BY GIOVANNI EMEPHIA
THE Delta State Government has emphasized its commitment to a state communication strategy in which state-owned media outfits will operate a unified broadcasting approach in which Delta Broadcasting Service (DBS), Asaba and Warri would harmonize programme content for the purpose of amplifying the policies and programmes of the state government.
The Commissioner for Works (Rural Roads) and Public Information, Mr. Charles Aniagwu expressed this vision at a meeting he held with top management staff of the stations at the conference hall of the Ministry of Information, Asaba.
Mr. Aniagwu expressed the commitment of the Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori’s administration to reviving the broadcast stations, which had fallen into a state of near comatose as a result of several factors, including equipment, personnel, funding and signal distribution challenges.
While assuring the public that a new Delta Broadcasting Service would emerge after all the technical issues have been sorted out, Aniagwu charged the management of both broadcast stations to think outside the box and envision a broadcast outfit whose signals would be received in the 25 local government areas of the state, broadcasting programme content that would unify the state, keep citizens informed of the government’s activities as well as be a vehicle for socio-political development.
Commissioner Aniagwu, who emphasized that Governor Oborevwori’s administration placed high premium on listening to the people, urged the management of the stations to give equal opportunities to Deltans, irrespective of political affiliation, to express their constructive opinions on the government’s policies and programmes, stressing that this feedback would enable the government to be better able to review its operations where necessary to serve the people better.
Earlier, in their separate contributions, general managers of Delta Broadcasting Service, Asaba, and Delta Rainbow Television, Warri, Mrs. Christine Emetulu and Pastor Malcolm Oteri, respectively, mentioned a number of challenges facing their stations promising, however, to embrace the new vision of a harmonized broadcast strategy for a greater Delta State.
As part of finding workable solutions to enhancing the performance of the state-owned stations, a technical committee was set up to midwife the process.
