From GEORGE COBEN, Bauchi
The Bauchi State Television (BATV) has organised a two-day capacity-building workshop to equip its staff with the skills required for effective service delivery in the digital broadcasting era.
The workshop, themed “Broadcast in the Digital Satellite Era: Enhancing Professional Skills, Content Quality and Technological Excellence,” brought together broadcast professionals to strengthen staff competence in digital content production and ethical journalism.
Declaring the workshop open in Bauchi, the Commissioner for Information and Communication, Usman Shehu, said the training was part of the state government’s commitment to repositioning its media organisations for global competitiveness.
He said Governor Bala Mohammed had supported the digitisation of BATV and the Bauchi Radio Corporation through major upgrades, including satellite transmission and solar-powered facilities.
“As Bauchi embraces digital broadcasting, our personnel must uphold professionalism, media ethics and excellence because our audience now extends beyond Nigeria,” Shehu said.
He urged media practitioners to uphold professional ethics by promoting peace, unity and public confidence, particularly as the country prepares for another election cycle.
Acting Managing Director of BATV, Fibi Kafi, described the workshop as the first of its kind in more than 20 years, attributing it to the station’s transition from analogue to digital broadcasting.
She said digital broadcasting requires new skills and adherence to international best practices.
“Digital broadcasting demands new skills and international best practices. This training is designed to prepare our staff to meet those expectations and compete with their peers globally,” she said.
Kafi expressed appreciation to the state government for supporting the station’s digital transformation and staff development.
Chairman of the Bauchi State Broadcasting Corporation, Mohammed Bello, appealed to the state government to recruit additional personnel and absorb long-serving casual workers in BATV and the Bauchi Radio Corporation to strengthen service delivery.
Presentations at the workshop focused on public sector media ethics, production of world-class news content for satellite television audiences, and content production and audience engagement in the digital age.