Mokonyane names advisory panel on digital TV

Two weeks after appointing Sentech’s Aldred Dreyer as head of South Africa’s digital terrestrial television programme management office, communications minister has named the members of her Broadcasting Digital Migration Advisory Council, which will advise government on digital migration.

The council’s immediate task is to work with with the project management office to advise Mokonyane on the migration plan, including the countdown to a switch-off of analogue broadcasts in the Free State by December 2018. It must also come up with measures to accelerate the uptake of digital TV by South Africans.

South Africa is years behind in migrating from analogue to digital television, a process meant to open up radio frequency spectrum for mobile broadband.

The members of the advisory council are:

• Nomonde Gongxeka-Seopa — councillor at communications regulator Icasa and chair of the new advisory council
• Aldred Dreyer — project management office chair
• Nomsa Philiso — SABC
• Norman Munzhelele — executive of the regulatory division at eMedia
• Percy Mathabela — department of trade & industry
• Linden Petzer — chief director for radio and satellite applications at the department of telecommunications & postal services
• Themba Kinana — executive at Vodacom
• Moses Mashisane — executive at MTN
• Tebogo Leshope — chief operating officer at Sentech
• Thabo Makenete — executive at MultiChoice
• Michael Markovitz — board member at the SABC
• Sipho Mngqibisa — executive at the Universal Service & Access Agency of South Africa

“The members of the advisory council will be in office until analogue switch-over has been completed,” Mokonyane said in a statement on Tuesday.

The communications ministry said Mokonyane is reviewing the digital TV delivery model “so as to expedite analogue switch-off”.

“The details of the revised model will be released after consultation with cabinet, including the date for analogue switch-off.”

In the next coming weeks, Mokonyane will table the delivery model before cabinet, prior to making it public, her office said.

“Minister Mokonyane has in various platforms expressed the urgency needed to ensure a complete switch-over from analogue to digital and the appointment of this council will contribute towards meeting this objective, in a manner that is manageable, collaborative and ensure the sharing of resources between government and industry.”  — © 2018 NewsCentral Media