In an exclusive interview with The Standard, Mr Manga stated that the grand gala dinner which will feature renowned Senegalese mbalax songstress, Titi, is intended to generate funds for GRTS to diversify its operational activities in a decentralized manner.
DG Manga said: “The concept of this event is made necessary by the staff association which decided to raise funds to support GRTS operational activities across the country. We are particularly interested in implementing a private project to diversify our activities given our outreach in all communities. This ‘Operation Decentralising Operations’ of GRTS seeks to expand our outreach base and hence avoid the unnecessary burden of sending a GRTS crew all the way to Basse to cover a programme there. We are in a pilot phase of establishing sub-stations in places like Basse to make our work easier and more convenient. This is indication of what we are trying to do as the national broadcaster and we have incorporated this in our independent drive to take GRTS to the next level.”
Mr Manga further indicated that decentralising GRTS is the way forward because the institution is at the forefront of national development as the nation’s information hub. He said this makes it all the more crucial to make meaningful interventions that will mirror well for the development of the institution.
He added: “We are targeting corporate institutions, government agencies, the private sector and all Gambians to grace this event because GRTS belongs to all Gambians. Also, through the support of the president, GRTS will be showing the World Cup. But we cannot just rely on government and it has also been our independent drive to reach newer grounds through our own efforts and this event will surely help us in our activities. In our decentralising project, we have competent staff and a crew through training that we can send to our sub-stations to add meaning to our work. The floor has always been open for all Gambians to support GRTS because it belongs to all of us. I would like to call on everyone to come forward and lend support to the institution to harness modest ways for the realisation of our national objectives.”
By Lamin Njie
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