affect filmmakers’ ability to recover production costs through legitimate distribution channels such as YouTube.
He also stressed that his comments were not directed at Ghana’s film industry, noting that he has worked with several Ghanaian actors over the years and supports collaborations between Nollywood and Ghallywood.
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