Re- Television these days

Can you imagine life without TV?

'Soaps, as opposed to a drama series, are at their best implausible but at their worst they can actually affect some people’s concept of real life. I expect you have heard the term ‘life imitating art’, well in my experience it is certainly true of soaps.' Barbara Scott reacts to our piece on Television.

I was interested to read your piece on the influence that television has had on people in your country. Here in the UK we have had television for much longer of course and I believe it is a wonderful means of communicating ideas and educating the audiences that watch it. Not everyone is able to travel and see the world and learn about different cultures or view magnificent sights. Television makes this possible for anyone who is able to gain access to one. It is even more important to those who, for one reason or another, aren’t able to read the papers to find out what is going on in the world. Just like the radio was when it was first invented it is has enriched many people’s lives, especially in the developing world. It also has great entertainment value such as dramas, films, documentaries, quiz programmes and yes, even some of the soaps, or 'soap operas' as they were once known. Did you know the phrase originated in the US because the programmes were usually sponsored by companies producing soap products?

However, having said all that, television, like other forms of the media, also has a downside. I believe that sometimes that influence can be a negative one, especially in the world of ‘soaps’. I myself have no love of them so maybe I am prejudiced. Soaps, as opposed to a drama series, are at their best implausible but at their worst they can actually affect some people’s concept of real life. I expect you have heard the term ‘life imitating art’, well in my experience it is certainly true of soaps.

The story lines of the most popular ones in the UK are quite violent and the behavior of the characters both aggressive and confrontational. Escapism it might be but unfortunately I have noticed how it has rubbed off on some of those who watch them. The acceptance of bad behavior and use of abusive language seems more prevalent than it ever was. Everyone in these programmes seem to be so horrible to one another and the story lines are so negative. Yes, life can be like that sometimes but not ALL the time. I suppose it could be called harmless but there is evidence to suggest that isn’t always the case.

You may think that I am exaggerating but if anyone has ever watched any of them they will know what I mean. Of course the more dramatic and outrageous the plot the more followers the series will gain. There are so many murders, rapes, adulterous affairs, explosions, fires and road accidents it is a wonder there is anyone in the cast left to carry on! There are even people who believe these characters are real. They should be pitied but I find it a bit disconcerting. I often hear people discussing the plots as if they are happening to someone they know! Maybe it is an age thing with me but here they are watched almost from the cradle to the grave. Children are brought up with them as part of their life. Some people plan their social life round them, not going out until they have watched the latest episode. I am often looked upon as 'odd' because I don't follow any of them. That's fine by me. I was never one to follow the crowd.

The day they start to make a soap that leaves me feeling uplifted and inspired and manages to make me laugh occasionally will be the day I tune in. I think the chances of that are very slim don 't you?

Editor's comments:

Well I have to confess that in the past I used to relish in soap operas especially the ones whose themes specifically relate to my interest areas. The point is that nowadays, these operas are still entertaining their audience I agree but my bone of contention is about the art of imitation which you dealt with exponentially. The more we watch them, the more we tend to imitate and be like them.

EB

Television these days

Have some nice time for the screen,television viewers in The Gambia do watch other programmes when there is nothing on soap operas.




So much about television these days are image and personality cult building and nurturing, some people have gone further to glorify TV to the extent that their entire lives are depended on it. But critics of television described the collateral damage the medium inflict in the minds of the peoples, those watching.

Graphic and gory television footage has the potential to sweep the audience, and carry them along. That's why film actors are often reverie in so many places in the world. Companies and individuals have used the power of TV to win the hearts of the populace. How do they do this? The media tend to feel that by following actors, and famous people is one sure way of getting more and more people read, listen and watch them. Because the film actors are relatively inclined towards what they wanted and how they are hoping to sustain life on top, they can do something great to impress the masses.

