HISTORY OF NIGERIAN TELEVISION AUTHORITY NTA ILORIN
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
The Nigerian Television Authority, NTA Ilorin metamorphosed from the then Nigerian Television NTV Ilorin which was an off-shoot of the proposed Kwara State Television initiated by the then Colonel David Bamigboye’s administration which did not see the light of the day before the federal Government’s announcement of takeover of all state Televisions in December 1975.
The Kwara state executive council in 1973, mooted the idea of a Television Station to promote the image of the state and to inform and enlighten the People about the activities of the Bamgboye administration in the state. In October 1974, council resolved to proceed with the television project.
On 3rd December 1974, an agreement was signed with Emmy Company of the U.K to supply the equipment before the launch of the proposed Kwara State Television. Before this decision could be effected however, the Federal Government had made a pronouncement to take over all state Televisions with effect from April 1st 1976.
Not deterred by this pronouncement, the Kwara State executive council took the decision on the 3rd of February, 1977 to pursue the television project to make it a reality, thus on the 21st of March 1977, Engineer David Jide Awoniyi was appointed pioneer General Manager of Nigerian Television NTV Ilorin following a competitive screening of the 15 applicants for the post of General Manager.
The recruitment for pioneer staff followed with a ten man committee headed by the then permanent secretary Chief Y.F Oyeyemi alongside the General Manager Engr. Awoniyi who saw to the recruitment of ten pioneer staff including Mr Jimmy Atteh, Mr John Sule, Mr Joe Olupidi, Mr Ray Yusuf, Mrs Moji Makanjuola (Nee Adeyemi), Engr. Steve Makanjuola, Alhaji Ayinla Abdulsalam and Mr Gbenebo among others. Thus, NTV Ilorin took off with Engr. Jide Awoniyi as substantive General Manager.
Although the state secretariat complex housed the first set of staff who had commenced training, on the 1st July 1977 the first contract to build a temporary studio was awarded and equipment ordered from the U.K
On the 3rd of August 1977, the Nigeria Television (NTV) Ilorin took off with its maiden transmission of programmes via satellite from Lagos.
Shortly after takeoff, the Federal Military Government under General Olusegun Obasanjo inaugurated the Nigerian Television Authority under decree 24 promulgated in 1977 but to take effect from April 1976. By the decree, the Nigerian Television Authority with headquarters at Victoria Island Lagos became the only body empowered to undertake broadcasting in Nigeria.
The NTA decree also introduced a statutory corporation with unique decentralized structure of six zonal boards which controlled the stations under them. NTA Ilorin was in Zone F with its zonal board at Sokoto.
As a result of Kolade commission in 1984, the zonal system was scrapped and the NTA Ilorin began to deal directly with the headquarters in Lagos.
TRANSMISSION
Allen Dick Corporation installed the mast and antenna. The network transmission was via DOMSAT. The transmitter building located in Ganmo was linked to the Fate studio via microwave link in 1978.
An expansion programme to cover other parts of old Kwara State started with Egbe transmitter in April 1982 and Kaiama transmitter in 1986.
There were two main routes for signal transmission, the Northern route comprissing Igbetti microwave link, Kishi microwave link, Egbe transmitter and Okoro-gbede and oshokoshoko transmitters with each of the transmitting stations radiating 5Kw while Ilorin had its two transmitters in parallel dishing out 10Kw of signal.
The stations signals both audio and visual since installation have been received clearly across the state and in parts of Kogi, Niger, Osun, Oyo and Ekiti states.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
The Nigerian Television Authority, NTA Ilorin metamorphosed from the then Nigerian Television NTV Ilorin which was an off-shoot of the proposed Kwara State Television initiated by the then Colonel David Bamigboye’s administration which did not see the light of the day before the federal Government’s announcement of takeover of all state Televisions in December 1975.
The Kwara state executive council in 1973, mooted the idea of a Television Station to promote the image of the state and to inform and enlighten the People about the activities of the Bamgboye administration in the state. In October 1974, council resolved to proceed with the television project.
On 3rd December 1974, an agreement was signed with Emmy Company of the U.K to supply the equipment before the launch of the proposed Kwara State Television. Before this decision could be effected however, the Federal Government had made a pronouncement to take over all state Televisions with effect from April 1st 1976.
Not deterred by this pronouncement, the Kwara State executive council took the decision on the 3rd of February, 1977 to pursue the television project to make it a reality, thus on the 21st of March 1977, Engineer David Jide Awoniyi was appointed pioneer General Manager of Nigerian Television NTV Ilorin following a competitive screening of the 15 applicants for the post of General Manager.
The recruitment for pioneer staff followed with a ten man committee headed by the then permanent secretary Chief Y.F Oyeyemi alongside the General Manager Engr. Awoniyi who saw to the recruitment of ten pioneer staff including Mr Jimmy Atteh, Mr John Sule, Mr Joe Olupidi, Mr Ray Yusuf, Mrs Moji Makanjuola (Nee Adeyemi), Engr. Steve Makanjuola, Alhaji Ayinla Abdulsalam and Mr Gbenebo among others. Thus, NTV Ilorin took off with Engr. Jide Awoniyi as substantive General Manager.
Although the state secretariat complex housed the first set of staff who had commenced training, on the 1st July 1977 the first contract to build a temporary studio was awarded and equipment ordered from the U.K
On the 3rd of August 1977, the Nigeria Television (NTV) Ilorin took off with its maiden transmission of programmes via satellite from Lagos.
Shortly after takeoff, the Federal Military Government under General Olusegun Obasanjo inaugurated the Nigerian Television Authority under decree 24 promulgated in 1977 but to take effect from April 1976. By the decree, the Nigerian Television Authority with headquarters at Victoria Island Lagos became the only body empowered to undertake broadcasting in Nigeria.
The NTA decree also introduced a statutory corporation with unique decentralized structure of six zonal boards which controlled the stations under them. NTA Ilorin was in Zone F with its zonal board at Sokoto.
As a result of Kolade commission in 1984, the zonal system was scrapped and the NTA Ilorin began to deal directly with the headquarters in Lagos.
TRANSMISSION
Allen Dick Corporation installed the mast and antenna. The network transmission was via DOMSAT. The transmitter building located in Ganmo was linked to the Fate studio via microwave link in 1978.
An expansion programme to cover other parts of old Kwara State started with Egbe transmitter in April 1982 and Kaiama transmitter in 1986.
There were two main routes for signal transmission, the Northern route comprissing Igbetti microwave link, Kishi microwave link, Egbe transmitter and Okoro-gbede and oshokoshoko transmitters with each of the transmitting stations radiating 5Kw while Ilorin had its two transmitters in parallel dishing out 10Kw of signal.
The stations signals both audio and visual since installation have been received clearly across the state and in parts of Kogi, Niger, Osun, Oyo and Ekiti states.
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