@KongaFM 103.7: A new era of radio excellence - ITREALMS

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KongaFM 103.7, the 24/7 innovative hit music and commerce radio station, has taken the airwaves by storm since its recent launch. Operating on terrestrial frequencies in Lagos on 103.7 and streaming online for listeners globally at www.kongafm.com, KongaFM has quickly become a favourite among audiences. 

The radio station blends entertainment, inspiration, and commerce in a way that is both refreshing and impactful. Despite being in its test run phase, the station has already garnered thousands of listeners, with many praising its professionalism, unique programming, and commitment to delivering value.

Konga to unveil AI-powered FM radio station - ITREALMS

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A leading composite e-commerce group, Konga, has advanced plans to unveil an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered Frequency Modulation (FM) radio station in Lagos, reports ITREALMS.

The novel, ITREALMS gathered will debut in January 2025, to mark Africa's first Hit Music & Commerce Station, blending technology, entertainment, commerce and more to drive impactful connections across the continent and the world.

EFCC’s Urban Radio arrest raises press freedom, procedural integrity concerns by Tony Onyima - ITREALMS

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The press statement issued by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) today regarding the arrest of Favour Ekoh at Urban Radio, 94.5 FM, Enugu, raises concerns about procedural propriety, press freedom, and the balance between law enforcement and media independence.

At the core of this issue is the controversial method employed by the EFCC in pursuing Ekoh, a radio presenter accused of involvement in a Ponzi scheme. The EFCC asserts it had to conduct a “sting operation” at the station, implying urgency to prevent Ekoh from escaping. However, entering a media house to arrest a presenter during a live broadcast can be seen as an infringement on press freedom. Even if legal, such an approach may set a dangerous precedent by subjecting journalists and broadcasters to fear of interruption or abduction in their duties, undermining the Fourth Estate’s vital role in society. The agency could have waited for Ekoh to finish her presentation and arrested her as she exited the station.

Why Nigeria signed latest radio regulations @WRC'23 says NCC - ITREALMS

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The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has adduced reasons why the nation joined the rest of the world in signing the updated radio regulations at the just concluded World Radiocommunications Conference (WRC) 2023, reports ITREALMS.

The signing which took place at the conclusion of the WRC 2023, saw Nigeria signing unto the Final Act WRC-23, which constitutes a record of the decisions taken at the conference, to deepen connectivity.

Elections completed @ ITU Council, Radio Regulations Board - ITREALMS

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​​​​Member States of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) have voted on the composition of the next ITU Council and the members of the Radio Regulations Board for the coming four years, reports ITREALMS.

The voting started Monday morning at the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference (PP-22) in Bucharest, Romania.

WRC’19 adopts new regulatory procedures for radio communication - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The 38th ITU World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-19) ended in Geneva with adoption of a new innovative milestone-based regulatory approach for the deployment of non-geostationary satellite orbit (NGSO) satellites in specific bands and services for radio communication, reports ITREALMS.

The agreement, ITREALMS gathered was reached at WRC-19 thereby establishing regulatory procedures for the deployment of non-geostationary satellites, including mega-constellations in low-Earth orbit (LEO). 

ITREALMS reports that the milestone-based approach will provide a regulatory mechanism to help ensure that ITU’s Master International Frequency Register reasonably reflects the actual deployment of such NGSO satellite systems in certain frequency bands and services.

In defining more flexible timelines and objective criteria, this approach also seeks to strike a balance between the prevention of spectrum warehousing, the proper functioning of coordination mechanisms, and the operational requirements related to the deployment of NGSO systems.

While satellites in geostationary orbit are aligned with the earth’s rotation at an elevation of 36,000 km, NGSO satellites move across the sky during their orbit around the earth, in medium Earth-orbit 8,000 – 20,000 km above the earth and in low-Earth orbit at elevations between 400 and 2000 km.

With the availability of launch vehicles capable of supporting multiple satellite launches, mega-constellations consisting of hundreds or thousands of spacecraft are becoming a popular solution for global telecommunications, including to remote rural areas and isolated communities, providing low-latency broadband coverage (owing to their proximity to the earth’s surface), remote sensing, space and upper atmosphere research, meteorology, astronomy, technology demonstration and education.

