“You cannot own a huge GSM Company and you own a TV and a radio, he said. How will the media get money from advertisement, when you own a radio station too?”
Bah raised this concern on Wednesday at a press conference organised by the Ministry of Information, which focused on the latest government developments, initiatives and policies taking place in the various ministries. The briefing was held at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara Conference Center.
He stated that GSM Companies in the country are the ones supposed to be paying the millions to the media houses for advertisements for the media to build capacity, grow and make money.
“Cabinet took that decision not to issue licence to GSM Companies,” he highlighted, saying: “Let the advertisement industry grow and make money and the media house will make money.”
Amat Bah further said that “today media houses are victims of decision made to issue licences to GSM Companies, because they [the GSM companies] have TVs and radio stations. Where will the traditional media get money?”
He emphasised that government has said that licences should not be given to GSM companies, so the traditional media industry will be able to make money that they are supposed to make. The media needs the money to train their people, to upgrade their facilities and to do a better job, he factually stated.
The thoughtful Lands Minister also says: “It is important for government to get resources to help the media houses to train their personnel, because that training component will make a difference in the quality and how our media operates in the country.
“Other countries have done it and why can’t we do it here in The Gambia? We work with the Gambia Press Union. We work with media houses and how we can generate revenues on how we can support them to train their people to become more professionals so that the service delivery will be of quality. I stand to support you at every level.”
Minister Bah further disclosed to journalists that President Adama Barrow had directed that “some of the media houses are given land”, noting that the media houses are paying too much of rent from where they are operating.
“I have already directed a unit within the Ministry of Lands to handle that process to ensure that we provide lands to these media houses to reduce their cost of rent and I am going to implement that request the President forwarded to me,” he assured, saying that some of the media houses are trying their very best to portray the things the government and the ministries are doing.
“If we are wrong, tell us we are wrong, but when we do well too, please tell the people. That is how you get respected,” Minister Bah spoke out, saying: “Being a journalist makes you servant of the people, by serving the people in the best interest of the nation. Journalists have a civil responsibility and a national duty to do right during the course of their work.”
