Minister hails digital migration

Information Minister Gospel Kazako has hailed digital broadcasting technology, saying it will enhance quality at affordable prices in the broadcasting industry.

Kazako was speaking during the total shutdown of analogue broadcasting in the country at a function that took place in Liwonde over the weekend.

Kazako said the move would help Malawians enjoy high-quality broadcasting services at affordable prices.

“We are fully using technologies used in the United Kingdom, United States of America and all over the world. This means that Malawians will be able to produce and watch high quality programmes. People have been paying to watch South African series because they were good. The quality is good in South Africa because people pay, something which has not been happening in Malawi,” he said.

He hailed the coming in of Malawi Digital Broadcasting Network Limited (MDBNL).

“All the other platforms you are talking about are not local platforms. They are international businesses whose only interests are profits. However, MDBNL is a Malawian company which understands the economic situation Malawians live in,” he said.

Benson Tembo, Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority Technical Adviser on Digital Migration, said the move would help the country have more television stations on a single frequency.

“When we were using analogue broadcasting technology, we were accommodating one station per frequency but now, with digital broadcasting, we can have up to 22 stations per single frequency,” he said.

Malawi is now among eight African countries that have totally switched from analogue to digital broadcasting.

Malawi migrated to digital broadcasting a few years ago to comply with guidelines of International Te l e communi c a t ions Union.

However, some media houses had been using analogue technologies.