The minister for Information, Media and Broadcasting Services, Dr Ismaila Ceesay, has told journalists that the government has allocated $11 million to Gambia Radio and Television Services to enhance its standard to carry out modern broadcasting to the public.
He made this revelation during the monthly Ministerial Press Briefing on Wednesday at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara Conference Centre in Bijilo. The monthly briefing aims at updating the public on the achievements and challenges of each ministry.
This investment is expected to boost GRTS’s viewership at both national and international levels and elevate the challenges it faces, the minister said: “We plan to initiate the fourth phase of the infrastructure for Digital Terrestrial Transition (DTT) with this $11 million project to enhance GRTS’s productivity.”
He emphasised that the transformation of GRTS is a key component of the government’s agenda, which includes collaborating closely with the Director General of GRTS to transform the state broadcaster to meet global broadcasting standards.
“This is an important project that the country must implement as soon as possible,” Dr Ceesay stated. “We want GRTS to be modernised and to become a state broadcaster suitable for the 21st century.”
In his remarks, Abdoulie Sey, Managing Director of GRTS, highlighted that the state broadcaster is now accessible with a click, marking a significant shift from analogue to digital broadcasting.
“I am pleased to inform you that GRTS is now on satellite for the first time. This means you can access GRTS from anywhere. We are currently developing an app to make the state broadcaster even more accessible,” he informed.
Mr Sey also mentioned that GRTS has a fully equipped studio to enhance its operational efficiency.
“We are happy to announce that the GRTS studio at Mile 7 has been modernized,” he stated. “One of the studios has been upgraded to become an audio-visual studio.” Sey also revealed that another GRTS broadcast station in Mansa Konko will soon be operational to increase its visibility in the media landscape and the population.
