The Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA) has vowed to resist government’s decision to hand over Ghana’s Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) migration to Chinese multinational media company, StarTimes.
The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) met in 2006 to discuss the global migration of Television from analogue to digital.
Although the global deadline was pegged at 2020, (ITU) urged governments to migrate from analogue broadcasting to digital by June 2015.
The government, through the Ministry of Communication, has reportedly signed a deal with StarTimes to see to Ghana’s Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) migration.
However, speaking to Ekourba Gyasi on Atinka AM Drive Tuesday, President for the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA), Mr. Danso Aninkrah argued that should StarTimes be made to migrate Ghana onto the DTT platform, Ghana would have practically submitted its broadcast space to Chinese control and well as subscribing to Chinese content.
He noted that it is disturbing to have the only Free-to-Air digital broadcasting platform, which is the medium for the dissemination of information to the public and operations of mass media in the digital domain, to be controlled by an individual entity whose current business in the country is Pay TV broadcasting and is already distributing licensed controlled conditional access decoders and digital television sets across the country in aid of its commercial business.
He called on the government to extend the contract to include Ghanaians since there are eligible people to migrate the country onto the Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) platform.
The Deputy Communications Minister, George Andah who also spoke to Ekourba Gyasi mentioned that Ghana’s Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) migration has not been handed over to Chinese multinational media company, StarTimes.
He added that GIBA is acting based on rumors and perception.
Ghana | Atinkaonline.com
