Winifred Bosa.

Stakeholders in the broadcast industry have appeal for closer collaboration between the broadcast media organisations and signal distributors for the successful digital switch over in the country.

The Chairman Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria, Mr. John Momoh made the appeal in Abuja, at a one day public hearing on the process of Digital Switch Over in Nigeria.

He said that though June 2017 was set as the dateline for the Switch Over, broadcast organisations should focus on the successful implementation rather than meeting the dateline.

Momoh said “We shouldn’t be looking at dateline; I think we should work towards making sure that we had a good Switch Over.  When we set a dateline we put ourselves under pressures…We should only be focus.”

The Minister of Information and Culture Alhaji Lai Mohammed while presenting the government position on the matter said government was reviewing the digitisation process to meet the current reality.

“In the conception of the conception of the project, all broadcast Medias would be content providers and not signal distributors,” he emphasised.

Earlier, the Speaker House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara said the National Assembly will not condone exploitation of Nigerians as the country transits from analogue to digital broadcasting.

The Speaker represented by Chief Whip, Alhassan Ado Doguwa, noted that what is doubtful is concretizing the great expectation of Nigerians on the current process of digital transition in the country.

He said “The National Assembly, with its responsibilities of representation will neither condone acts inimical to the development of the country nor allow Nigerians to be unduly exploited.”

The public hearing conducted by an adhoc committee of the House was to guarantee quality and cost effective digital broadcast service to Nigerians.