National TV Station
Poised For Digitisation
Uche Aneke, Abuja
Government-owned
national television station, the Nigerian Television
Authority, NTA, has got approval to upgrade its
broadcast equipment ahead of Nigeria’s digital
migration by the Year 2012.
The project is estimated at N8 Billion Naira. The
government granted the approval during the Federal
Executive Council meeting in Abuja, on Wednesday.
Under the contract arrangement, NTA would provide 15
percent of the fund for the upgrade while the
contracting company, WTS-Sony would facilitate its
execution with the remaining 85 percent within three
months. The TV station will pay the balance within
24 months with 5 percent interest.
The contract covers six Outside Broadcast Vans and
renovation of NTA’s satellite hub. The broadcast
vans will be improved from Standard to High
Definition Signals while its 9 meter satellite hub
will be renovated.
Installations of the new digital equipment and
upgrade would better position the station for
coverage of major international assignments, such as
the Under-17 football tournament in Nigeria and the
2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
The move would also afford the national television
outfit meet up with the deadline set by the National
Broadcasting Commission for broadcast media
organisations to complete digitization of their
equipment by the Year 2012.
Qasim/Yinka