Decision on national TV station a hasty one
I THINK the Government’s decision to start a national TV station and operated by the National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC), is hasty.
I believed it was revealed during the Kalo Commission of Inquiry many years ago that TV station is an expensive medium that only a minority (about 20%) can afford.
And it was referring to 20% of the urban population who have access to electricity.
Furthermore, the NBC has not been fully rehabilitated and has yet to improve most of the provincial radio stations, studios, facilities and accommodation for its staff.
Radio is universally regarded as the cheapest medium of mass communication that can reach 100% of the PNG population.
A transistor radio operating on batteries is cheaper than a TV set operating on electricity supply.
I am not aware of an in-depth audience research into TV broadcasting by NBC since the Kalo report.
How much is the NBC going to spend on buying cheap imported programmes and how much is it going to spend on producing local ones?
I understand that EMTV currently spends very little on local productions or even on advertisements.
Major clients usually prefer to use foreign advertising agencies to produce their commercials.
Has the NBC a budget to enable the rural people, who account for 80% of the country’s population, to buy a TV set and pay for the electricity?
Could the information ministry please clarify?

Concerned communication, Port Moresby
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