Nenye Dom/Editor

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MRA urges Nigerians to use radio for peace building - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The Media Rights Agenda (MRA) has called on Nigerians to use radio as a tool for building peace across political, economic, religious and ethnic divides particularly at this period when Nigeria is holding general elections to elect a new set of leaders, reports ITREALMS.

MRA made the call in a statement issued in Lagos by Mr. Ayode Longe, MRA’s Programme Director, to commemorate the eighth edition of the World Radio Day, a Day celebrated every year on February 13, and in line with the theme of the celebration: Dialogue, Tolerance and Peace.

World Radio Day was proclaimed at the 36^th session of UNESCO’s General Conference in 2011 to take place on February 13 each year. It was then unanimously endorsed by the United Nations General Assembly on January 14, 2013 at its 67^th session as a UN Day. 

The Day commemorates the establishment of the UN R on February 13, 1946 and is now set aside as the day to celebrate radio as a medium to improve international cooperation between broadcasters and to encourage networks and community radio alike to promote access to information, freedom of expression and gender equality over the airwaves.

Mr Longe said “Radio has touched billions of lives around the world positively and made a lot of impact; and with the convergence of technology, this impact is expanding. The world needs to explore every avenue to strengthen radio and make it a tool for dialogue, tolerance and peace, in line with the theme for the 2019 celebration of the World Radio Day.”

Saying that the world, including Nigeria, has witnessed so many crises, he added “The world needs peace through tolerance and dialogue and radio being the cheapest and farthest reaching means of communication is so much suited to bring peace to the world and technological advancement has made radio portable and its signals accessible from remote areas using different gadgets and devices, including even the most basic mobile phones available today.”

Mr. Longe identified the importance of radio in many different ways and how it can be used to promote peace, noting that it is a medium that is being used to foster participation and engagement in local languages; it is the first medium people turn to for information and updates about just anything including during natural disasters, wars, as well as communal, national and political activities of all hues.

He said: “Radio is unarguably the widest reaching medium of communication in Nigeria, as it is in most other parts of the world. It has become cheap to acquire and maintain, very portable and is a highly ubiquitous means of receiving real time information, entertainment and education.”

Mr. Longe described this year’s theme as very appropriate, saying it is coming at about the time of Nigeria’s general elections which have frequently been characterized by violence in the past. He stressed that for free, fair and peaceful elections in Nigeria, there is need for tolerance from everybody, especially the political actors and their most ardent supporters, adding that dialogue will enhance understanding and tolerance which will ultimately bring about peace, and that the radio is best positioned to facilitate this.

He called on all Nigerians, particularly broadcasters, to use radio to douse tension and ensure peace, reminding them that radio has the potential to stoke violence and as well as to be an instrument for building peace.

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Bayelsa to establish 3 community radio outlets

ITRealms:

The Bayelsa State Government on Monday said says it would soon establish community radio stations in the three senatorial zones of the state as part of measures to increase public awareness and enlightenment to the grassroots, reports ITRealms.

The Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, made the announcement in Yenagoa shortly after taking over from his predecessor, Jonathan Obuebite.

According to him, public information should not only be centered on the capital city Yenagoa but should reach people in the rural areas to properly inform them on government programmes and policies.

Iworiso-Markson explained that the‎ community radio would be very useful and would be run in local languages with very rich content. 

He said, "We will pursue public enlightenment with great vigor. Our people need to be reached with what the government is doing. This government under the able leadership of His Excellency, Honourable Henry Seriake Dickson has done so much for our people and they need to know. 

"From education revolution, where the declaration of a state of emergency since inception has recorded massive growth in infrastructure and thus effectively changed the fortunes of students in appreciable performance to the award of scholarships at home and abroad, giant leaps in public infrastructure as we have in institutional buildings, quality roads and bridges across the state, to economic diversification, we need to let them know and there is a whole lot to be done and we can achieve them working together.  

