Minister of Information Khieu Kanharith chairs a meeting at the ministry to check drafts of framework policies regarding state analogue television broadcasts’ change to digital. AGENCE KAMPUCHEA PRESSE
The Ministry of Information will convene a meeting with the ministries of Posts and Telecommunications; and Economy and Finance, on Wednesday to review the progress of changing state analogue television broadcasts to digital.
Minister of Information Khieu Kanharith on Monday chaired a meeting at the ministry to check drafts of framework policies regarding the change. The drafts will now be shared with the other ministries during the meeting on Wednesday.
Kanharith said at the meeting that his ministry is trying to fast track the changes after Prime Minister Hun Sen made the call during a media correspondent’s gala earlier this month.
“The Ministry of Information is set to collaborate with relevant institutions to speed up plans to change television broadcasting to digital in a timely fashion to integrate Cambodia with digital televisions in the region,” he said.
He said digital broadcasting has better sound, picture and speed. These qualities attract viewers, especially because there is no transmission interference during broadcasts.
Ministry secretary of state Koem Kunvuth said the Kingdom first started exploring the change while speaking with other Asean nations in 2004.
Specialists from the ministry have since developed action plans to end analogue broadcasting by 2023 and move forward with digital in the country, region and the world.
“In the meeting on Wednesday, we will have detailed discussions about the action plans regarding each step from now until 2023.
“We will discuss what steps we should or should not take and with what extent of state funding. The Ministry of Information considers such issues in action plans,” he said.
Ministry spokesman Phos Sovann said the switch is of extreme importance.
“If we don’t change, we will face scrutiny from our neighbours. Also, analogue broadcasting equipment will no longer be produced as companies are only producing digital ones for the main markets. So, we won’t have spare parts in the future.
“If we establish a network to be managed, we can feed it with other information that will show up on television screens. If 10 programmes are being broadcast, we could hit them with a single news update like in the case of a natural disaster warning,” he said.
