Radio Nigeria Acquires New Transmitters

http://allafrica.com/stories/200805150374.html
http://www.leadershipnigeria.com/product_info.php?products_id=27762

Developments at Nigeria's premier radio corporation, Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), are fast transforming the staid image of Africa's largest radio network. In the past one year, Radio Nigeria has been quietly transforming itself with improved signals, captivating programming, web audio streaming, and, the latest, brand new transmitters at Kaduna and Enugu to be dedicated to educationsl service. When completely installed in December 2008, the 200 MW KW transmitter in Jaji Kaduna would be one of the most powerful radio transmitters in Africa, and, in combination with the 100KW transmitter planned for Enugu in 2009, the whole country and much of Africa would receive the signals. The transmitters, a grant from the Japanese Government, would be digital ready. A statement by Ike Okere, Head of Communications FRCN, indicated that Radio Nigeria Kaduna has begun the process of dismantling its obsolete, 47-year-old MW transmitter to provide space for the new 200 KW transmitter coming from Japan.The process of dismantling the gigantic, obsolete transmitter and its antennae component and installing the new one would take six months. To keep its Hausa language listeners during this transition, Radio Nigeria Kaduna recently commissioned a new Hausa language FM station in Kaduna.It also temporarily fixed its old Short Wave channel on the 49 Metre Band. Karama FM, the call sign of the new FM station, and the SW station would
both continue to carry the quality programmes of Radio Nigeria's famous Hausa Service.The new, public-minded FRCN began sensitising its Hausa Service listeners in early April with regular jingles announcing the transition and the continuation of the Hausa Service on SW and FM. In early May, the zonal director, FRCN Kaduna, Alhaji Ladan Salihu, took pressmen round the transmitting station in Jaji to explain the process of de-commissioning. Hundreds of listeners have been calling in to express support for the planned improvement the new transmitters would bring to Radio Nigeria's signals. "The collaboration with Japan through the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA), would enable Radio Nigeria boost its Hausa and Educational Services in the face of competition from foreign broadcasters such as the BBC, VOA and China Hausa Services", said Mr. Ben Egbuna, FRCN's Director General, in the statement. A Yoruba language station, Amuludun FM, in Ibadan, began transmission last year, while the Igbo language channel is expected to kick-off at Enugu next year. Last year, Radio Nigeria began live web audio streaming of five of its FM stations in Abuja, Kaduna, Enugu, Ibadan and Lagos, thus enabling millions of Nigerians in the diaspora to receive these stations and participate in interactive programmes. A few months ago, it rolled out its VSAT platforms nationwide and thereby started taking the very popular Network News live from across the nation.
The VSAT also enabled the corporation to introduce Network Nigeria, the midday, grassroots-oriented, human-angle news and features programme.The FRCN is Nigeria's premier radio broadcaster. With four National Stations and an Operations Centre on Short and Medium Wave Bands and Thirty-Two (32) FM Stations nationwide, plus the new Web audio streaming, it is Africa's largest radio network. Its network signals, including those of its State stations which broadcast in both English and 15 local languages, are estimated to re ach 120 million listeners daily. Meanwhile, the network has joined the league of world class broadcast organisations that can boast of crystal clear signals. This is made possible by the installation and commissioning of Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) facilities for satellite communications. The V-SAT is used to relay grade 'A' programmes and news items emanating from headquarters to all the national stations comprising Abuja, Kaduna, Ibadan, Enugu and Lagos operations. The FM stations under each
national stations also receive signals for onward transmission through their terrestrial transmitters. The installation with uplink and downlink equipment which effectively captures FRCN signals from headquarters or from other national stations has crystal clear sound quality which is best described as CD quality. Apart from expanding the coverage areas of the Corporation and reduction in downtime, the introduction of V-SAT to its broadcast services has helped to minimise reliance on national infrastructure like NITEL. The Corporation's spokesperson, Ike Okere said the commissioning of the V-SAT whose installation started as far back as 2003, marks the beginning of a new era in the Corporation. "Infact, the current practice whereby our network news can emanate from any of the national stations is an offshoot of the introduction of VSAT in our broadcast services", he said.

 

(Zacharias Liangas , Thessaloniki Greece via Cumbredx mailing list)