24.10.2001

In 1995 The Gambia formed its first national television station, and it has been a success ever since.

Television services were absent since independence due to the fact that the government of the day deemed it unnecessary and not being a priority area of development. However, with the military take-over in July 1994, the new leaders made it known that television was needed for the social and intellectual development of The Gambia. The establishment of a TV station was thereafter put in a list of development projects to be implemented during the transition period between military and democratic civilian government.

The Dream
The task of putting this 'dream' (as many people called it) into reality was given to The Gambia Telecommunications Company Ltd (Gamtel), one of the success stories of the Gambia. The extensive fibre optic network throughout the country is extremely useful for the transmission of TV signals. Gamtel also had adequate technical expertise to be capable of implementing the technical aspects regarding studio and transmitter equipment. Moreover, the company had the financial resources necessary to undertake such a project.
After scouting through the professional television equipment manufacturers, the decision was made to purchase from Thomson Broadcast Systems & Thomcast. Gamtel has had a long, amicable and pleasant relationship with the French as they provided all the equipment for the telephone services. These factors contributed greatly to the choice of the supplier.

The first phase of the TV project was implemented in December 1995 with the installation of a 5KW transmitter at Abuko (18 km from the capital Banjul).
This location was chosen because it would serve the capital as well as what is now known as the Greater Banjul Area, as well as parts of the hinterland. The studio equipment was installed in Serrekunda which is 11 km from Banjul. The studio location is temporary, and plans are underway for the building of a permanent and modern studio. The processing of the video signal within the studio is digital.
This can be attributed to the fact that entering the TV business so late it was possible to get state of the art technology and systems at affordable prices. The signal from the studio is sent to the transmitter using a microwave radio link. There is also a fibre link between the two sites which acts as a backup to the radio link.

Wide acceptance
The introduction of TV in The Gambia has been well received by the entire population. They have been without it for so long that most of them felt that television broadcasting would never be realised. People were able to watch Senegalese TV, which was 75% in French, but most were only interested in news programmes (watching the pictures) and only few programmes were in the local languages. With the introduction of television, the TV market has expanded. There is now a great influx of new and used TV sets. Most people now have access to TV as the extended family system is extensively practised. If one does not have a TV set at home, he has a neighbour who has one or a relative and he can always watch TV from there.

Recruitment of the necessary staff posed some problems as there existed an acute shortage of experienced people in TV operation and production. However, the management strategy is to start from the grass roots level and train people. The Gambia had an Audio-Visual Media Unit and the employees were absorbed into Gambia TV. Other employees came from the radio which is also part of Gamtel. The core of the technical staff is from Gamtel. A few school graduates have also been recruited and these will receive training on all aspects of TV operation, maintenance, marketing and management. The number of staff is around thirty-five.

Programmes in the making
Most of the programmes are locally produced. The production unit has been organised into departments headed by Principal Producer/Directors (PPDs). The units are: drama and children programmes, news, current affairs and sports, education and entertainment. PPDs together with their staff are responsible for programs. They get ideas from within the section, from colleagues and sometimes from the public. After having a broad outline of what is required, they seek approval from the director, and if this is obtained, they get the necessary equipment from the technical department and proceed with production.
The main production bottleneck is the fact that only one post-production editing suite is available, but plans are underway to obtain another suite. Most of the programs are in English. Wollof and Mandinka are the two local languages used; most of the people can understand one or both. Due to the fact that the TV Station has just been established, the necessary protocols are still being negotiated in order to be able to broadcast foreign material. Because of the high costs involved, movies will take some time before they will feature on Gambia TV.

Foreign documentaries have been aired. Agreement has been reached with Canal France International (CFI) through the French Government, and a decoder has been provided by the French. Agreement has also been reached with CNN and up to three hours of CNN material could be broadcast every day. The Gambia is a member of URTNA.
The European Soccer Championship, and the 1996 Olympic Games were aired due to the collaboration of URTNA and CFI. The second phase of the TV project was implemented in August 1996. This saw the installation of two transmitters (5KW and 2KW), making nation-wide coverage possible. These stations receive signals from the studio via the fibre optic cable link. An OB van is also available and is equipped with five cameras.

Financial hardship
The whole TV project has been financed by Gamtel. An independent budget for the station has not yet been developed. However, some amount of marketing is being carried out, a few companies and organisations have started using the medium for advertisements. The revenue derived from this is small, but it is a start.
Programmes produced are also available for sale on VHS tapes. The demand for some programmes by the general public is so great, that they have to wait for up to a week before they can collect their copies. The programmes of interest are usually religious, cultural, entertainment and big national events. It is hoped that in the future some form of license fees will be collected to facilitate the running of an efficient system. The modalities for this is still being worked out within Gamtel and later with the government.

The reputation of the TV station is quite high within the Gambian populace. Staff from Gambia TV are always being told by the people that they appreciate what is being done for the country. TV broadcasting in The Gambia is still in its infancy stage, and with time, training and experience, there is much that can be realised with this very important medium, which it is hoped will improve the social and economic situation, and above all, will educate the people and make The Gambia a success story and a self-reliant nation.