Broadcasting Industry Tasked On Strategic Partnerships In Media Reportage
By George Coben, Bauchi
The Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed has urged the Broadcasting Industry to engage in strategic partnerships to remain relevant in the emergence of the Social Media.
Governor Mohammed stated this while declaring open the 80th General Assembly of the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria, which took place in Bauchi, with the theme “The Broadcast Media in The Era of Economic Downturn – The Way Forward”.
Senator Mohammed described the theme of the meeting as timely, thought provoking and underscores the need for the Industry to navigate the evolving economic and technological landscape.
He said the Broadcasting Industry is at the crossroads. While technology presents challenges for growth and expansion, it also introduces new challenges.
“The rise of the Internet, Social Media, Artificial intelligence, and the big break phenomenon have transformed the way information is disseminated.
“These challenges should be seen as opportunities to innovate, adapt, and control the high standards of journalism in the 21st century,” he stated.
The Governor said the Media have played a crucial role in Nigeria’s democratic evolution and nation building, a beacon of hope, a voice to the voiceless.
While saying that this role must not be compromised, Senator Mohammed urged the Industry to prioritize the welfare of its workers so as to check efforts to manipulate the media for selfish gains.
He said his administration remains committed to free speech, good Governance and constructive criticism, stating that the Government have invested heavily in the media sector over the last 5 years to ensure that it remains a powerful tool for communication, development and accountability.
“When we came into power in 2019, we inherited a media landscape in distress. Government owned media stations were in a state of near collapse. Our response was swift and strategic.
“We embarked on revitalization of the state owned Radio station with provision of state- of-the-art digital transmitters to enhance efficiency and reach.
“Our TV station also received a little boost. We awarded and executed contract for digitization, rehabilitation, and reconstruction. Modern digital transmitters were installed to ensure that the state, and indeed, the whole country receives high quality, uninterrupted Broadcast services,” he explained.
The Governor said furthermore, the Government recently signed an MoU with Galaxy Backbone to strengthen the Bauchi State Bureau for Information, Communication, Technology, and Digital Economy.
In his presentation on the theme, the VC, Federal University, Kashere, Gombe state, Professor Umar Pate said the media is in transition because of the change that the Internet brought to bear on it.
Professor Pate opined that the conventional media is dire need of funding as emerging players like Youtube, Tik-Tok, among other social media platforms, being worsened by Artificial Intelligence, now have a big share of the money that ought to have gone into it.
While stating that with funding Media Managers would be able to create contents as the window to connect happenings to the world, particularly the young generation that find the new players appealing, the VC also underscored the need to invest in Technology without which there would be no such reach.
On his own part, the National Chairman of BON, who is also the DG NTA, Salihu Abdulhamid Dembos, represented by the Vice Chairman Zone B, Yobe State, Alhaji Yusuf Alhaji Isah, noted with appreciation that NTA, BATV, and BRC media stations were not left out in the transformative efforts of the Government.
