East African Business Week (Kampala)
Cedric Lumiti
10 March 2008
Nairobi — Kenya's planned migration from analogue television broadcasting to digital inched closer with the launch of an official committee to midwife the process expected to be completed in 2012.
The eight man committee unveiled in Nairobi by information and communications minister Samuel Poghisio will be charged with the responsibility of steering the migration on behalf of the government and will involve the private sector and stakeholders in the broadcasting industry.
"Digital television broadcasting will bring fourth a whole new era of diversity, modernity and variety in the broadcasting industry in Kenya. The committee we are launching will make this dream a reality before 2012," said Poghisio.
The government is keen on seeing Kenya attain a fully digital television broadcasting by 2012 three years before the internationally accepted deadline of 2015 when the all countries are expected by the United Nations to have switched to the technology.
The committee headed by Eng. Daniel Obam, an information technology and broadcasting expert will implement the recommendations of a taskforce set up by the government last year to into modalities, requirements and costs associated with the switch.
The committee will work under the country's Communications Commission of Kenya on the migration process that will involve an in-depth look into the broadcasting signal distribution that has been a thorny issue among players in the industry for years.
This will a recommendation of sharing of communication infrastructure realized against the wishes of seasoned players in the sector who have in the past been against the idea with an intention of delaying new players.
The committee will also facilitate avenues into which local manufacturers will be assisted with various incentives in the purchase of the requisite equipment for the digital televisions for assembly in the country instead of importing fully assembled sets to cut down on costs and empower the industry.
Digital Broadcasting Committee (DBC) chairman Obam says the team will emphasize on consumer education given the fact that most people in the country are yet to understanding the meaning of the planned switch.
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