The Sunday News
GOVERNMENT is yet to release US$1,8 million required to import 400 000 set-top boxes from China to enable locals to continue watching television after switching from analogue to digital television service.
Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of a digital migration seminar in Bulawayo on Thursday, secretary in the Ministry of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services Mr George Charamba said the Government needed to cough up US$1,8 million to import the 400 000 set-top boxes from the manufacturer. He said the money had not been availed although there were many strategies that they were exploring so that they meet the March target. Mr Charamba said once the money was available the supplier would supply them in one to three months time frame. Set-top boxes enable the television receiver to receive and decode digital television broadcasts. He said once the receivers were available they would then start launching the channels.
“It’s a very unique development project in the sense that the model starts from areas of zero reception and for that particular reason we then have areas like Binga being in the forefront, and as things stand, Matabeleland is in the lead. We must just make sure it maintains the lead. Technically if we still have the transmitters at Montrose you are already receiving signals but you will not be able to enjoy them until you get the receivers. Our next effort therefore, is to make sure that we have the receivers made available — the set-top boxes.
“Our target is to have things start happening by March but we need to cough up US$1,8 million for the 400 000 set-top boxes. That money hasn’t been availed. The supplier tells me he needs a lead time of about between one or three months to deliver the set-top boxes. After all, don’t forget, we don’t switch off analogue, we go through a transitional phase where we are doing what is called dual elimination where we have got two services operating side by side. We will have the digital signal which is cleaner, better and clearer and the analogue service which is residual, poor, cloudy, showery and unattractive,” said Mr Charamba.
He added that he was going to make sure that the country gets the best gadgets for accessing digital broadcasting. He said he was intimidated by the numbers they were receiving during digitalisation seminars where they were calling for local film productions from filmmakers. He said the buy-in was overwhelming.
“The response is spontaneous, it’s overwhelming and I am so intimidated. I just hope we will not disappoint. The response tells you that people have been labouring under frustrating circumstances, they were ready and it’s amazing how in the area of ICT and broadcasting the State is following society, it is not leading. In terms of broadcasting we only started having a law for the industry in 2001 but people were doing things already. We have a situation where the law is fated to follow reality,” he said.
He also highlighted that those areas that previously were not receiving television signal would be covered in the digital era.
Calls were also made at the seminar for the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ) to decentralise as well as the Zimbabwe Film and Television School of Southern Africa (ZIFTESSA) to open a satellite school in Bulawayo or to consider partnering with Nust or Bulawayo Polytechnic so that those that want to undertake short courses do not necessarily need to travel to Harare.
ZIFTESSA director Dr Rino Zhuwarara said he was going to look at that with a view to consider the pleas of the filmmakers in Bulawayo and the Southern Region. The artistes also expressed their misgivings on the ability of ZBC to carry the nation’s hopes into the new digital era with its catalogue of failures but Father Gibson Munyoro the broadcaster’s board chairman said they were elated at the developments as they were gearing themselves for the coming competition.
He said it was his desire to see the national broadcaster carrying the nation’s hopes, adding that he was going to do everything in his power to turn around the fortunes of the broadcaster and make it reflective of the society it represents through improved quality of programmes.
