As Zambia prepares for its digital migration process, its government has launched a provincial television project that could see new television stations established in the country’s ten provinces.

The project is expected to provide access to information to people in rural areas in order for them to effectively participate in what the government says is national development.

The Deputy Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services, Mwansa Kapeya, said the Zambian government is keen to see the provincial television project succeed and completed without any delay.

“Given this kind of political will in government and the expertise of the eight-member team put in place to head up the project, the implementation will succeed and (be) completed in record time,” Kapeya said.

The southern African country has set 2013 as the deadline to complete its digital migration.

Kapeya said the national broadcaster, Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC), has an existing strong infrastructural base to enable government to roll out the provincial television project.

The provincial television project, Kapeya said, could be implemented alongside the digital migration project with the launch of the first television station in Solwezi.

Once established, the television stations are planned to air 80% content in local languages and only 20% will be broadcast in English language.