Fiji Television Limited has apologised for the unsanctioned announcement it made on Tuesday regarding the company’s transition from analog to digital transmission.

The apology follows a meeting between the Attorney General and Communications Minister, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, Fiji TV chief executive Tevita Gonelevu, board member Nouzab Fareed and the director of communications ministry Shivnesh Prasad yesterday.

Fiji TV in a statement said it acknowledges the transition is a government led process and it will abide by the roadmap that government establishes.

The company said it now understands the technical aspects involved in this transition and appreciates government’s initiative and its control over the process.

Sayed-Khaiyum earlier stated that an International Telecommunications Union (ITU) report on Fiji’s transition to digital broadcasting has said it is uneconomical and inefficient for each broadcaster to develop their own digital infrastructure.

He said this process has to be government-driven to ensure that all broadcasters have equal access to shared infrastructure that will give them the same network coverage and quality.

He said the government plan will cut down the costs of building and maintaining infrastructure and will give all broadcasters an equal footing.

This will make broadcasters compete with one another on the quality of their programming which will offer benefits to consumers by increasing the quality and quantity of programming.

Sayed-Khaiyum said the migration process will be managed by "an entity with proven commercial and technical capability and the appropriate technology".

He said the government has been working with the ITU for some time to develop a migration plan.

By Reginald Chandar