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.