ICT week 2018 - ‘SBC is going through a transformation phase,’ says VP Meriton |17 May 2018

Vice-President Vincent Meriton yesterday visited the Seychelles Broadcasting Corporation (SBC) headquarters at Hermitage as part of activities to mark this year’s Information Communications and Technology (ICT) week.

He said the broadcasting house is going through a transformation period now with the relocation of the Radyo Sesel AM and FM studios from Union Vale to Hermitage to make way for the construction of a modern SBC House with all the latest high technology amenities.

Mr Meriton toured various sections of the broadcasting house like the newsroom and also the radio studios of both AM and FM which have recently moved to Hermitage, making way for a new SBC House to be constructed at Union Vale where they were originally located.

Mr Meriton interacted with staff members getting feedback on the various services each section offers and the challenges they face in their everyday work.

VP Meriton was greeted upon arrival at the station by Benjamin Choppy, principal secretary of the Department of Information Communication Technology (DICT); Gerard Lafortune, chairman of the SBC board and other board members; and Berard Dupres, the SBC’s chief executive.

The vice-president even had the chance to go live on air at both studios where he even got a question from a member of the public regarding the laptop scheme – a project spearheaded by DICT.

In his welcome address to the vice-president, the SBC chairman expressed his appreciation of the VP’s assistance in smoothing the process for the construction of the SBC House, a donation from the People’s Republic of China, which will be built at Union Vale.

“Members of the public have great expectations in relations to the news and programmes delivered on SBC but the station has to depend on external contributions like the private sector, public companies agencies or parastatals for input and information for us to transmit to the public. We have got some positive feedback but the demand for information is very high and we hope, through the assistance of your department, these organisations can provide us with the information to satisfy our audience and listeners,” said Mr Lafortune.

Mr Lafortune even reiterated a phrase that really caught his attention during one of his official media forum overseas.

“The media is a hungry beast. If you don’t feed it, it will feed itself”. Adding if they do not get the information they would have to look for it themselves. And maybe, in the process, do not get the right information.

For his part CEO Dupres said as from next week SBC is meeting public entities for continued engagement so all can work in collaboration.

In his remarks, Vice-President Meriton thanked both current and past SBC management for the work they have done and are doing. He remarked that the broadcasting house is going through a transformation period. He referred to the transferred studios from Union Vale to Hermitage as “the end of an era in the SBC journey”.

“What you are doing is a noble task of providing information to the public, educating the people and entertaining the people,” said Mr Meriton.

He reiterated the government’s support to SBC in the attainment of its objectives.

Mr Meriton mentioned the call of President Danny Faure and that of cabinet to the principal secretaries and CEOS to provide SBC with information so that news items, programmes and documentaries can be made to satisfy the thirst of the public for information.