BROADCAST & FILM AFRICA 2008: Kenya gears up for migration from analog to digital broadcasting

The Kenya government is intent on addressing and finding solutions to the various infrastructure concerns currently facing the information and communications technology (ICT) sector.

Speaking during the opening session of the first African Broadcast, Film and Convergence Conference in Nairobi today, Kenya’s Information and Communications Permanent Secretary Dr Bitange Ndemo said that by 2009, the country would have comprehensively dealt with the issue of infrastructure, when the TEAMS cable becomes operational.

“By 2009, Kenya will have comprehensively dealt with the issue of infrastructure through the deployment of broadband which would allow a majority of the population cheaper connectivity and faster access to the Internet,” said Dr Ndemo.

Speaking at the 3 day meeting, which has attracted over 200 delegates from across the continent and beyond, Kenya’s minister for Information and Communications Mr Samuel Poghisio said that the government considers the ICT sector “as a foundation for nation building and economic development”.

Mr Poghisio told delegates attending the conference that there is the need to develop needed capacity that would satisfy local market and demands.

On the country’s imminent transition from analogue to digital broadcasting platform, the minister said that this would be the biggest transformation the broadcast industry has faced since the advent of colour television in the world.

Broadcasters are expected to switch their operations from analogue to digital by 2015 according to the deadline set by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) in 2006.

Already, Kenya has committed to digital migration of its broadcast services by 2012, three years ahead of the ITU deadline of 2015 while South Africa, working around the 2010 FIFA World Cup which the country will be hosting,, is to begin the process of its transition from analogue to digital platform by November 1 this year.

Mr David Maingi, managing director of Kenya Film Commission said during the opening session of the meeting that because film could be used to preserve heritage for posterity, it would be crucial for delegates to deliberate on “what it means to make a movie in the continent as well as answer other questions that underly the desire for production.”

Adding that to produce a film in Africa is an “act of resistance,” Mr Maingi said that success at the box office or the bank should not be used as the only measure of success for a film or movie production.

The Kenya Film Commission boss highlighted some of the challenges facing the country’s film makers as being lack of training opportunities and further added that there is need to establish networks of training to develop the capacity of film makers.

He called for greater participation of corporate organizations in film and local movie projects as well as the need for local stations to open up and air more local content.