Samoa Digital Company

The platform was built by private company Samoa Digital Company and broadcasters pay to use it at a cost of $US8,000 a month for commercial stations and almost $US6,500 for non-commercial community broadcasters.

Samoa Observer reports that an agreement between the previous administration and the Samoa Digital Company allowed the government channel on the platform free of charge.

The Samoa Observer reports that Tuila'epa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi is wary of the heavy set-up costs and the ongoing expense imposed by the television regulator.

The regulator Samoa Digital Company Limited (SDCL) is at loggerheads with Samoa's seven existing stations over its tariff for the new digital platform which the country is migrating to.

It is charging each channel $US13,400 per month compared with the monthly $5600 previously touted as acceptable by Tuila'epa.

Tuila'epa questioned whether any stations would use the service if the cost was prohibitive to do so.