The Government of Taraba has signed a N2.2 billion ($7million) contract with Pinnacle Communications regarding the digitization of the Taraba State Broadcasting Service (TSBS).

“The contract is in partial fulfilment of Governor Darius Ishaku’s campaign promise to beat the 2017 deadline for full digitization of all broadcast media organizations in Nigeria,” Anthony Danburam, the Commissioner for Information and Re-orientation said during the signing of the contract on Tuesday in Jalingo.

According to him, the contract includes the supply and installation of a state-of-the-art digital radio studio and transmission equipment for the TSBS AM/FM stations in Jalingo.

“Pinnacle Communications will also supply and install digital equipment for Bali, Sardauna and Wukari booster stations, including frequency modulated feeder stations. Similarly, Pinnacle Communications would supply and install 50 kilowatts and 10 kilowatts AM/FM digital transmission studios. The organization would supply and install digital outside broadcast vans and 10 kilowatts digital transmitter/studios for the booster stations.”

The radio digitization project is expected to be completed in seven months.

Let’s recall that Nigeria transited from analogue to digital television viewing on April 30, 2016, when it launched the pilot phase of the Federal Government’s digital transmission project that kick-started the digitization process in Nigeria.

Anita Fatunji