Minister lauds Channels TV at 21

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has called on the management of Channels TV to key in to broadcast digitization in order to reap of its benefits. He made this call while congratulating the station on its 21st Anniversary, saying the station has distinguished itself in its short existence.
In his goodwill message at a gala night held in Lagos on Sunday to mark the anniversary, the Minister said no accolade is too much to describe Channels on the occasion of its 21st Anniversary
“I have no doubt that for Channels Television, the future is even brighter. I say the future is brighter because this Administration’s commitment to ensuring that Nigeria successfully transits from Analogue to Digital Television will bring immense benefits, not only to Channels Television but indeed to all TV stations in the country,” he said.
According to Mohammed, with successful Digitization in 2017, at least one million jobs will be created in the next three years through the manufacturing of Set Top Boxes that will be required for each of the television sets in the country that currently boasts of 24 million Television households.
The Minister said other advantages of digital broadcasting include savings in cost of infrastructure; improved coverage quality, better picture and sound quality, introduction of mobile broadcasting, instead of just delivering television services to fixed receivers, provision of value-added services, Electronic Programme Guides (EPGs) and better utilization of frequencies.
“I have no doubt that Channels Television, a multi-award winning trailblazer, will leverage heavily on the goodies of digitization to leapfrog to the stratosphere of Television – and beyond – in the years ahead,” he added.
In his remarks, the Chairman and Chief Executive of Channels Television, Mr. John Momoh, said despite the uncertainty in the broadcast industry, through sheer determination and perseverance, Channels Television was able to blend professionalism and enterprise and emerge as a vibrant news channel in Nigeria within the last 21 years.