CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Digital
television transition is the technological evolution and advance from analogue
terrestrial television, which broadcasts land based (terrestrial) signals. The
purpose of digital terrestrial television, similar to digital versus analogue
in other platforms such as cable, satellite, telecoms, is characterized by
reduced use of spectrum and more capacity than analogue, better-quality
picture, and lower operating costs for broadcast and transmission after the
initial upgrade costs. A terrestrial implementation of digital television
technology uses aerial broadcasts to a conventional antenna (or aerial) instead
of a satellite dish or cable connection.
Competing
variants of digital terrestrial television technology are used around the
world. Advanced Television Standards Committee ATSC is the one used in North
America and South Korea,
an evolution from the analogue National Television Standards Committee standard
NTSC. ISDB-T is used in Japan, with a variation of it used in Brazil, Peru,
Argentina, Chile, Venezuela, Ecuador and most recently Costa Rica and Paraguay,
while DVB-T is the most prevalent, covering Europe, Australia, New Zealand,
Colombia, Uruguay and some countries of Africa. DMB-T/H is China’s own standard (including Hong Kong,
though Hong Kong’s cable operators use DVB);
the rest of the world remains mostly undecided, many evaluating multiple
standards. ISDB-T is very similar to DVB-T and can share front-end receiver and
demodulator components.
The
switch over from analogue to digital in Nigeria is to take place in the
year 2012. DTV is transmitted on radio frequencies through the airwaves that
are similar to standard analogue television, with the primary difference being
the use of multiplex transmitters to allow reception of multiple channels on a
single frequency range (such as a UHF or VHF channel) (Wikipedia,2010).
The
digital Television transition refers to the shift from analog broadcasting to
digital broadcasting. Many countries of the world have recognized the huge
benefit which digital broadcasting offers and are making a huge effort to shift
from analog broadcasting to digital broadcasting. The
transition from analog to digital broadcasting involves many changing the
transmission signals as well as making sure that members of the public buy high
definition television sets and get rid of standard definition television sets.
In
the United States of America,
February17 2009 was set as a date when broadcasting in analog will be stopped
and the whole country will commerce digital broadcasting.To this effect, the US
congress passed the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005. Under this Act all local
stations in the US
are required to from off their analog channels and start broadcasting in
digital format. The
transition to digital broadcasting will mark the end of free television
programmes. However, this is not the case. While some television set may be
affected by the change, others will not for example, television sets that
receive cable and satellite signals will still receive signals from digital
transmission. However, television sets that receive analog signals via antenna
(these antennas have analog funers) will be out of place in the digital era. In
this state of affairs, old antennas will need to be upgraded to meet up with
the technology. In countries like the United States of America where
digital transition is planned top take off, all analog television sets will be
no longer useful and will have to be dispose of perhaps shipped to other
countries of the world where analog broadcasting is still used. People who wish
to continue using analog television set in the U.S will need to have a
converter installed. This converter changes digital signals which are broadcast
to analog signal so that the television set will be able to pick.
Traditionally developing countries in Africa,
Latin America and South East Asia are often
the dumping ground for out molded technology. The digital transition is just
one example of the factors that make developing countries recipients of
technology that advanced countries no longer need.
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 netramodern
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. 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
Generally
the advent of digital broadcast media will bring remarkable, exciting changes
to broadcasting. Consumers will have many more choices from broadcast
television, from sharp high-definition television programming and multicasting
of niche-audience channels to new information services and computer-interactivity.
Broadcasters
will have new opportunities to develop innovative programming and services,
along with new revenue streams and market franchises. DTV will help
broadcasting evolve and compete in the new media environment, while ensuring
that public interest needs are still met
through over-the-air
broadcasting. However, in the Nigeria
the switch to digital television in the year 2012 is just very near. Abbas
(2010) observes that it is coming on the heels of similar ‘self set’ deadlines
of mostly European and African countries like Britain, Sweden, France, Kenya
and South Africa among others. What remain so problematic is the likely
challenges and successes of this new transition in Nigeria. This is the issue the
study seeks to address
1.3
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
Ø
Do
transition from analogue to digital broadcasting have an impact on broadcast
industry in Nigeria?
Ø
What
challenges do the transition from analog to digital pose for the broadcast
station in Nigeria?
Ø
Has
broadcasting service in the country being enhanced through the digitalised
process?
Ø
Of
what important will digitalisation bring to broadast audience?
Ø
What
efforts have National Broadcasting Commission put in place to achieve
digitalization of broadcast media before 2015 deadline?
Ø
Will
digital transmission increase the number of available channels to audience?
1.4
OBJECTIVES OF STUDY
Ø
To
examine if transition from analogue to digital broadcasting have an impact on
broadcast industry in Nigeria.
Ø
To
know the challenges that transition from analog to digital pose for the
broadcast station in Nigeria.
Ø
To
examine whether digital broadcasting service in the country has enhanced
broadcast production.
Ø
To
examine if digital transmission increase the number of available channels to
audience.
Ø
To
study the important that digitalization will bring to broadcast audience.
Ø
To
study the efforts that National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has put in place
to achieve digitalization of broadcast media before 2015 deadline?
1.5
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The
study is significant because it will help the audiences especially Nigerians to
strongly believe that digitalization of broadcast industry in Nigeria because its prospects can
not be overemphasised. The
study is also significant in decent that television and radio are so powerful
that it can influence and change the attitudes and values of those who are
exposed to it. The
work will benefit the media houses and media manger on the need to move from
analogue to digital.
Media,
mass communication, journalism students will see reason to upgrade their skill
and experience.
Government
at the national level will also find this material relevant to note the reason
why Nigeria
must not left out.
1.6 LIMITATION THE STUDY
The
research study will discuss the effect of digitalization broadcast industries
in Nigeria.
There are alot of limitation to be encountered on the research study such as
financial constraint, time factor, in availability of materials, inability of
the researcher to give in-depth information, to analyses on constitutional
provisions as contained in the NBC Act about deregulation of television in Nigeria.
1.7
OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF TERMS
For
the purpose of this project, there are terminologies used in the project and
definition of their meanings. This is also done to ensure understanding of the
project work and to avoid double meaning to the readers especially Nigerians.
Digital
Television Transition: The
digital television transition is a process in which analog television
broadcasting is converted to and replaced by digital television. This primarily
involves both TV stations and over-the-air viewers; however it also involves
content providers like TV networks, and cable TV conversion to digital cable (Wikipedia,
2010).
Broadcasting: Is a process of disseminating
information through electromagnetic waves to a large proportion of users
(audience).
NBC: Nigerian Broadcasting
Cooperation
BBC: British Broadcasting Cooperation
VON: Voice of Nigeria
