The R1.2 billion digitisation of the SABC has begun, three years after the initial planning stage.
A R400 million plan to upgrade the broadcaster's systems from analogue to digital was first announced in 2002 by Sharoda Rapeti, MD of SABC's technology department.
At the time, arivia.kom, Safika, Tata and BBC Technology were to be partners in the project. Rapeti said the upgrade would take up to five years to complete.
The plan would encompass processes and infrastructure, and should lay the foundation for future hi-tech transmission developments, she said.
No further details were released until last month, when Rapeti announced at an SABC vendor briefing that digitising the SABC's systems would in fact cost R1.2 billion over the next six years.
The briefing followed a R400 million grant from finance minister Trevor Manuel on 23 February this year.
Rapeti said at the briefing that the digitisation plan was "a living document that is adapted from time to time to accommodate technology progress and a changing socio/economic environment in support of SABC's content mandate".
"Some of the projects started in 2002 have been completed through SABC capital expenditure funding, so the active implementation of projects therefore started in 2002," she said.
The TV news studio and certain radio stations have been digitised, 18 digital cameras and outside broadcast vehicles have been provided, and a multimedia sport pre-production area has been set up.
The short-term goals include digitising the studio infrastructure at Ukhozi FM and Lotus FM, digitising the radio main controls, replacing videotape and setting up ATM contribution networks.
Longer-term goals encompass digitising the final control centres and studios, and digitising the remaining radio studios. The TV news archive will also be changed to digital.
Rapeti says digital broadcasting will offer better sound and pictures, as well as data capabilities that cater for interactivity.
"The plan also enables the SABC to provide programming in multiple languages and allows us to offer content on different platforms such as cellphones."
Theuns Nel, MD of SABC radio digital systems, adds that the upgrade will "hopefully" be finished before the 2010 Soccer World Cup.
A collaborative affair
Communications minister Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri announced during her budget vote in Parliament last month that a working group comprising industry professionals and government officials would initiate a proposal to digitise the country's communications.
"Inputs to and the report from the digital broadcasting migration working group will culminate in a national strategy for the migration of broadcasting systems from analogue to digital," she said.
Sentech said in the debate on the budget vote that digital television would enhance services such as e-government, adult education and health services, and a new digital transmitter network would cost in the region of R268 million.
Tenders for vendors
Arivia.kom is no longer involved in the SABC project, and Rapeti says tender notices will be issued as needed for the 96 planned projects.
HP recently announced that its technology would kick-start the broadcaster's digitisation process, with new servers and storage devices in the radio division.
The move towards a digital infrastructure will require extensive training, and the SABC is establishing partnerships with training providers to meet the skills demands for the converged digital media environment, says Rapeti.
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