Chanco student develops TV station in Malawi
Innovation is happening across Africa, in all different sectors, from education to energy, banking to agriculture and in television broadcasting. In Malawi, a university student has created a community TV station called “analog TV project” one that he hopes will transmit all social events taking place on campus.
Chisomo Daka is a student at the University of Malawi’s Chancellor College. He is pursuing a degree in education science and he is trying to make his mark in the television broadcasting industry. By his own admission, he says that he is not an engineer by training, nor does he claim to know much about engineering.
But his love and passion for tale-communications has inspired him to build from scratch a community television station. Daka says he hopes to use this TV station to broadcast social events and student projects throughout the entire campus.
“We have been able to transmit a video signal and we have been able to capture that. But by the end of the day, we would want to finalize it and make it a full working television station for the campus.”
Before his first broadcasting test signal, he was just a normal student, and few students knew about his innovation. Today, Chisomo Daka has created a name for himself as the new kid on the block. His community TV station is a hit on campus and everybody is talking about him. He says operating out of the norm is what is drove him to be innovative.
“I have had so much interest in telecommunications. Particularly, I’ve been working so much on audio transmission, and i also happen to have developed a Wireless-Mic and developed a small scale radio station. So now, i wanted to go much further than that. I thought of how I can now come up with a video and audio transmission. More like a television transmission. Much of it is out of interest because I am really interested in telecommunications.”
Daka is definitely one of the few young talented Malawians focused on changing the image of his beloved country. He argues that more and more viewers are asking for more content that reflect their realities– a quality that he says has been lacking in Malawi.
Television broadcasting is booming across the continent and young innovators are leading the way. But the industry is not without its challenges.
“We are also working on developing low-cost antennas for the clients or consumers for viewing on their televisions at home — particularly, if they have u-h-f band. We are also working on developing low-cost transmission antennas because transmission antennas are pretty expensive.”
Students at the Malawi university, chancellor college, hope that Daka’s Analog TV project will support teaching and learning by broadcasting course content for e-learning, by recording lectures, conference speakers, fine arts performances and special events on campus.
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This is a very good development…Keep it up the good works young man…
Ana aku Poly ntchito kupikitsana kukutha kwa Stereo Kwa Kamba ndikutukwana anthu mu Chichiri highway.It has taken the innovation of the education science student pamene inu mukungosinza.
Congrats and keep it up Bro proudly Malawian.
Izi nde zimene takhala tikumayemberkezera. DAKA you r a great Malawian. Osati ukangomva nkhani ya ku chancho kumangomva zaugalu. Ugalu wabwino nduumeneu. Keep the fire burning.
I would rather comment! This is a good gesture in as far as the science community in this country is concerned. It is high time Malawi as a nation begin to develop it’s own technology. Let us all learn from our fellow developed countries, the likes of China, India etc., who began through the same trend. This kid began his innovations by developing a wireless microphone, then after he also did a radio station based on the later principles. And now he is able to make a TV station by transmitting an audio and video signal. If you were to… Read more »
AM AN ACCOUNTANT BY PRO.BUT I SEEM TO ENJOY WATCHIN DIS DRAMA.AM NOT DISCREDITIN MY HARDWORKIN COLLEGUE DAKA.BUT PROBLEM WITH MAJORITY COMENTS MAKE THIS DRAMATIC.PROBLEM IS COZ MANY PPLE LIMIT SELVES TO GAMES ON COMPUTER -CARDS ETC WASTIN TIME.ONLY FEW DO THINGS DAT CAN IMPROVE OUR LIVES-VERY FEW MEANINGFUL RESEARCHERS. 4 EXAMPLE SINCE THE INCEPTION OF KAYELEKERA DID THE ENVIRONMENTAL MINISTERS KNOW DAT THEY NEEDED REGULAR MONITORIN OF DE MINE AS REGARDS COMPLIANCE?IT IS ONLY NOW DAT THEY HAV BEEN SPOONFED BY CLEVER VILLAGERS THAT THEY SEEM TO WAKE UP.MINISTERS MUST BE REREARCHERS IN THEIR OWN MINISTRIES IF THEY ARE… Read more »
Gud news, but Nyasatimes editor seems to allow giving us a direct transcription of the report on Youtube. Well, it’s all god news!!
@ Chris Shut if u don’t have anything positive to say. Enemy of progress. When you were his age what did you ever develop or invented in your life apart from eating a lot of nsima and sleeping a lot. Take an example of FB founder, they were lots social networks already available then like Hi5, My space etc but FB stood out. You never know what this kid with the TV can do. Malawians we good at talking shit. Lets support each other rather than discouraging one another and tribalism insults like Mtumbuka ameneyo ahh Mlakho ahh wagule ameneyo.… Read more »
Talking about analogue when the country is migrating to digital is not reinventing the wheel
It is very encouraging and motivating indeed. The facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg, started like that as well at the University Campus. Today, almost every one else do appreciate and enjoy the easier way of communicating via facebook. As for Mr. Daka, it is a good gesture that as he puts Malawi on the Global map, it is not because of a sad story, it is indeed through a good story to tell, possibly for a very long period.