BROADCASTERS ASSESSMENT OF PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS IN MIGRATION FROM ANALOGUE TO DIGITAL BROADCASTING PLATFORM

BROADCASTERS ASSESSMENT OF PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS IN MIGRATION FROM ANALOGUE TO DIGITAL BROADCASTING PLATFORM

Abstract

This paper would attempt to provide a well-detailed account on the Deregulation of Television Broadcasting and digitization of the Television signals in Nigeria. Digital television is a new technology for transmitting and receiving broadcast television signals. Using an additional 6 Megahertz (MHz) of broadcast spectrum temporarily granted by Congress and the FCC for a period of no fewer than 9 years, broadcasters will be able to develop a diverse range of new digital television programming and services while continuing to transmit conventional analog television programming on their existing allotments of spectrum, as required by the Telecommunications Act of 1996 (Telecommunications Act of 1996). The Diffusion and Technological determinism theory which established the media as a technology that can transform any environment, and in a communication sense, media technology can be both a channel and a message at a time since technological innovations can imbibe development through the diffusion of the message it carries. The study recommended that, there should be effective management of the spectrum dividend that will result from the transition in a manner that brings the greatest benefits to the greatest number of people, there should be suitable infrastructural digital broadcasting standards that would ensure compatibility on both national and international levels. chapter One

Foreword

1.1 Research background

Until recently, all broadcast media ran on analog systems. Analog television uses solid-state waves to transmit images and sound. The main drawback of this is that location becomes an integral factor in nullifying or distorting the picture and sound on television in rural areas. We encourage you to switch to digital TV so you can take advantage of your provider’s new services. Like CDs, digital TV information is divided into binary blocks. A digital TV signal, immune to distance and interference, has little visual snow or clutter (Adenyi, 2009).

Kombol, (2008, p. 67) defines digital communication as “a high-level form of information transmission in which a message is converted into a series of 1’s and 0’s (binary digits) and sent over a channel to a recipient”. I’m here.
Over the years, television broadcasts have gone from strength to strength. Monochrome (black and white) has switched to color transmission.

Television is a system that uses electrical signals transmitted by wires, fiber optics, or electromagnetic radiation to send and receive pictures and sound. These signals are typically sent from a central source, a television station, to a receiving device, such as a TV in your home or a repeater station used by a cable TV service provider. (Microsoft Encarta, 2009)

Digital television is a new technology for transmitting and receiving television signals. The use of additional 6 megahertz (MHz) transmission frequencies, temporarily permitted by Congress and the FCC for a period of more than nine years, will allow broadcasters to continue transmitting traditional analog while offering a wide variety of new digital television programming and services. can be developed. Television programming on existing frequency allocations as required by the Telecommunications Act 1996.

Digital television uses techniques to record, transmit, and decode signals in digital form (that is, sequences of 1s and 0s). This process results in a much sharper picture and sound quality than analog systems.
Additional features such as program and consumer information and interactivity can also be embedded in the signal. Early digital devices included digital television receivers that converted analog signals to digital code. Analog signals were first sampled, stored as digital code, then processed, and finally retrieved. ATSC digital tuners designed to decode purely digital signals are now standard on new televisions. Daramola, (2003,p.98) Digital TV reception can be affected by nearby moving vehicles, such as cars, trucks, trains and airplanes. In some instances, shadowing or reflections from these vehicles may cause digital picture to temporarily break-up or even disappear completely. If this occurs, you should try moving or reorienting your antenna to find a position that provides the most reliable reception. If you are using an indoor antenna, switching to an outdoor antenna system which may include a directional antenna or rotor could improve reception. In severe cases, it may not be possible to completely eliminate the effects of nearby traffic. Why Reception Remains Poor

The transition to digital television is a technological advancement and advancement over analog terrestrial television that broadcasts terrestrial (terrestrial) signals. Similar to other platforms such as cable, satellite, telecom, and digital-to-analog, the objectives of digital terrestrial television are the use of lower frequencies and higher capacity than analog, superior image quality, and broadcast and transmission operations after initial upgrades. Characterized by reduced costs. cost. Terrestrial implementations of digital television technology use airborne transmissions to conventional antennas (or antennas) instead of satellite antennas and cable connections (Liwhu, 2008).

