Document details

Challenges and Perspectives of Digital Migration for African Media

Dakar: Panos West Africa (2010), 97 pp.

Contains bibliogr. pp. 93-95

ISBN 978-0-86104621

"This booklet sets out the issues involved in digital transformation in broadcast media from the viewpoint of African media stakeholders and, especially, community radio stations. It aims to correct widespread misconceptions that analogue radio will have to be switched off in the next five years as part of “digital migration”. At the same time, it warns that the digitisation of broadcast television signals has implications for radio stations around the continent. The same goes for digitisation more broadly, as internet growth also has implications for radio stations. The study has been commissioned by the Panos Institute West Africa, which has a particular interest in community radio. In the nature of the subject matter, the scope of this study has had to be wider than community radio – precisely because of the impact of the larger transitions on this sector [...] One key recommendation of this booklet is that there is no rush for African countries to undertake the very costly and highly complex move from analogue to digital TV. Another is that this particular transition is just one process (albeit a very important one) in the wider perspective of building the African Information Society by means of many digital-related changes to communications." (Summary, page 7)
Introduction, 8
Digital migration – definitions and issues, 11
Radio, 60
Television, 71
Awareness and preparation in Africa, 74
Strategies in operation, 81
Recommendations to stakeholders, 87