A FORTNIGHT AGO, the strike of lightning on the major services of the Liberia Broadcasting System (LBS) affected its television and broadcasting equipment as well as the transmission system of Radio France International.
ACCORDING TO THE LBS management, the constant lightning strikes have caused serious technical problems on the broadcast facilities which indicates that those equipment are unprotected even if there should be new ones to replace the already damaged ones therefore we believe that government must begin to focus on putting in place the proper mechanism to mitigate the recurrence of such.
THE MANAGEMENT INFORMED the public that it is due to the level of damage done to those technical installations that the national television is now off and will remain off until the necessary equipment are replaced.
IT IS REPORTED that the technicians have tried to restore the broadcast services though there are still critical technical issues with the radio transmission and production systems before it is completely revived as it awaits the equipment for the television that has been ordered from overseas.
HOWEVER, THE NATIONAL broadcaster that should be reaching out to at least all 15 counties in Liberia might not function completely until the needed equipment are procured and installed as the management has assured that it is working with government to secure the needed funding to have the technical issues fully addressed.
INDEED, THE LBS has been doing very well especially the national television in reaching out through information and entertainment as well as brining the people close to happenings across the country but what is painstaking is that the timeframe to have the system back remains uncertain which is a very bad omen.
LIGHTNING, LIKE FLOODS, is a form of natural disaster and should not be overlooked by governments that have agencies to address such calamities when they occur, therefore the government must not only seek funding to repair the damage equipment but must also put in place the proper mechanism to prevent future occurrences.
According To The LBS management, this is not the first time that lightning has strike the equipment and this has led to the gradual damage now meted on the transmitters which we think is not a good sign for the system and suggests that the problem at the State broadcaster is not just the repairing of equipment but also putting in place the requisite mechanism to prevent future damage.
TODAY, IT IS the television equipment and partial damage on the broadcasting services but that could escalate to a more serious problem if the disaster is not managed because in other countries, as lightning strikes, it affects human lives as well and this speaks to the level of damage that such natural disaster can have on a society at any given time.