TV network company offers free Digital TV switch
View(s):Television and Radio Network (TRN), a Sri Lankan company, is ready to launch countrywide Digital TV using modern technology amidst the long delayed ‘Digitalisation of Television Broadcasting’ project funded by Japan.
Digital TV broadcasting offers many advantages over Analog systems (currently in use) for end-users, operators and regulators.
Apart from increasing the number of programmes and quality of pictures, digital systems can provide new innovative services, such as interactive TV, electronic programme guides and mobile TV as well as transmit image and sound in high-definition (HDTV) and ultra-high definition (UHDTV).
In a surprising offer, B.A.C. Abeywardana, Managing Director of Television and Radio Networks who operates TV Lanka Channel, told the Business Times that his company has made an offer to the Government to introduce DVB-T2 advanced technology free of charge with 200 digital television channels.
DVB-T2 is the acronym for Digital Video Broadcasting – Second Generation.
A recommendation was made by a high powered state committee that Sri Lanka should adopt the European originated DVB-T2 (Digital Video Broadcasting – Second Generation) as the standard for digital terrestrial television broadcasting, or DTTB, he added.
The Japanese offer was Integrated Services Digital Broadcasting (ISDB-T) system with 70 channels for its soft loan facility of Rs.21 billion, he pointed out adding that their system is not widely used in countries worldwide and Sri Lanka will have to import Japanese television sets as it is very unlikely that the TV sets available in the Lankan market are compatible with the Japanese system.
Mr. Abeywardana revealed that his company is planning to install massive antenna at a site in Dompe to facilitate his countrywide Digital TV initiative.
He said that there was no legal barrier for this project as the Supreme Court bench recently refused a “Leave to Proceed” application submitted by the Telecommunication Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL), objecting to his company establishing a Digital Television broadcasting network.
The TRN television broadcasting station which operated the TV Lanka TV channel from 2000 in Sri Lanka and throughout the world was closed down by the CID and the TRCSL officers in May 2012 alleging that TRN operated this network without the authority from the TRCSL.
Meanwhile Sri Lanka’s much awaited Digitalisation of Television Broadcasting’ project cannot be abandoned even amidst technical issues and severe protests from local TV channel operators, official sources said.
Although there was no progress in the project, the Government is compelled to implement this project of switching to digital TV from Analog in the backdrop of an agreement reached last year on a Japanese soft loan of Rs. 21 billion, a senior Media Ministry official told the Business Times.
He said that the quality standard of Integrated Services Digital Broadcasting (ISDB) system, a Japanese standard digital television had been challenged by local TV experts.
The delay in arriving at consensus on what is good for the country out of Japanese and European systems has made the project a mere plan without means of implementation during the past one year period since the signing of the loan agreement, he added.
The Media Ministry official disclosed that there had been a debate about the merits and demerits of the German standards referred to as DVBT-2 and the Japanese standard – ISDB.
The government had taken a decision in March 2016 to revive this project which was introduced in 2014 by the previous Rajapaksa regime.
The project was initially mooted in 2009 and it could have been fully implemented in 2013, if there had been a consensus on technical issues at that time, he said.
The TV digitalisation deal between Sri Lanka and Japan came under wide criticism and accusation of corruption and commission-taking when the previous government entered into a loan agreement with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in September 2014.
However it was reviewed by the present government in 2016 on the directions of now defunct Cabinet Committee on Economic Management following representations made by Advisor to the Ministry of National Policy and Economic Affairs R. Paskaralingam.
Sri Lanka’s television industry has been preparing to digitalise itself for more than half a decade. But policy uncertainties have confused broadcasters and caused many delays.
(BS)