RSG Set To Revamp Media Houses

Rivers State Government  says it has concluded plans to revamp the three state –owned media houses for better efficiency and productivity, come 2011.

The State Commissioner for Information  and Communications, Mrs Ibim Semenitari said part of the state government’s arrangement to reposition the state media machinery was the plan to make the Garden City Radio, another state media organ to come on air next year.

Semenitari  who disclosed this last Thursday during the closing ceremony of a two-day workshop organised by her ministry in Port Harcourt, also assured that government would equip the media houses with modern facilities to boost their production.

According to her, the Rivers State Television (RSTV) would go digital next year while Radio Rivers would relocate to his transmitter centre, Elelenwo also next year.

The Information Commissioner however urged management of the state media houses to engage in regular training programme for staff to enable them fit into the new media challenges as well as boost the  financial fortunes of the media houses so that they would stop running cap in hand begging for government’s assistance to survive.

She also expressed the commitment and determination of Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi administration to prosecute and install rotary machines for The Tide newspapers, adding that the bidding for the machines was done few months ago.

Semenitari denied insinuations that the state government had swept the issue of building a new secretariat of the Rivers Council of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) under the  carpet and was hopeful that government would go into the project next year.

While commending the executive and members of Rivers NUJ for their cooperation and understanding on the matter, she said government was taking its time to give a befitting secretariat to the mass communicators to give them a sense of belonging in the affairs of government.