Worried by the deplorable state of some of its media establishments, the Enugu State Government on Monday announced its readiness to revitalise its state-owned media houses.
Commissioner for Information, Dr. Godwin Udeuhele, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu that government was concerned about the Enugu State Broadcasting Service and its publishing house, Daily Star.
Udeuhele said his ministry had taken inventory of the Daily Star publishing facilities as well as acknowledged the need to replace its aging staff strength.
“I am personally concerned since l visited the place and it was pathetic the deplorable condition I met the establishment in terms of machinery, state of building and aging staff strength”, he said.
“The ministry had submitted its findings on the organisation to the governor through the State Executive Council.
“However, the government had started its intervention by approving the renovation of its compound, provision of furniture, computer and its accessories.
“I believe that major repair and purchase of new printing plant to replace the existing ones would come either later this year or early next year.”
Udeuhele said government had digitalised the ESBS, making it the most outstanding state owned broadcasting media.
He added: “By the time we reposition the ESBS television, it would compete favourably with all the big players in the digital television broadcasting world such as Channels, AIT, CNN and TVC.
“The local content of ESBS radio and television stations and the frequency of broadcast airtime allotted to them cannot be rivalled by any local station in the country.
“With the latest digital transmitters for the radio and television, our reach had gone beyond the country’s frontier.
“For now, ESBS television channel 54 is one of the best stations watched for news, information and entertainment from Nigeria due to its sound and picture clarity.”
The Commissioner promised that the state would remain first among other states in the digital media age frontier in the country. (NAN)
