We congratulate GRTS who are going to satellite in two months time according to the permanent secretary at the Department of State for Information Technology and Communication and the Director-general of GRTS Modou Sanyang. At this time we offer a piece of advice: the staff should go on intensive training for phonetics and intonation, good dress code, and they should also have outfit allowances. Also the Service should avoid repeating news for two or three days as they do now; as this can be very boring.

More telecasters and technicians should he recruited to ensure greater efficiency. The hours of the news should be revisited and scheduled for 8p.m. instead of 9p.m.and repeated at 11.00pm. Such a time change would enable certain viewers to watch the news and retire early. It would be good to also recruit some eminent telecasters as part timers including personalities in the likes of Jainaba Nyang, Fatou Camara and Joy Coker.

With regard to entertainment programming, some of the popular programmes come rather too late. Presently the timing of the broadcast of Goudi Samedi is very late. This means many people are too tired, after a hard day’s work, to stay up and enjoy

it, as expected by the programmers. Showing this programme at an earlier hour like 10pm, would make it possible for wider viewing as well as greater enjoyment and appreciation.

GRTS should encourage and promote our Gambian artistes including those engaged in traditional music, and should also broadcast divergent views on all topics to promote discussion which is part of every healthy democracy.

The political opposition factions should be covered in their activities along with the government party. Government must not have a monopoly of T.V. airtime. People should be interviewed or be able to send in letters for the progress of GRTS.

The weekly Muslim programme, which has now stopped, Islam ak Jamano by Alhaji Ousman Jah, should be reinstated. Sporting activities, especially football and wrestling, should be well covered, being two of the most entertaining and popular sports. For the marketing department of GRTS, they should be more careful in ensuring that there are no spelling mistakes in advertisement scripts and also that old adverts do not continue to run after they have become stale.

“More educative, entertaining programmes should be created.

GRTS should be given more equipment, technicians and vehicles so as to allow the station to do nationwide coverages‘.

Incentive for the staff is essential.

By now they should be able to cover events live, but this is not the case. Presently they record events and transmit after. We need to bring ourselves up to the level whereby we can watch live events on GRTS from our own homes.

As we are on the verge of a great leap forward onto the international telecommunications stage with the new Satellite disc, we must ensure that we broadcast a positive and all-inclusive message to the wider world. Let us present a professional, balanced and all encompassing view of our great nation.

It would be good also for government to encourage private television stations to operate in The Gambia as is the case in other African states.