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That Deltans are disturbed by the comatose condition of their once held darling media organs – Delta Broadcasting Service, Asaba; Delta Broadcasting Service, Warri and The Pointer newspapers is to state the obvious. For observers who knew how vibrant these media houses were in the past, what is seen of the sickly state of the outfits today leaves a sour taste in the mouth. The situation is a total disappointment.

The last time Deltans easily tuned to the DBS in the comfort of their homes was in the early days of Dr. Emmanuel Ewetan Uduaghan as governor. But the euphoria sunk and died in the days of the Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa as Governor.

Indeed, acclaim must be given to former Governors Felix Ibru and James Onanefe Ibori, during whose administrations, the media outfits stood strong and did the state proud with the broadcast outfits delivering efficiently, while The Pointer newspaper was printed by the DPPCL and reeled out its copies and circulated across the country. Former Governor Felix Ibru, understanding the importance and place of the media outfits, allocated land to them and also allocated land to the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ). It was setting in motion the process for developing the needed infrastructure for the media outfits and journalists to thrive in the State. A place was earmarked and given to DBS in Warri.

When Ibori took over as governor, The Pointer Reporters across the country were professionally bright and radiant. Chief Ibori is remembered for the personal interest he took to see the state media outfits stand strong and weather challenges. It is important to recall that Chief Ibori as governor would take time out to visit the DBS Asaba in the cool evening without government officials, just alone, drive into the broadcast station’s premises, walk in to see things for himself. That way he was able to ascertain firsthand the challenges that the management of the station faced and would quickly give directives to ameliorate the situation. During this period, DBS reporters had cameras, same thing with the ministries, all of which had cameras and they dutifully covered assignments and operations of the various ministries and agencies with their reports given to the DBS, which relayed them in their news bulletins. Today, android phones have become instruments of rescue.

Also, it’s shocking that DBS Asaba has no library. It’s unheard of that a television station has no archive to house materials of today’s events that become history tomorrow. What will future generations fall back on in their desired show and make their viewers learn and know about what transpired in the past in Delta State?

Old, former and current staff of DBS Asaba recall that Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan as governor once visited the station to see things for himself. But in contrast, it was recalled that visiting the station was a big luxury for former governor Ifeanyi Okowa. A staff sarcastically said that not once did he visit the station, not even when flood rented and took over the station’s premises.

The case of DBS Warri is not a palatable story to tell here as information flowing out from that end tells the story of utter neglect. See the rent that politicians made of the land allocated to the media establishments. Politicians have desecrated them and shared the land with approval of governors. The action of those governors amounted to trifling with the functions of the media establishments and weakened their capacity to expand and develop as they ought to.

Thus, Delta State with notable and capable and experienced media personalities and entrepreneurs cannot boast of well run media outfits. The Pointer’s obsolete printing machines have remained down and out. The company now grovels to be served by a competing company in the newspaper business to print for it and of course, charged for services rendered for printing it. While the land allocated to The Pointer Newspaper as permanent sites were commandeered and shared by politicians, the same politicians allocated land to rival and private media establishments. Today, The Pointer newspapers are printed by the rival newspaper and pay for the services.

It’s curious and appalling that rather than take serious measures to activate and build the state’s media houses into reputable establishments, politicians have completely relegated these establishments and take delight in running to and patronizing electronic media and their print genres and paying heavily in the process. Unfortunately, the terrible implication is that the state media establishments remain comatose, just as their staffs are relegated and ignored. Yet, all the media establishments in Delta State boast of competent and well trained journalists, but who, because of the attitude of politicians, the establishments and staffs are degraded while resources are disingenuously approved to patronize so-called national newspapers and their electronic counterparts. How for instance does one relate a situation where politicians will send press releases and advertorials to the state media establishments and insist on not paying because it is a state media organ, but will pay for the same adverts press releases sent to media establishments outside. This attitude negates the commercial and business nature of the state media establishments, thus depriving them of the opportunity of needed funds to run the organizations as commercial and business outfits. The development kills initiatives and stifles innovative ideas that the staffs would have brought into running their establishments.

Let it also be pointed out that politicians are not the only ones to blame for the disgusting condition of the Delta State owned media establishments, in many instances the attitudes of the staff also contribute to the detrimental condition of their places of work. Many of the staff see themselves basically as civil servants and so are only concerned about promotion matters and not the well being of the establishments. Tales are told of how staffs in the electronic mediums steal equipment and materials of the organizations and install them in their private studios, thus putting the establishments in serious problems.

This is the challenge of the Governor Sheriff Oborevwori administration. Will he take definite interest and measures to personally revamp and revive the Delta State media outfits, or will he let history lump him with his predecessors who looked away while the state media outfits went down and degenerated? The ball is in his court; it’s an opportunity for him to end this disgrace of Delta State.

Deltans desire that their state media outfits be made to bounce back, made better, stronger and enterprising.