"The idea of the community radio will encourage the confidence of out people, make them have a sense of belonging and constantly bring them up to speed with the progress made in a language they so understand."

Iworiso-Markson, thanked Governor Seriake Dickson for the new opportunity and his predecessor for the many‎ achievements he had recorded and promised to build on it for the overall good of the government and people of the state.

Earlier, the former Commissioner, Jonathan Obuebite highlighted some of his achievements including the revival of the ministry's magazine, Bayelsa Strides and the establishment of a news website, Bayelsa Watch.

Obuebite added that he has no doubt that his successor would succeed because of his capacity and experience as a seasoned media practitioner and public relations expert.

While appreciating the Permanent Secretary, Directors and staff for their support, he encouraged them to also extend same to the new commissioner to enable him succeed on all fronts. 

Uboshe Uboshe/GEE

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Radio: CTO applauds ITU @110th anniversary

ITRealms:

The Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO) has joined the international community in congratulating the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) on the occasion of the 110th anniversary of the Radio Regulations, reports ITRealms.

The Radio Regulations are the international treaty governing the use of the radio-frequency spectrum and the geostationary-satellite and non-geostationary-satellite orbits.

Wireless communications systems play a crucial role in bridging the digital divide and helping the world communicate and, like the ITU, the CTO works with member countries to promote affordable, universal and high-quality broadband connectivity and considers the effective use of radio communications resources as critical to achieving universal and affordable broadband access.

“The Radio Regulations represent a remarkable success story of cooperation among the international telecommunication sector and have, for the past 110 years, efficiently governed the technical standards of the international community’s wireless communications,” said Shola Taylor, Secretary-General of the CTO.

The CTO devotes considerable resources to radio communications related programmes. Every year, over 35% of the CTO’s technical capacity development programmes aimed at public and private sector stakeholders in member countries focus on radio communications networks, compared with 10% for fixed networks.

“As a past chairman of the Radio Regulations Board, and a member for eight years, I am proud to have contributed to the work of the Board in coordinating the regulations. Congratulations to the ITU on this significant achievement,” Taylor said.

Nenye Dom/GEE

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EM Microelectronic unveils world’s first RFID circuit

ITRealms:

Semiconductor, company of the Swatch Group EM Microelectronic, has announced the release of its EM4423, the world’s first Radio frequency identification (RFID) circuit featuring a UHF EPC Gen2V2 RF and an NFC Type 2interface, reports ITRealms.

ITRealms gathered that the EM4423 is uniquely suited for manufacturers/brands which are compelled to support the Electronic Product Code (EPC) functionality for retail logistics and inventory control, but who also want to communicate directly with the consumer for marketing and advertising, product authenticity, and product registration on a per-item level.

As ITRealms learnt, the (EPC) Gen 2v2 RF is an update to GS1's air-interface protocol standard for passive, Ultra High frequency (UHF) RFID tags, while the Near Field Communication (NFC) Type 2 interface service allows users to attach a card, sticker or hangtag to a gift, invitation or any physical object, in order to deliver an audio or video greeting.

The features of the invention as gathered by ITRealms, comes with common rewritable memory areas, a common Unique Identifier (UID) and value-added privacy and security features.

Furthermore, the EM4423 also simplifies adoption of EPC inventory control procedures by smaller retailers who are not willing or able to make the substantial investment required for specialized RFID equipment and software and similar functionality can be achieved through the use of mobile devices, such as smart phones and tablets and applications.

Speaking further on the features, Michel Willemin, CEO of EM Microelectronic has said the EPC Gen2 logistics capabilities with the customer-focused benefits of NFC would create excitement with the RFID customers. As ITRealms gathered, he said, “By enabling a low-cost, unified solution for logistics and marketing, EM brings value to and simplifies the lives of both small retailers and product manufacturers looking to differentiate their products.”

EM Microelectronic ITRealms learnt is a Swiss semiconductor manufacturer, designs and produces ultra-low-power, low-voltage, digital, analog, and mixed-signal integrated circuits for battery-operated and field-powered devices in wearable, consumer, automotive and industrial applications.

Daniel Nsolibe/Ed, Ops.

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