History of Plateau Radio Television Corporation In Jos, Plateau State

PRTVC---your role model station.

_____________________________

Radio broadcasting in Plateau State started in 1953 when Radio Nigeria, Lagos established a Booster Station for its operation in Jos. Radio Nigeria, Lagos was itself a relay station to the British Broadcasting Corporation [BBC], London. The aim at that time was to propagate programmes originating from the Colonial Government in Britain to its overseas Administrators and subjects in Nigeria.

With the attainment of Independence in 1960, Radio Nigeria, Lagos gained autonomy and was re-christened Nigeria Broadcasting Corporation [NBC]. However, the Booster Station continued to be a booster Station of the NBC.

Television in Plateau State started in 1974 on the other hand, when the state was still part of Benue-Plateau State. It was the then Military Governor of Benue-Plateau State, a Police Commissioner, Joseph Dechi Gomwalk of blessed memory who saw the need to establish a television station alongside the radio station.

The Plateau Broadcasting Corporation [PBC] took over the radio station, run by NBC and called the TV station, Benue-Plateau Television [BPTV], Jos. BPTV became the first television station in West Africa to transmit its programmes in colour.

In 1977, the Federal Military Government under the leadership of General Olusegun Obasanjo took over all State owned Television Stations in the country. As a result of this action, BPTV was merged with the Nigeria Television Authority and became known as NTA Jos.

Following the creation of Benue State out of the former Benue-Plateau State, the Radio Station was renamed Plateau Broadcasting Corporation, [PBC] Jos in 1978.

At the dawn of the Second Republic, a new Constitution was drafted for the country, which allowed for State ownership of Television States in 1979.

The then Civilian Governor of Plateau State Mr, Solomon Daushap Lar therefore re-established a State-owned Television Station known at the time as Plateau Television Corporation [PTV] Jos by Provision of the State Law No. 1 of 1982.

PTV started transmission in 1982 and was located at Rayfield in Jos, and covered the whole State inclusive of what is now Narasawa State, which was carved out of Plateau State in 1996.

From 1982, a new era of Radio and Television Broadcasting set in with PTV and PBC operating independently until in 1985, during the military regime of Naval Captain Samuel Bitrus Atukum through Edict No. 10 of 1986, merged Plateau Television (PTV)