Government says it is committed to ensure speed and smooth implementation of the provincial television station project which will see television studios established in every province.
Deputy Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services, Mwansa Kapeya, said yesterday that government is keen to see the provincial television project succeed and completed without any delay.
Mr Kapeya said that President Michael Sata has high passion for effective media outreach through television to rural areas because the head of state recognises the importance information plays in national building and development.
He said given this kind of political will in government and the expertise of the eight-member team put in place to spearhead the project, the implementation will succeed and completed in record time.
Mr Kapeya also said ZNBC has an existing strong infrastructural base to enable government roll out the provincial television project.
He was speaking at Solwezi civic centre today when he launched the provincial television project which will be rolled out to all provinces.
The deputy minister said the Patriotic Front government inherited a scenario where television coverage was only concentrated along the line of rail.
Mr Kapeya said this restricted coverage of television signal denied the rural population access to important information which is needed if they are to effectively participate in national development.
Mr Kapeya said the PF government is in a hurry to reverse this state of affairs, hence the launch of the provincial television project today in Solwezi.
He said the provincial television project which will be implemented alongside the digital migration project with the first station established in Solwezi and later rolled out to the rest of the country.
He disclosed that President Sata has personally directed him to ensure the project is urgently implemented and once established the provincial television stations should air 80 per cent content in local languages and only 20 per cent will be broadcast in the English language.
The deputy minister said the television project will create employment during construction of the stations and once operational which is in line with the PF manifesto of job creation and putting more money in people’s pockets.
Chiefs, leaders of various churches, business community and several residents from Solwezi witnessed the launch of television project.
And speaking earlier, Information and Broadcasting services Permanent Secretary, Amos Malupenga, described the launch of the television project today in Solwezi as a memorable historic event.
Mr Malupenga said the project demonstrates the PF government’s commitment to realise a free flow of information in the country.
He said the project will succeed because there is a lot of zeal in the Ministry of Finance to mobilise funds for implementation of the undertaking.
And the provincial television project spearheading committee chairperson, Ducan Mbazima, said that North Western Province is an appropriate province to be a launch pad for the project.
Mr Mbazima said this is because Solwezi, the provincial headquarters, is experiencing phenomenon investment in the mining sector and related enterprises.
ZANIS
I wonder if ZNBC is now showing in Kasempa, kabompo, Zambezi, etc
Excellent move PF.
It is not a priority number one, there are pending issues which should have been put forward in development.
propagamde, yaba.
Welldone PF Governing Party. Its encouraging to hear such developments taking in the country. There is no doubt that jobs will be created as a result of constructing the studios as well as rendering the rural views an opportunity to be informed of world events as they unfold. Viva Zambia
No electricity .. Tv ya malasha
There is a lot of technology. Batteries, Solar etc to operate a TV set.
This is very good news for the opposition because the rural population will have access to information the town dwellers have and will be equally informed. Now as opposition we will put in place a system that will ensure that the TV stations are not party propaganda disemination centres but inform the masses for better governance. This is a curse for the PF if they dont know. they think villagers are only interested and entitled to be given isindingo, muvhango and the like.
It’s very hard to please humanity. GRZ does one thing, masses arise who apparently know better as to what should have been done instead. I wonder how successful you pipo are in your personal lives for you to always know better, and better, and better. LEARN TO APPRECIATE SOMETIMES, sha!!
Just finishing up IDEAS left by the MMD whom they claim left a mess. Anyway who STILL watches ZNBC.
@Umuntunse dont worry some of these few bloggers just do it for the hatred of Sata because their preffered candidate lost the last Gen. elections.The goodness is that the larger percentage of good Zambians who voted dont even have the internet in their homes so, they dont read this rubbish.
Waste of resources…this money could have been used on improving the current znbc service to ensure a wider coverage.