FBC TV to launch next week

Sunday 13 Nov 2011
The Fiji Broadcasting Corporation (FBC) has begun preparations for the launch of the country’s first state-owned television service on 25 November, MediaSpy reports.

Test transmissions consisting of the rebroadcasting of Al Jazeera and Indian music channel Zing have already begun in Suva and other areas, and will be extended across almost all of Fiji prior to the official launch.

In an interview with the Fiji Sun, FBC’s chief executive Riyaz Sayed-Khaiyum gave some details of the extent of preparations that had been made for the launch of channel, including upgrading the FBC’s buildings, training staff for television, and installing technology that could continue to be used after the transition to digital television.

He dismissed claims that too much money had been spent in preparing to launch the service, saying that “it could not have been done with US$1 million or even US$4m; it is way more than that”.

Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said the FBC’s television news service will not be put to air for the next few months until staff perfect their television presentation and production skills.

He said that he expects “a minimum of 90 percent of the population to be covered by our signal”.

FBC TV will be Fiji’s third free-to-air television channel. Its competitors, Fiji One and Mai TV, both show a mix of local and imported content, but rely heavily on rebroadcasts of Australia Network and TVNZ Pacific Service programmes.