EAC states root for digital TV content
Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda (R) chats with Burundi delegate Deogratias Rurimunzu (L) during an an
exhibition organised by Uganda Communications Commission for communication authorities in EAC on Friday. PHOTO BY STEPHEN WANDERA
What you need to know:
Requirements. EAC countries will need infrastructure and funding to create content for the region.
KAMPALA. After beating the June 17 global deadline for digital migration, East African countries are now preparing to tap into the wide range of digital content divided by cross-cutting local content that appeals to television consumers in all the four countries.
In an interview with Daily Monitor on Thursday in Kampala, Kenya’s ICT Cabinet Secretary, Dr Fred Okeng’o Matiang’i ,revealed that to sustain digital television, EAC countries will need to develop a policy framework that will put in place the necessary infrastructure and funding mechanism to create and produce TV content that appeals to Ugandans, Kenyans, Tanzanians and Rwandans.
“What is integration if we cannot have integrated television content that Kenyans can enjoy as much as Ugandans? We have to start with such elements that will bind us as countries and thereafter as a region,” Dr Matiang’i noted.
He was in Kampala last week together with other delegates from all the EAC member countries for the 21st East African Communications Organisation summit organised by the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) .
Dr Matiang’i said the idea will be discussed at the next council of EAC ICT ministers to operationalise it and secure the necessary funding for the project.
“This will also include sharing of ICT infrastructure like digital transmission centres depending on the arrangement.”
He further urged the Ugandan government not to make a U-turn on the just concluded digital switch off from analogue to digital broadcasting because it has “far more benefits that people will realise in the long run.”
“Digital migration is something we as EAC countries signed up to in 2006 in Geneva,” he added. Definitely, there are challenges being raised ranging from the inadequate preparation to lack of sensitisation but the challenge is even when we try our best, the people will always not be prepared.”
Tanzania and Rwanda were the first countries both in Africa and the region to migrate completely. Kenya tried switching off last year sparking off a protracted battle with private broadcasters, and announced this year in February to migrate fully.
Uganda started two days to the global deadline but eventually effected phase 1 of the switch off of analogue television in areas within 65Km from the Kololo digital transmission centre operated by Signet, the authorised signal distributor to a wider spectrum on behalf of individual broadcasters.
Digital migration
Phase 2. It will start July 31,covering Arua, Kisoro, Mbarara, Mbale, Masaka and Masindi, and Phase three on August 30, covering Jinja, Ntungamo, Rubirizi, Fortportal, Guly, Kiboga, Lira. Kabale and Soroti.
