National editorial - Restore the NBC first
Title -- 5376 PNG: National editorial - Restore the NBC first
Date -- 14 March 2008
Byline -- None
Origin -- Pacific Media Watch
Source -- The National (PNG) 14/03/08
Copyright - The National
Status -- Unabridged
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The National editorial:
RESTORE THE NBC FIRST
www.thenational.com.pg/031408/lead_editorial.htm
PORT MORESBY (The National Online/Pacific Media Watch): It is difficult not to agree with the thinking of a correspondent to The National, published in yesterday’s edition [March 13].
The subject was the proposed national television network.
This newspaper has previously expressed some concern about the nature of that project.
Briefly, we’ve pointed out the necessity for the “state television station”, as Government sources continue to refer to it, to operate under the existing Broadcasting Act.
That legislation at least guarantees theoretical independence of content and administration to the National Broadcasting Corporation.
Any attempt to establish a television station that is committed only to disseminating the viewpoint of the government of the day should be the subject of trenchant and sustained opposition by the Media Council.
Far too many examples of “state television” scattered throughout the world’s dictatorships and imitation democracies already exist; PNG must not give away its birthright of unfettered broadcasting.
One of the major issues raised by our correspondent concerned the state of the NBC.
We all recognise that the corporation now has a much more energetic and far-sighted management than it has had for many years and for that we are grateful.
Even the corporation board, long a resting place for non-entities, is playing its part in the rejuvenation of what was once a unique PNG network.
But recovery cannot be rapid; while the present budget for the NBC has begun the process of viewing the national broadcaster’s legitimate needs somewhat more realistically, it still falls dramatically short of the funding that could and should be made available to the organisation.
It is an extraordinary fact that no government since independence has made any real effort to make use of the NBC within the parameters allowed by the Act.
Previous initiatives that opened the window on government policies and projects were created by gifted NBC staff producers and not at the behest of any government.
The NBC had a fully-fledged training arm; each provincial station in the then fully-operational network of 17 or more stations was visited for at least a fortnight each year.
One of the functions of those training teams was to teach a representative from each of the provincial government departments how to present a half hour radio programme each week, literally bringing the department to the people.
Some stations broadcast these in a number of vernacular languages and there were many more operational radios in villages.
Contact between the provincial governments and the people in even the most remote corners of each province were smoothly maintained. The flow of information was two ways; as people met station personnel in the field or visiting their villages, they detailed their concerns.
These in turn formed the basis for government patrols throughout the provinces.
Today’s available technology means that the costs of radio that can reach every person in PNG – and many beyond our borders – have fallen dramatically.
We agree with our correspondent – get radio up and running as a first class medium once again, because it is the only true means of reaching every one of our people at the lowest possible costs.
Television is a wonderful medium when it is used properly.
But to be effective, whether to broadcast development policies and news or entertainment, television receivers need to be widely distributed throughout the nation.
A recent check showed that even 14-inch bargain television receivers cost at least K400.
There are few service networks in urban areas, and none outside in our provinces; spare parts are already a major hassle and an expensive item for set owners.
A local television network with a commitment to PNG-generated programming may be a major asset – but the costs of such programming are high indeed.
And quality PNG television producers, cameramen and women, interviewers, programmers and marketing staff cannot be produced overnight.
Some of the fully qualified and widely experienced radio staff of the NBC remain on strength and the broadcaster has a very good chance of restoring the exceptional radio network of old – and carrying it forward into the new and innovative broadcasting age of this century.
For our money, restore quality independent radio for our people before investing millions of our kina in “State television.”
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