Dear Colleague, It is my pleasure to announce the dates for the 3rd annual Digital Broadcasting Switchover Forum 2008, which again will be held in the week of 29 Jan - 1 Feb 2008 in Johannesburg, South Africa. The organisation of the conference has now started and we are currently looking for broadcasting experts to contribute presentations. The key areas for discussion this year include: 1) National switchover frameworks and planning 2) Dual illumination 3) Financing the switchover 4) The digital dividend, spectrum allocation and the results of WRC 07 5) Infrastructure upgrading and its implications 6) Consumer aspects – subsidising set top boxes, switchover awareness, the switchover as a means of reducing the digital divide 7) Charting the future of African broadcasting – including IPTV, mobile TV, high definition television 8) Overcoming the shortage of broadcasting skilled workforce 9) Digital radio – technology evaluation, implications for local and national stations, 10) Protecting cultural and linguistic diversity through local content production 11) Infotainment 12) Encouraging locally produced content 13) How international financing can be increased 14) Broadcasting liberalisation in Africa I would like to encourage you to contribute to this forum by participating as a speaker, therefore please reply to this mail, including the perspective that you would like to cover at the event. I am particularly keen to have case studies as these are excellent ways of spreading information and experiences. Furthermore if you would like to support the event by becoming an official sponsor then I would be delighted to organise a sponsorship package for you, exhibition booths are available for £3000/US$6000/R42000. I look forward to hearing back from you and to building on the huge success of last year’s forum. Yours sincerely Matthew Matthew Dawes Commonwealth Telecommunication Organisation Direct Tel: 0044 20 8834 1575 Main Tel: 0044 870 7777 697 Fax: 0044 870 0345 626 Email: m.dawes@cto.int <http://mailer.eddiction.co.uk/_webscripts/emaillog.php?789c2dcbcd0a80201004e0a7718f51ea2103a19e2474d783e44fd446f4f679f036cc37433e929506c8971c6c76443b720574ad9ef40c585b304a2a03fc9dc1628a78c073a5b68d89ab505b1ec8bde1167a6ccf21160697b8f3d271edf40338d22686>