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Tuesday, December 02, 2008

ZNBC seeks funds to upgrade transmitters


The Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) is scouting for funds to purchase high capacity transmitters to replace the smaller ones in order to improve transmission of the station’s signal in the country. The high capacity transmitters will be installed in all the 72 districts in the country. ZNBC Public Relations Manager Miriam Tonga said the upgrading of transmitters from 100 W to 5 kW would improve the quality of radio signal in rural areas.
Ms Tonga, who could not disclose how much funds are required, stated that the national broadcaster was committed to improving the quality of both radio and television transmission in the country.

She was responding to concerns raised by Kalomo Central Member of Parliament, Request Muntanga, who bemoaned the poor radio reception in his area. Mr Muntanga said people in Kalomo district were unable to listen to news and update themselves with current affairs programmes because of the poor radio reception being experienced in the area.
According to Mr Muntanga, there is poor reception in the morning from about 1100 hours to 1830 hours in the evenings. He attributed the poor reception to a small ZNBC transmitter at Senkobo which only covers 10 km.
Meanwhile, ZNBC is it preparing to move to digital before the year 2015. Ms Tonga said broadcasting institutions the world over were on alert for the migration to digital systems before the June 17, 2015 deadline set by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). She disclosed that the ZNBC would soon embark on a countrywide drive to educate the Zambian people on the effects of migrating to the digital system.
(Source: ZNBC/R Netherlands Media Network Weblog)