I hope you guys  don't mind if I butt in with my two cents here.
While I appreciate the points that Harona has raised, I think I have to also
say that I share Karamba's sentiment that it is imperative for the opposition
parties, as well as the average Gambian to have equal acces to the TV. Staff
training is certainly very important, but I just can't believe that the
monopoly on TV coverage  enjoyed by Jammeh and his party at the expense of
the opposition can be explained by the costliness of equipment, and staff
training. If the same number of cameras and present budget can follow Yaya
Jammeh and his party all over the place so they can spread their propaganda,
surely they can cover opposition events. How about some of that monopolized
time being split equally for a change?

 As someone already mentioned, the TV is by and large a propaganda medium for
the APRC. I remember one trip to Gambia when Tuti Faal was still the First
Lady, and the whole time I spent at home, they showed nothing but her trip Up
River, night after night. I could not believe it. I kept thinking that
surely, there are many things about average Gambians that could have been put
on instead of the airwaves being filled with one monotonous  story on one
individual

Not according equal time to others  also speaks to the ethics of good
journalism to make sure that you report all the news that's fit to report,
and strive to make sure that all sides are heard in your programming. That is
something that the journalists at GRTS must strive for because it does
reflect on their journalistic integrity if their coverage  tends to be
biased. Even if their attempts are met with deaf ears, they just cannot
afford not to make an attempt towards this in my view.

Jabou Joh

In a message dated 2/16/2001 12:25:26 PM Central Standard Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:

<< Karamba: My dear, we are still on the same coin, perhaps from different
 sides. Training for GRTS is and has always been a priority. However, putting
 2gether the resources has always been a herculian task. As you and i
 understand, the Tv is a major burden on Gamtel. A single camera costs over
 half a million Dalasi. A succesful station with nationwide coverage would
 need atleast six-ten of such. >>

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