[kictanet] Digital TV migration postponement

Wed Oct 31 15:39:40 EAT 2012

Dr Ndemo:
On this one,i beg to disagree.

The approach to this digital migration has all been wrong.  by comparison, the enthusiasm displayed in promoting Konza technology city is lacking completely in the campaign to migrate kenya from the analogue to digital tv.  about three or so months ago, for example, cck went on high rotation media advertising of the digital transition. but on the ground, kbc, which had been mandated to distribute the public (free to air signal), had only activated the signal in nairobi and as struggling to roll out in msa and ksm. the policy on the roll out was and still is in shambles, the set top boxes are not readily available. the stockists listed do not have any. confusion reigned after the type of decoders was changed, leaving those interested in importing completely discouraged and confused. in this year's budget, the govt waived taxes on the boxes. but that has not changed much in terms of the adoption of the new technology. the campaign has suddenly gone
 quiet, leading to the postponement by cck of the deadline. 

so daktari you cannot blame those who want to trade in top boxes. when the govt announced that it was going digital, what did it expect? did it first ask for investors in set topboxes? must we manufacture boxes (do we manufacture the tvs and boxes we use?). if the opportunity is good, it will be grabbed, but govt cant blame the low interest in the damn boxes on anyone. there are certain factors that business people consider before the y invest, and if in their considered wisdom, there is no opportunity, we cant mourn too much.  Kenyans have a right to information (article 35), and the govt must facilitate it, even as it transits and modernizes.

I fail to see the connection between the shortage or high cost of set top boxes and local content. has the low local content stopped Kenyans from viewing the current tv channels? did we go digital so as to create jobs for the unemployed Kenyans? and how many jobs, realistically, can be created by local content? what is the uptake of local content on the media and what difference - potentially - will it make to the overall economic welfare of the people? Methinks daktari you overstate/exaggerate the opportunity created by the digital migration.

Let me clarify: nobody is going to invest in local content if that content is not going to be viewed because Kenyans cant afford to watch it in the first place. And no one is going to invest in digital media if it cannot provide the audiences to make it commercially viable for the advertisers/investors.

May be am wrong but i think we need to isolate the infrastructure issues first before we go after the content failure.

david

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________________________________
 From: "bitange at jambo.co.ke" <bitange at jambo.co.ke>
To: dmakali at yahoo.com 
Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke> 
Sent: Wednesday, October 31, 2012 2:52 PM
Subject: Re: [kictanet] Digital TV migration postponement

Robert,
The cost of a set top box with conditional access functionality ranges
from Ksh. 3,500 to Ksh. 10,000.  However, the cost of DVBT2 signal
converter (the equivalent of Free to Air TV) ranges from $5 to $20.  The
problem is that the importers are only interested in set top boxes (the
mercedes of TV) and not just the converters.  The cost for Black and White
however may be higher since the old TV sets have no USB slots.

We should not be complaining on this matter.  In the UK you almost need a
consultant to buy a TV set.  There are different formats of broadcast
ranging from Simple Definition (our regular TV), High Definition
(beggining to crip into our living rooms) with better picture quality and
makes images look less fat and 3D TV which is undergoing through research
to make it viewable without additional gadgets like special glasses.  So
before you but a TV set, you need to state your objectives.

The DVBT2 signal today covers 70% of the population.  We can have
everybody switch tomorrow if we had better local content available.  THE
PROBLEM IS NOT THE SET TOP BOXES.  The problem is with Kenyans.  It is
ironcal to see many unemployed youth yet we cannot use them to create
content around us.  Do we want the rest of the world to start producing
our own content?

Ndemo.

> Hi,
>
>
> It was with shock and dismay that I watched the CCK director general lie
> to the public on a mass broadcast on the reasons for the postponement of
> the cutoff to digital.
>
> He said the reason was that the cost of decoders was still too high for
> the common mwanainchi, he then proceed to lie by saying that the average
> price was currently Kes. 6,500/-, yet the price for the StarTimes decoder
> is 3,499/- and that of GoTV is Kes. 3,999/-.
>
> When I was in school many years ago the formula for calculating average
> was the sum of the numbers divided by the number of numbers (3,499 +
> 3,999)/2 = 3,749/- so which formula was the DG using?
>
> What has incensed me more is that none of the members of the press has
> taken up the issue instead they have "liked" and "shared" the comments as
> if they where gospel truth.
>
> Regards
>
> PS.  Have an analog Christmas
>
>
>
>  
> Robert Yawe
> KAY System Technologies Ltd
> Phoenix House, 6th Floor
> P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200
> Kenya
>
>
> Tel: +254722511225,
> +254202010696_______________________________________________
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