The Namibian Broadcasting Cooperation's (nbc) Director General says four programs that the corporation introduced a year ago have thrived in filling a void within communities.
Stanley Similo says the national broadcaster will continue to look for ways to improve these programs through the advancement of technology and by integrating sections of the population that may have been left out.
It has been a year since the nbc introduced the programs: The Wheels of Justice with Daniel Nadunya, In the Community with Elago Shitaatala, Situation Kritikal with Jonas Mbambo, and Daily RoundUp with Nina Katangana.
The programs have provided viewers with great choices for hooking onto their television sets.
They cover a wide range of current affairs issues, from law to social and economic development, stories of ordinary Namibians, and international news, to name a few.
Solutions to problems are also explored with seemingly no boundaries, either geographically or in scope—going wherever society's bread-and-butter issues beckon.
The Wheels of Justice, In the Community, Situation Kritikal, and the Daily RoundUp all enjoy large audiences and bring experts from different arenas to the table.
Looking back, the nbc's DG takes pride in the self-initiated programs, which he says have tied in well with executing the corporation's objectives to inform and educate the nation, despite limited funds and resources at its disposal.
As a way to improve service, some of the programs have been adapted for radio, while sign language interpretation has also been incorporated for the sake of inclusivity.
"So if we have to look a year later after the programs came on board, I think we have done extremely well and the programs are just getting better by the day, and we will be looking at ways on how we can improve. I've got to find creative ways through which we can still do that without affecting our operations, so there is a board meeting two weeks from now at which the same issues will be raised. We have a few plans in terms of how we can mitigate this and also for the nbc to be future-proof as well as for us, these are positive challenges."
The Director General says the nbc is repositioning itself to be tech-savvy and able to offer quality services while keeping up with the rest of the industry worldwide.
This, he says, is already evident through its current broadcasting operations.
"You'll also know that if there are events that are live, we no longer go with a whole OB van that would require about 21 people; the way the internet has changed, we can now live stream with just 7 crew members and do a full production. When we look at radio, we also bring in the element of the video. So you can be able to enjoy everything there is."