State-owned broadcasting entity Sentech says its digital terrestrial television (DTT) network will be completed by the end of this calendar year, enabling the country to begin analogue switch-off ahead of the Jun 2015 deadline.
As at 31 March, says Sentech, the company had increased the DTT network population coverage to 82.13% after construction of 46 new sites in preparation for the June 2015 analogue switch-off.
Upon completion, the DTT network will cover 84% of the population (58.9% geographic coverage), with the remaining 16% of the population set to receive digital broadcasting services via the direct-to-home satellite (DTH-S) gap-filler platform, says Sentech.
Clean audit
The company made the DTT vow in a statement today, covering its 2013/2014 financials, for which Sentech received a clean audit report, for the second time in as many years.
The company held its first annual general meeting under the stewardship of the newly established Telecommunications and Postal Services ministry today, to table its annual report for the financial year 2013/2014.
"Auditors noted that there were no material findings in the preparation of the financial statements and no additional material findings in respect of pre-determined objectives, compliance with laws and regulations and strength of internal controls," says Sentech.
Annual highlights
Sentech's group gross income increased to R1.063 billion, while earnings before taxation increased to R224 million.
The total equity of the group rose to just over than R1 billion, which is more than double the equity at the end of the financial year 2010/2011.
Cash generated from operations decreased from R226 million to R47 million - a fact Sentech says is a result of significant changes in working capital, "specifically as a result of the concerted efforts that were made to pay suppliers within 30 days, in line with the Treasury Regulation".
Two hundred and ninety million rand was spent on additions to property, plant and equipment - of which R180 million was funded through government grants.
Over the past year, Sentech facilitated the deployment of signal distribution infrastructure for new commercial radio services, such as Power FM and Smile FM; enabled 24-hour access to the Voice of the Cape and Radio 786 with their respective license areas in the Western Cape, for the first time since their launch 18 years ago; and the unveiling of the Freevision open access inter-operable DTH-S platform service.
"There was an improvement in the efficiency of network availability, especially with regard to analogue TV and FM radio, resulting in a better-weighted average availability, based on product revenue. The overall weighted average network availability was 99.86% which exceeded the annual target," says Sentech.
Share