CBU’s 44th Annual General Assembly opens…Broadcasters race to meet mid-2015 digital deadline

Aug 20, 2013 News

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As the top broadcasting executives meet in Guyana to consider measures for a June 17, 2015 deadline to modernize television and radio broadcasting in the region, the Government of Guyana has used the occasion to complain about the operations of some media houses.

Speaking at the opening of the 44th Annual General Assembly of the Caribbean Broadcasting Union (CBU), President Donald Ramotar said that while his Government welcomes the development of the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector, there are concerns that misuse can cause much harm.
The complaints come as CBU considers opening its membership to newspapers and a host of other media and production houses.
The President was addressing as many as 80 top executives of radio and television stations from the Caribbean who are meeting with experts in the broadcasting fields from North America and Europe during four days of talks at the International Convention Centre, Pattensen.
Shortly before expressing his concerns, Ramotar spoke of the Amaila Falls hydro project which is in jeopardy after the US developer and a key partner announced its withdrawal two Sundays ago.
Government and a section of the private sector have blamed a number of critics, including two prominent newspaper columnists, for causing Sithe Global to leave.
Ramotar said yesterday that the assembly should seriously consider the issues of “morals” and “ethics” of the broadcasting sector during its deliberations.
He said that he was of the “impression” that a number of “facilities” would attempt to force their “points-of-view”, in the process losing objectivity with untruths, half-truths and distortions being spread.  “Not only are professionals who disagree targeted, but they are viciously attacked.”
The media houses, which were not named, would also disregard opposing points-of-view, with the national interests suffering as a result.
CBU has 30-odd members, including the state-owned National Communications Network (NCN) and WRHM.
With several radio and televisions stations in Guyana, CBU is looking to increase its membership here. The CBU, established in Guyana 44 years ago, was housed at the CARICOM Secretariat before moving permanently to Barbados in 1981.

Supporting Growth
According to Ramotar, his administration views the modernization of the broadcasting sector as crucial, especially as the growth of technology has affected lives significantly with information important to the socio-economic development of any country.
ICT development is also critical to the delivery of goods and services and over the last decade, some 3,000 jobs were created as a result. The President was making reference to jobs in a number of call centres across the country.
One project benefitting from technology was the Guyana Learning Channel, which he said, was only possible because of new systems using satellites link-up that allow the airing of programmes to reach far-flung communities.
One of the key topics to be discussed in the sessions over the next few days would be the switching of the radio and television broadcast systems from analog to full digital by the mid-2015 deadline.
According to Ramotar, Guyana has made strides to develop the broadcasting sector, introducing new laws that will free-up information. He challenged the CBU to consider measures that will bring down the costs for the switchover which will see the AM channels being phased out, and more efficient use of the airwaves.
Among the measures touted by Ramotar is the possibility of CBU examining what could work for the region, even adapting itself in the process. He also warned of the possibilities of obsolete equipment being dumped on unsuspecting media and production houses during the switchover to digital.

NCN’s Chairman, Dr. Prem Misir, noting the theme of assembly is “The Business of Broadcasting in the Digital Age”, said that digital broadcasting is an ongoing revolution in the media world.

Change
“In many countries, digital television has transfigured the television viewing experience, and has enabled broadcasters to provide television with enhanced picture and sound quality, and with multiple programming channels.”
More importantly, he stressed, digital broadcasting will free-up large slices of the broadcast spectrum for other uses, including public safety communications from the police, fire, rescue teams, or other emergency purposes.
On June 16, 2006 in Geneva, Switzerland, at a meeting of the International Telecommunication Union, a UN agency, 104 countries with over 1,000 delegates adopted and signed a Treaty Agreement to switchover from analog to digital broadcasting. The commencement date for the switchover was June 17, 2006 and the deadline for completion is June 17, 2015.
“The US and 18 countries in Europe have already effected the switchover, but many countries are still straggling along the transition route. In addition, digitization of sound broadcasting is lagging behind television in the Caribbean and many other countries,” Dr. Misir disclosed.
Among some of the issues being probed by CBU during the meetings which end tomorrow, would be the comparative digital television standards; stages of the transition and incentives for the switchover and enticement of advertisers. Another important topic will be the role of social media and broadcasters’ relationship to these networks and journalism in the digital age.
Meanwhile, CBU’s President, Shida Bolai, in her report to the assembly, stressed that broadcasting in the region has changed drastically in recent years.
“In 2013, we of the Caribbean Broadcasting Union are in a world vastly different from 1970, even if many of our challenges remain the same. For one thing, our membership has crossed many barriers of language, geography and culture in a region that is anxious to explore common ground.”

Stay relevant
Bolai said that for broadcasters, technology has changed the rules of the game.
“In some ways, it has leveled the playing field; in others it has lowered the platform while raising the bar. For us in broadcasting, as for any industry in the throes of change, the greatest challenge can be neatly described in four words: stay relevant, stay ahead. If we fail to do so, we risk the fate of the dinosaurs.”
CBU will be looking to reinvent itself, opening the body to other forms of memberships including newspapers and magazines, journalistic websites and even cable companies. Also to be considered are the Government Information Services, independent producers and even regulatory authorities.
Also attending yesterday’s opening proceedings were Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, and head of the Guyana Broadcasting Authority, Bibi Shadick.
CBU is also looking for a bigger role for regional TV, CaribVision, which has failed to gain the desired traction.
Bolai also challenged Governments to help in the switchover process.
“As a union we are concerned that policy makers and regulators recognize that the pace and structure of digital – switchover must bear in mind the economic realities and the absorptive capacity of our consumers and our stations to fund this massive change.”
Over the next couple of days, broadcasters must agree on a common digital standard with clear understanding of the implications for regulations, broadcasters and consumers.
The CBU delegates will also be visiting a number of tourist sites during their stay.
The meeting comes as Guyana recently established a special body to consider applications for radio and television. In 2011, several radio and two cable licences were controversially granted by former President Bharrat Jagdeo shortly before he left office.

 

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