Fresh doubt and apprehension on the capability of the National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) to deliver Digital Switchover (DSO) in Nigeria have emerged from a leading national television, Television Continental (TVC) in Lagos. TVC is a Lagos based privately owned broadcast station.
Giving insights on what can best be described as uncertainty over the seriousness of the federal agency to deliver Digital Terrestrial Transmission (DTT) which is anchored on DSO in an interview, the Managing Director/CEO of TVC; Mr Andrew Hanlon said “In terms of digital transmission, we are on Star Times. We are also on GOtv and on DStv as well; that is the biggest carrier we have. In terms of digital terrestrial, you have to address that question to NBC (National Broadcasting Corporation)”.
“They are the ones who are driving switch over to DTT (Digital Terrestrial Television) for Nigeria. That is not within our gift. We would be ready when DTT is switched on in Nigeria. We would be fully digitised; we would be HD. We don’t know whether it is not going to happen for a while. We wish it happens sooner. But it is within the gift of NBC. So I will refer you to our friends in Abuja,” Hanon observed.
However, checks by Business Hilights showed some levels of drop in speed of the planned regional switch over.
It was not clear if the slow speed is connected with recent crisis of financial appropriation confidence that suddenly cropped up involving the Commission, Pinnacle Communications; one of the signal distributors and the ICPC over certain disbursement of N2.5bn.
Business Hilights Abuja Bureau chief gathered the anti-graft agency, upon clarifications so far given by the Director General of NBC, Mallam Is’haq Modibbo Kawu on the express approval from federal government to do the needful within the circumstance, ICPC relied on certain petitions to drag the agency to court.
