Advanced Television

Nigeria denies missing ITU DSO deadline

February 24, 2015

By Chris Forrester

Despite claims made in Kenya that up to 40 African nations will miss the ITU’s analogue switch-off deadline of June 17th, officials in Nigeria have stated unequivocally that Nigeria will be broadcasting completely in digital by June.

Pay-TV broadcaster StarTimes said the nation, and its bouquets, are ready for digital broadcasting. StarTimes now have 4 distinct digital offerings on air, including a new low-pay bundle (‘Nova’) that’s been available since February 9th.

StarTimes is joint venture collaboration between Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and Star Communication Network CO, Limited of China. StarTimes transmits on DTH and also digital terrestrial TV.

Star-TV Network’s Mr. Israel Bolaji, said the new digital TV bouquet was designed to offer new subscribers an affordable bundle that makes switching over to digital TV more convenient, promote refreshing television experience and create values that will further deepen digital television penetration in Nigeria.  “The beauty of it all is that customers who have already subscribed to other StarTimes bouquet like Basic, Classic and Unique, could migrate to the new Nova bouquet, if they so which,” Bolaji said.

The ‘Nova’ channels include Star Kungfu, Star Music, Star Dadin Kowa (Hausa channel), E-Stars (Nollywood), Child Smile, CCTV-News, TBN, IQRAA and seven other local channels, which include NTA news 24, NTA sports, AIT, Channels TV, Silverbird, NTA Local, other state TV stations and other analogue TV stations like TVC, MiTV, Super Screen and Galaxy.

Categories: Articles, Broadcast, DSO