Delta government denies alleged plans to sell DBS, DRTV

• NBC to launch digital switch over in Enugu today

The Delta State government has denied alleged plans to sell the Delta Broadcasting Service (DBS) in Asaba, and the Delta Rainbow Television (DRTV) in Warri.

The Commissioner for Information, Mr. Patrick Ukah made the denial at the weekend in Asaba, the state capital.

He spoke when he led officials of Pinnacle Consultancy Company to inspect equipment at the facilities in Asaba and Warri.

According to him, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa had invested so much in the analog transmission system of the DBS to transform it into a better station.

He promised that the analog system of DBS would come on stream before the end of this month.

Ukah disclosed that the state government had connected the main station at Asaba and Ubulu-Uku to the 33 KVA Power systems for a steady power supply.

He stressed that the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) would soon switch on the station.

The Managing Director, Pinnacle Consultancy Company, Mr. A. Adeniyi, revealed that DBS, Asaba and Warri, would commence digital broadcasting in the third quarter of the year, in line with the digitisation policy.

He said: “We believe that the state is ready, but because we need to create space for our equipment, it might take us some time. I believe that we would start digital transmission in Warri and Asaba before the end of the third quarter of this year.”

Meanwhile, the Director-General, National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Is’haq Kawu, has disclosed that the commission would today; roll out Digital Switch Over (DSO) in Enugu.

He said it would be the turn of Osun State to be switched on in February 23.

Kawu, who stated this at a press conference, said the commission was committed to rolling out the digitisation transmission this year, in one state each of the six geo-political zones.

The DG disclosed that the second national signal distributor, Pinnacle Communications is also set to begin work in Gombe State.

According to him, the vision of the NBC is to switch on, in at least 12 states by the end of the third quarter of 2018.

He said the roll out had earlier taken place in Kaduna, Kwara, adding that the commission also recently held a retreat in Uyo, in Akwa Ibom State to review the progress of the DSO.

Kawu said the NBC had also informed the pay DTV operators: GOTV and NTA/STAR TIMES, to begin discussions with the two signal distributors, ITS and Pinnacle Communications.

“After June 2019, the pay television operators would no longer be licensed to operate as both content providers and signal distributors,” he said.

Kawu disclosed that the NBC had submitted a long list of new radio and television stations to President Muhammadu Buhari for approval.