Government has encountered some difficulties with transmission for the Educational Channel in the border regions, but Phase One has been rolled out and all systems are in place for the television service to be officially launched today.
Head of the Presidential Secretariat Dr. Roger Luncheon told a post-Cabinet briefing yesterday that Phase One was rolled out on Wednesday and includes broadcast services in Georgetown, Benab on the Corentyne, New Amsterdam and Anna Regina.
Luncheon said Phase Two would be on stream by the end of April and by the end of May the hinterland region would be serviced, and he stressed that the service was designed to provide education content to both schools and the public.
But he observed that the reliance on transmission in the border regions with Suriname, Venezuela and Brazil continues to pose technical problem in working with their frequency management entities to avoid disruption and interference with the signals.
Phase Two of the service will see coverage extended to Bartica, Linden, Ituni and Kwakwani, Mahdia and Orealla while in the last segment Annai, Aishalton, Karasabai, Mabaruma and Port Kaituma will be covered.
Dr. Luncheon had explained at an earlier press briefing that the programme content would merge local production and internationally sourced programming, with studio records and academic scripts dominating the content.
Programming will begin from 09:00 hrs and run throughout school hours, targeting nursery and primary school students, and then programmes for CXC-level students, technical and vocational education institutions and teacher education programmes will follow and run until 23:00 hrs.
The National Frequency Management Unit (NFMU) has been given the spectrum for the transmission and the National Communications Network (NCN) will provide additional support. In addition, the National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD) would be the location for the audio and video production units as well as the ancillary resources.
President Bharrat Jagdeo will deliver the feature address at the official launch today at NCERD.
