Sierra Leone aims for digital TV

Work has commenced on the transformation of the Sierra Leone Broadcasting Service (SLBS) into a modern digital TV station, said Deputy Minister of Information Mohamed Koroma.

Plans were finalized about three months ago, and the government has invested US$1 million in the project, he said. Engineers from an Arab company, Enter Group Africa, have arrived in Sierra Leone to begin work on the project, he added.

"The engineers have completed their feasibility study. They have even mapped out strategic areas country-wide that will make channel distribution simple. To say the least, the work has commenced," Koroma said.

The move is part of the government's drive to catch up with the technological advancement in the digital world, he noted, as there is a very strong commitment to create a well equipped information and communication system for a well informed citizenry.

"We have made it categorically clear that our television station should have the modern equipment to enable it broadcast like other stations -- like BBC, Sky News or even CNN," he said.

Radio UNIOSIL (United Nations Integrated Office in Sierra Leone), whose mandate is set to expire later this month, will be handed over to the Sierra Leonean government, Koroma explained. It will then be incorporated into SLBS, which, it is proposed, will be renamed the Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation.

"The engineers said Sierra Leoneans in all the four regions will start enjoying their television once again within the next 45 days," Koroma said. "Major works on the transformation will be taking place steadily to meet up with the agreed period for people nationwide to enjoy the full facilities of a modern radio/television station."