The minister of information and
culture, Lai Mohammed has stated that with the Digital Switch Over, DSO, there
will be over 200 channels and over a thousand organised production outfits
looking to feed them with content.
The minister noted that with the
development, the country would have created millions of jobs.
“We have clearly identified that
the funding will have to come from Advertising and Pay services, at the launch
of the Digital Switch-Over (DSO) in Ilorin on
Wednesday, I did say that we are
now back on track, and that we will henceforth embark on a rapid rollout of
digital television across the country.
“The fact that we are here today
confirms the veracity of that statement”, he stated.
He commended all the stakeholders
who are working round the clock to ensure the success of the transition from
analog to digital television across the country.
“Starting in Jos, Plateau State,
in April 2016, the DSO train has now transversed Abuja, Ilorin
and now Kaduna, its latest stop.
“The National Broadcasting
Commission, the Signal Distributors, the Set Top Box manufacturers, the
Digiteam and indeed all stakeholders are pulling all the stops to ensure that
the DSO train continues
unimpeded on its journey across
the country.
“Last Wednesday, it was the turn
of the Integrated Television Services, ITS, to bring to reality the launch of
the DSO in Ilorin. Today, it is the turn of Pinnacle Communications in Kaduna.
Permit me, therefore, to congratulate Pinnacle Communications and its Chairman,
Sir Lucky Omoluwa, on another significant milestone in the rebuilding
of our television story.
“Within the next few weeks, we
will be rolling out in many more states as we seek to take the digital
television experience to all the six geo-political zones.
“We now have our two Signal Distributors
in full operation mode, our aggregation platform for channels, FreeTV, is fast
becoming a household name, our Set-Top-Box suppliers have started local
production and we now have almost a million boxes supplied into the value
chain”, he explained.
The Minister also stated, “With
the DSO train now on cruise control, we are turning our focus to the crux of
the matter, which is content production that will help to bolster our economy.
“By content here, I refer to TV
shows, sitcoms, documentaries, music videos, drama series, talent and reality
shows, among others. The challenge before us is to ensure that this becomes a
profitable industry for our
creative talent, entrepreneurs, advertising agencies, TV channels and Digital
distributors.
“I have always said that we have
so many untold stories and it is evident from the demographics of our
population that we have a large young workforce, who happen to be those with
the highest propensity to work and consume content.
“With the Digital Switch Over,
there will be over 200 channels and probably over a thousand organised
production outfits looking to feed them with content. All these will require
infrastructure investment,
in production destinations, with
studios, graphic and sound hubs.
“At the end of it all, we would
have created millions of jobs. we have clearly identified that the funding will
have to come from Advertising and Pay services.
“So it is crucial that we
organise this properly and very fast too. No one will invest in this sector if
there is no way of guaranteeing a return for their investment. We must thus
ensure there is transparency, accountability and a level playing field.
“There is the urgent need to grow
the Advertising industry, since that is the oil needed to make these ‘Free TV’
environment thrive, create rewards for the producers, great content for the
consumer andpay the Signal Distributors.
“Thankfully, the Advertising
industry also sits under our Ministry and our research into where the
advertising money is has revealed certain
practices that are inimical to
the growth of the sector. We will do all that is necessary to correct the
distortions in the Advertising industry.
“On the Pay Television side, we
have to completely open up the market so we can have more competitive pricing
in order to reach more homes and ultimately increase the revenues that are able
to fund more local investment.
“Working with the National
Assembly, we will look into our laws to see where monopolies that concentrate
the profits in a few pockets can be dismantled, while our laws will be brought
in! line with international best practices in countries like the U.S., U.K.,
India, Singapore and Turkey.
“At the end of the day, the
ordinary Nigerian must reap the benefits of the digital television without
having to break the bank.
“This is why we are striving to
ensure that we make a success of the analogue to digital transition. We must
not and cannot afford to fail.
“I therefore appeal to all
stakeholders to ensure that all hands are on deck as we bring digital
television to all Nigerians.”
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