Upgraded link offers CTV viewers better viewing

"This means that the annoying audio distortion and video signal disturbances that viewers were experiencing are now a thing of the past. Viewers will get a much better quality signal and their viewing experience will be more enjoyable as a result," he says.

The upgrade was done by its signal distributor, the state-owned company Sentech. The link now transmits the signal to the Tygerberg tower at more than double its previous capacity. Bandwidth has increased from 1.9 Mbps (mega-bits per second) to 4 Mbps. The previous signal disturbances were the result of the old, obsolete equipment being pushed to its maximum output by the large quantities of data involved in video transmission.

Demonstrating confidence in station

Comments station director Karen Thorne, "The equipment that Sentech has installed for the upgrade demonstrates the new-found confidence that stakeholders have in the channel now that it has been awarded a seven-year broadcast license by ICASA. The license follows two years of temporary one-year licenses and it gives the channel regulatory certainty that it will remain on air for the long term.

"The channel has also now reached a level of maturity where it has achieved a good level of financial stability and has paid off its previous arrears to Sentech. These developments bode well for the future of the station as Cape Town's own community television channel."

Future frequency shifts

However, despite these positive developments, there are still hurdles that the channel will have to overcome. Aldridge warns that the frequency on which it is broadcasting will change once the migration to digital terrestrial television broadcasting begins. The current frequency has been earmarked for use in the digital transition and ICASA has had to find an alternative frequency on which to accommodate the station.

"We will have to embark on a publicity campaign to educate our viewers about the frequency change," says Aldridge. "Viewers will have to re-tune their TV sets in order to pick up the channel on the new frequency."

It is not known at this time exactly when the change will come into effect, but it is likely to be within the next few months.