Broadcast of CAN 2019. Cameroon sharpens its weapons

The subject was at the center of a hearing on July 12 between the Minister of Communication and the Chinese Ambassador to Cameroon.

Pierre NGOM

The Minister of Communication (Mincom) received in audience on July 12 the Chinese Ambassador to Cameroon. The exchange between Issa Tchiroma Bakary and Wang Yingwu focused on communication cooperation between the two countries and in particular the Cameroon Radio Television (CRTV) rehabilitation project for the production of a quality signal during of the Africa Cup of Nations that Cameroon organizes in 2019. Indeed, as indicated by the Mincom, China was chosen by the President of the Republic, Paul Biya, as strategic partner for the rehabilitation of the signal of CRTV, as well as signal production. "The host country will produce the signal for all matches. It is a very important challenge for which the Head of State has granted very important means. 110 billion F to do it, "said Mincom. "The presence of the ambassador today was an opportunity for me to wish him to be our ambassador to Exim Bank of China, of Startimes for the success of the financing, its implementation, as well as the actual realization of this rehabilitation, "added Issa Tchiroma Bakary.

This project consists in the rehabilitation of the 38 broadcasting centers of the CRTV, the 10 regional stations, all the chains FM, the national station and the center of production from Mballa II to Yaoundé. It will be a question of increasing the performance of these. The upgrade of the distribution centers has started in recent years. Several centers have already been. These include Yaounde and Douala centers, which have been completely refurbished, digitized and ready to use since 2016. CRTV will certainly have a makeover at the end of the project. 380 technicians must also be equipped to use the up-to-date equipment recently acquired by the company. To the extent that these human resources will be mobilized on the six sites to house the 2019 Can.

Cherry on the cake, the Ambassador Wang Yingwu announced that China offered the possibility to 300 villages in Cameroon to have kits to receive the signal from digital terrestrial television (DTT). At this very moment, at CRTV, everything is in place. It remains only that the government finds the means to bring decoders or set up boxes, so that the population can have access to TNT.