Channels Television and three other stations, African Independent Television, Sliverbird TV and the Nigerian Television Authority, have been made official media partners to promote Bayelsa State to the rest of the world.
The four stations sealed the partnership on Friday during the grand finale of the maiden edition of the Bayelsa Economic and Investors Forum.
Presenting the signed Memorandum of Understanding to the State Governor, Seriake Dickson, the Chairman/CEO of Channels Television, Mr John Momoh said that the deal would ensure that millions of people around the world get to know more about the activities of the Bayelsa State Government and its investment initiatives.
He said that the partnership did not preclude the media from performing their watchdog role, but showed that the media were interested in rising with Bayelsa.
“In any case, we have often been criticised as playing up a lot of the negative news on our TV stations. This is an opportunity for us to accentuate that aspect of developmental journalism that people say are in short supply and are not being carried by the news stations,” he said.
Mr Momoh explained that the partnership would enable the people of Bayelsa hear more about the activities of the Governor who he said was doing a lot for Nigeria.
The State’s Commissioner of Information and Orientation, Deacon Markson Fefegha, said that the robust partnership would bring a turnaround in the investment opportunities in the state.
“We cannot have development unless you advertise to the world. It is the beginning of a turnaround of a definite partnership with the media houses that have been partnering with the state. It has been made official with the signing,” he said.
The governor of the state had said that the investment forum was aimed at bringing more investments into the different sectors of the state.
