The Broadcasting Organisation of
Nigeria (BON) has called on the federal government to establish a fund that
will boost a seamless digital transition programme for the country.
The Chairman of BON, Mallam Abubakar Jijiwa gave the charge in Abuja at the opening of a two-day digital broadcast
summit with the theme “Digital switch-over: milestones and bridges’’ organised
by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), stressing that the government
should ensure that no station, whether
private of public would be left behind by 2015.
Jijiwa lamented that the
challenges in the broadcasting sector were enormous and that financial
constraint was part of what could make it impossible for some stations to meet
the deadline of Jan. 1, 2015.
``The challenges in the
broadcasting sector are becoming more complex as we move closer to the
switch-over date of 2015. We, therefore, want to call for a marshal plan to
assist broadcast stations with the needed funds to actualise our goal of
transiting seamlessly by January 2015. We are not saying government should give
subvention to stations. It should be a loan with a generous repayment
arrangement so that our members can have access to funds to address all grey
areas ahead of the switch-over date,’’ Jijiwa said.
The Director-General of NBC Emeka
Mba, informed DigitalSENSE
Business News that the forum was to avail
stakeholders the opportunity to discuss on digitisation and assess the work
done so far and stressed that the deadline was real and that NBC and other
stakeholders were set to implement key aspects of the road map to the eventual
switch-over to digital broadcasting.
The Minister of Information, Mr
Labaran Maku, represented by Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Folashade Esan commended
NBC for the initiative to meet with stakeholders and urged all players in the
broadcast sector to endeavour to adopt trends in technology to ensure that the
transition was not only hitch-free but beneficial to all broadcast audiences.
AN/GEE
... Making SENSE of digital revolution!
pix: Director-General of NBC Emeka Mba
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