While the developed world is moving towards a 2015 switchover to digital broadcasting, the Caribbean is far behind the ball, according to President of the Caribbean Broadcasting Union (CBU), Ms. Shida Bolai. 

Bolai was at the time presenting the President’s Report at the 44th Annual General Assembly of the CBU at the Guyana International Conference Centre (GICC) at Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown.
The United States and 18 countries in Europe have already effected the switchover to digital broadcasting, which was initiated when in 2006, 104 countries adopted and signed the International Telecommunication Union’s Treaty Agreement to switchover from analogue to digital broadcasting.
2015 Switchover Deadline
Under that treaty, the commencement date for the switchover was June 17, 2006 and the deadline to complete the switchover is June 17, 2015.
Bolai stated that while some Caribbean countries are well engaged in this regard, others are now beginning to address the issue.
She said that over the past two years, the CBU has committed resources to keeping this topic at the forefront of its agenda.
And over the following days of the General Assembly, she added, the CBU, along with the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association (CBA), will address a two-day executive workshop on the opportunities that derive from digitisation.
Common Digital Standard
Bolai stressed that it is now imperative that broadcasters agree on a common digital standard and that national selection of the standard be made with regulators in partnership with broadcasters. In addition, she said that the implication for regulating broadcasters and consumers must be fully understood, addressed and resolved before switchover is effected.
In a world that is constantly changing, the most dramatic change has been technological and the greatest challenge, she said, is to “stay relevant and stay ahead.”
CBU’s Membership
In this regard, Bolai said that a review of the CBU’s membership is needed to ensure that the CBU remains the unchallengeable authority, as the true and valid representative of the industry, despite the changes that are occurring throughout the industry,
She further recommended a comprehensive review of the current membership categories to consider the inclusion of newspapers, which also operate audio-visual media, for possible full membership, general newspapers and magazines, journalistic websites and independent programme providers which operate local channels, but do not hold broadcast licences for possible associate membership.
Moreover, Bolai said that continuous upgrade and strengthening of the CBU website must be done in order to keep members up-to-date and informed about industry development; market opportunities; product development; technological innovations; policy issues and the work of the secretariat and members in general.
She also stated that reinforcing the CBU brand as an agency of pan-Caribbean integration is important.
“In this regard we have to expand our presence and profile across the Spanish, French, Dutch and Creole communities of the Caribbean, even as we raise our image within the English-speaking Caribbean,” she asserted.
Bolai further stated that the Union must be committed in tackling the challenge of CaribVision, the channel operated by CBU’s partial subsidiary company, the Caribbean Media Corporation and the channel which is considered “the face of the CBU.”
She noted that after seven and a half years of intensive effort, they have not been able to find a viable and sustainable economic model to ensure the longevity of CaribVision.
“With a CaribVision moment of decision now approaching, we hope that our people will be assured that our stewardship of this enterprise has been diligent and exhaustive,” she remarked.
Bolai related that effort must also be placed on bettering those things that the union already does well and in this regard, she cited training and development.
She further stated that in an era of opinion-led social media, the main competitive advantage for broadcasting is the ability to deliver objective, verified, credible news and other information.
“Credible information is the lifeblood of informed public opinion which is the rock on which democracies are built. In our role as professional broadcasters, we cannot fail our Region by lowering standards and running with the herd,” she stressed.
As such, she said the CBU continues to lobby for independent public broadcast entities, free of partisan influences and control.
“In this day and age, democracy demands media that are accessible by all, fair, responsible and unbiased,” Bolai asserted.