Walesi Limited is managed by its own and not any other television broadcaster in Fiji - Sharma

Walesi Limited which is managing the digital TV platform has strongly refuted the factually flawed and misleading statement made by the National Federation Party on its facebook yesterday that Walesi National Digital Television platform is being managed by the Fiji Broadcasting Corporation.

Walesi Chairman Sharvada Sharma states that Walesi Limited is a government commercial company that is governed and managed by its own board of directors, and not by FBC or any other television broadcaster in Fiji.

Sharma says under the direction of its own board of directors, Walesi Limited is responsible for the implementation of analogue to digital broadcasting migration and the management of the National Digital Television infrastructure.

The Walesi Chairman stresses that neither FBC nor any other media organisation, plays any role in the management and governance of Walesi Limited.

Fijivillage has received confirmation that Walesi Limited has 24 employees including casuals during the roll out phase of digital TV around the country.

FBC CEO, Riyaz Sayed-Khaiyum had said in an interview in August 2014 that FBC will be responsible for the digital TV platform as the government had hired them to manage the platform.

However we have received confirmation that this was the initial plan and Walesi Limited then became a wholly owned government company.

This is after it was decided that FBC cannot manage the digital TV platform as it will have its own channels on the platform.

The 2015 Auditor General’s Report states that the FBC management had advised them that planning works and first phase of testing for the digital TV project is complete.

The audit report states that the project is managed by Ministry of Communications through Walesi Limited which will also take over all the transmission works of all broadcasters including FBC for an annual management fee. 

The Auditor General’s Report states that FBC has told them that following this, all faults as well as transmission and repairs  and maintenance works will be handled by Walesi Limited.

The audit report says after thorough assessment of fixed assets, list of equipment that will be transferred from FBC to Walesi Limited at an agreed price has been presented to the board of FBC and the project management team hired by Walesi Limited. At the time of the audit, a decision on this transfer was expected to be made soon.

Meanwhile talks are currently taking place between technicians of the government owned, Walesi and Pay TV company, Sky Pacific for Sky Pacific to move to the Walesi Digital TV platform when the analogue platform is switched off.

While giving an update on Walesi TV, Acting Prime Minister, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum says the plan is to switch off the analog platform by June 2019.

This means the only system used by everyone would be the Walesi Box and people would just have to pay for the Sky Pacific channels to be activated on the Walesi box.

Digicel had agreed to move Sky Pacific to the Walesi platform when it has nationwide coverage.

This is part of their license condition.

So far, over 11,000 households are using the Walesi service throughout Fiji.