Digitilisation: NBC Earmarks N200bn Intervention Fund for Broadcasters

By Adebiyi Adedapo in Abuja

As the June 2015 deadline for the switch over from analogue to digital broadcasting draws nearer, the  National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has announced the sum of N200 billion as intervention fund to assist broadcast stations.
Chairman of the NBC governing  board,  Prof. Herbert Onye Orji disclosed this  on Tuesday in Abuja, during the opening ceremony of the 10th Biennial Africa Broadcasters exhibition (AFRICAST 2014) organised by the commission.

Orji stated that preparation towards making the fund available had reached an advance stage, noting that the commission would technically study how the fund would be managed.
"We are on the second stage of preparation towards establishing the fund, which is to technically study how to manage the fund," he said.

He also disclosed that the NBC would hire a world class consulting firm to collaborate with its development partners abroad on modalities to raise the fund.

The fund according to Orji would be disbursed in form of revolving loan to content producers for capacity building.

"It will provide grants in capacity building in form of soft loans to television, radio, cable and other producers, distributors and other acquirers of contents," he added.

Also speaking, the Director General of NBC, Mr. Emeke Mba said the digitisation was an evolutionary process, which would keep changing overtime with newer technology.
Mba explained that the hiccups  noticed in the  digitisation pilot scheme  in Jos, would be examined with other stakeholders attending the 3-days programme.


"In this digitisation, the consumer is the king, and if you want to rule the kingdom, you must put together framework that enables various stakeholders take-up different parts of the value chain," he said.

Meanwhile, the federal government has pledged its support towards a successful transition from analogue to digital broadcasting.
Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Anyim Pius Anyim, who was represented at the event by the Senior Special Adviser to President Goodluck  Jonathan on Research and Documentation, Mr. Ferdinand Agu , said the government was aware of the challenges, thereby expressed maximum support to the operators.


"The government is aware of the challenges, we would not allow digitisation to cut-off any aspect of the population," he said.

Culled from thisdaylive.com