Competing variants of digital terrestrial television technology are in use around the world. Advanced Television Standards Committee ATSC, used in North America and South Korea, is an evolution of the National Television Standards Committee’s analog NTSC standard. ISDB-T is used in Japan and is also used in Brazil, Peru, Argentina, Chile, Venezuela, Ecuador and more recently Costa Rica and Paraguay, but DVB-T is the most widespread and is used in Europe, Australia, Covers New Zealand. , Colombia, Uruguay, and some African countries. DMB-T/H is a proprietary standard for China (including Hong Kong, although cable operators in Hong Kong use DVB). Other parts of the world remain largely undecided, as many evaluate multiple criteria. ISDB-T is very similar to DVB-T and can share front-end receiver and demodulator components (Agba, 2001).

The transition from analog to digital in Nigeria is scheduled for 2012. DTV is transmitted over radio frequencies over the same airwaves as standard analog television, with the main difference being multiplexing that allows multiple channels to be received over a single frequency range (such as UHF or VHF channels). transmitter use) (Agbese, 2006). ).

The transition to digital television refers to the switch from analog broadcasting to digital broadcasting. Many countries around the world have recognized the tremendous advantages of digital broadcasting and are making great efforts to migrate from analog to digital broadcasting. The shift from analog to digital broadcasting means that many are changing their broadcast signals and forcing the masses to buy high-definition televisions.

The move to digital broadcasting marks the end of free TV programming. But it’s not. For example, some TVs may be affected by the change and others may not, while TVs that receive cable and satellite signals will continue to receive signals from digital broadcasts. However, TV sets that receive analog signals via antennas (these antennas have analog antennas) do not exist in the digital age.

In this state, old antennas need to be upgraded to keep up with technology. In countries like the United States that are planning to switch to digital, all analog television will become obsolete and will probably have to be scrapped to other countries in the world where analog broadcasting is still in use. Those wishing to continue using analog TV in the US will need to install a converter (Agbese, 2006). A converter that converts broadcast digital signals into analog signals so that they can be recorded on TV. Traditionally, developing countries in Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia are often dumping grounds for outdated technology. Digital transformation is just one example of what is giving developing countries technology they no longer need in developed countries.

Digitization programme in Nigeria commenced in Abuja on June 3, 2008, following a meeting of stake holders in the broadcast industry where forum under scored the need for Nigeria to embrace the new technology, so that the country would not be turned into a dumping ground for obsolete analog equipment reports shows that Nigeria has set June, 17,2010 as the switch- over date from the current mode of broadcasting to the netra modern digital terrestrial broadcasting the date is three years before the June 17, 2015 deadline for the entire world set by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) after its congress in Geneva, Switzerland in 2006 (Cortada, 2006).

However the country officially stated the digitization of its broadcast industry in December 2007, following late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’s approval, directing the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), the industry’s regulator to set motion and pilot the programme towards the target date (Adeniyi 2009).

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Despite the overwhelming benefits of digital broadcasting, Nigeria is bound to face the following problems resulting from the low level of our technological advancement and the income level of the individuals. Thus, the following challenged abound, with the current way of picking digital signals, using atenna, viewers are limited to whatever channels the antenna picks up and the signals quality will also vary, digital television signals must not interfere with each other, and they must also coexist with analogue television until it is phased out, analogue switch-off would render a non-digital television obsolete, unless it is connected to an external digital tuner, an external converter box for digital signal, the adoption of a broadcast standard incompatible with existing analog receiver has created the problem of large number of analogue receivers being discarded during digital transition in the US where an estimate of 99 million unused analogue TV receivers are currently in the storage. Same thing is bound to happen in Nigeria, the economic power of all broadcast station to transit to digital is a big threat.

1.4 Research question

Me. How will the transition from analogue to digital affect the Nigerian broadcasting industry?

ii. What challenges will the transition from analogue to digital pose for broadcasters in Nigeria?

iii. How have the country’s digital broadcast services improved broadcast production?

IV. What does digitization mean for broadcast viewers?

1.5 Scope of investigation

This study attempts to illustrate the deregulation of television and the digitization of television in Nigeria with work by EBS and his NTA Benin City.

1.6 Importance of research Importance of research

This work will benefit media houses and media managers regarding the switch from analog to digital. Media, press and journalism students will find reasons to improve their skills and experience.

Governments at the national level will also find this material relevant to show why Nigeria cannot be excluded.

1.7 Limitations of the study

This research study discusses the deregulation of television in Nigeria and the impact of digitization on television her journalists. Research studies have many limitations. B. Analysis of economic constraints, time factors, availability of materials, inability of researchers to provide detailed information, and constitutional provisions contained in Nigeria’s NBC Act on Television Deregulation.