South Sudan to restore Rumbek TV station
By Manyang Mayom
Aug 1, 2006 (RUMBEK) — Plans are underway to revive the Lakes State TV station which was ravaged by war and fell into disuse since the liberation of Rumbek by the SPLA forces in 1st/7/1997.
The TV station dates back to the late 1970s when the American Telecommunications company Harris international was contracted by the Nimeri regime to install Television transmission reception centres throughout the Sudan where giant satellite dishes were set up to receive the Omdurman national TV broadcasts.
The plan was part of the National communications infrastructure network to link up the whole country, the Lakes State minister of Information, Culture, Youth and Sports stressed. According to Ms.Adak Costa Mapuor the Lakes State minister of Information, Culture, Youth and Sports further affirmed that the radio station will follow soon using FM frequencies.
Since the area is under control of the SPLM forces, nine years ago, citizens of Lakes state had been deprived of information services.
The Rumbek old TV station site stands as a huge monument. A white elephant at best. Now the huge satellite dish stands out in Rumbek as a giant landmark like the tour Eiffel of Paris by which the city is known. Our Rumbek dish site is rented out to investors as an internet provider centre while the dish itself provides the roof of a bar that serves drinks.
All of that now has to change as the information ministry will reclaim the site and lay a new infrastructure for TV and Radio communications for the Lakes State in the year near future.
GOSS plans to restart all the non-functional TV stations in the former SPLM controlled areas which are more or less like our State TV services are still operational in the former government of Sudan held areas which have now come under the SPLM.
The GOSS must therefore take the challenge seriously and bring parity to all States by establishing TV and Radio Stations throughout the Southern States on equal footing with the North. This will at least make the average citizen to be aware of Government policies and how development plans are proceeding, let alone other social news of interest.
(ST)