Need to make digital migration seamless
What you need to know:
- However, that some stations, including those funded by taxpayers, have reverted to analogue broadcasting, raises important questions about the impartiality of the regulatory regime currently in place.
Reports that some television stations, which have been issued with digital licences and had been broadcasting on that platform have switched back to analogue signals raise important regulatory questions.
This could be a pointer that more public awareness campaigns need to be carried out to educate viewers across the country on what the change means, what they can do about it and how this can be done with the support of all players in the sector.
It could also signal that viewers have not purchased the set top boxes that they need to view content under the digital platform, meaning that the public should be given more time and the right information to be able to purchase the gadgets that best meet their needs and that are also affordable and long-lasting.
However, that some stations, including those funded by taxpayers, have reverted to analogue broadcasting, raises important questions about the impartiality of the regulatory regime currently in place.
In the past, media practitioners in the private sector have called for a system that is fair, equitable and that will lead to a win-win situation for all, from those who produce content to those who broadcast it.
This call is still valid, considering that the deadline for the switch-over for the entire country is March 2, which is only three weeks away.
A lot of work needs to be done to resolve the disputes that have held back the process. This calls for inclusivity in the deliberations, equity in the distribution of frequencies and fairness in the handling of the challenges that have arisen on the road to national digital migration.
It is important that public, national and investor interests are taken into account to make the process seamless and give it wide public acceptance.