In the Gambia even though there is no official data available as regard the number of people who watch television, some estimate that three of ten compounds have access to television. And in the rural areas, people spend more time watching TV than in the city where virtually everyone has a TV. The reason is partly due to the fact in the rural areas, information from the government is difficult to come-by, so they tend to see or regard TV as one way of getting the clear picture of what had happened. Whereas, in the city where there are various to find out what had happened, or what is about to happen. Though, people watch television, sometimes due to time they don't watch at all. The most widely watched programme on Gambia television is soap operas surprisingly from Latin America where stories about love, betrayal, determination has found a place in the hearts and minds of the Gambian audience. Sixteen years since the television was founded in the Gambia, more and more viewers have remained focus, and unyielding about what are interested in watching. Most importantly the character of the actors, their behaviors, and the mannerism they exude strike some resemblance back home.
Our people think that the Latin American actors are probably one of their own, which in other words mean they are essentially aligning themselves and tilting towards the direction of cinematic concepts.

The Love story from India is resonating around the country and it seems no one wants to be left out in the frenzy gripping my native country. Whether it is professional film editors, journalists, or the market women who have not been to western school, soap operas is the programme to watch. Don't bother yourself to call, who would pick the call, I bet my last dalasi nobody have your time. Children sit with their parents and watch from start to finish the various soap operas played on TV.


The peoples are watching these films with the hope that they will learn about what is happening in other societies, believing that they will learn some lessons from the film. Which is why nowadays everyone is trying to get the attention of the people through the glamor and sometimes deceptive conspiracy theory of the television.

For example the portrayal of children dying in squalid conditions is meant to spur action, what about the story of a village farmer in a small country. Is that appealing to a South Korean? In other words what interest do that Asian has about a poor rural farmer?

Sometimes with television can better explained and linked in a systematic manner, Television these days can almost do anything.

By Ebrima Baldeh, Blogger, the Gambia.

Gamtel goes 3G

The New Year balloons regrouped together a sign that technology is moving



The Gambia may be a small geographical entity but that does not mean that the country has small minds or small things. One of the areas where the country is making inroads is Information Technology. This article takes a look at the how the IT revolution is taking the country to another level.

At a little sleeping rural community in Central Gambia, a city boy traveled to his ancestral village to visit his parents. Armed with a mobile phone and a walk man, the boy became an instant celebrity when he called his friends abroad and started talking loudly to impress the rural folks.

Suddenly one of them asked him if he was talking to himself, then the City Boy paused and responded: 'I'm talking to someone overseas' Oh God, the villager screamed; I thank Him for giving me the chance to witness another world where people in the village can talk to others when they are far, far away.


The Villager was somewhat surprised that the City Boy spoke for a long time, and wondered why the [person he was speaking to] did not appear in person. What I did not understand at that time was that my people had noticed that societies differ, and what they don't know, they don't know.
Telephone was not the priority, drums and bigles were used mostly to send messages to those who bothered to listen.

Now my peoples have realized that more than ever before the world had underground what some academics call a permanent transformation. At least, thanks to Information Technology my peoples can communicate with their loved ones anywhere in the world. Because, a lot of others are becoming more and more excited about talking, and enjoying the benefits of talking on the phone, governments are going all the way to actualize the dream.

In a world where migration is one of the major challenges playing out in our social psyche, telephones are increasingly becoming 'one' of the items to buy if you are interesting in connecting and reconnecting with peoples, ideas and places. In the Gambia where a local boy who grew up in the city returned home only to find his society at the same level, relished in boasting about his consciousness of the other world.

Telephones have now been virtually replaced with emails, the power of the Internet is something that we can hardly underestimate, we have seen how the advent of email has contributed toward the intellectual development and sophistication of the human mind. One would begin to wonder what happened to the Villager when Qcell introduced 3G in the Gambia for the first time and how other villagers reacted.

With the much fancied launching of a SECOND 3G technology by the Gambia's telecoms giant, IT freaks can't wait any longer.

By Ebrima Baldeh

PICTURE THIS

'I admire those who don't have time to watch football, because they have the time for other things which will not kill them suddenly' Ebrima Baldeh writes about his impressions on the early exit of the Gambia cadet team in CAF under 17 in Rwanda.

The failure of our darling scorpions as they are known in the Gambia has attracted series of comments and criticisms about which way Gambian cadet football is heading to after the shocking exit in Kigali.

May be they weren't just not lucky to go all the way, I mean the Under 17 team who represented the Gambia in the CAF cadet tournament, only to be kicked out of the competition after succumbing to a humiliating defeat in the hands of Ivory Coast last Saturday.


The defeat was the second since the tournament started last week, like if it was just under a spell, Congo hammered us on Sunday with three goals to nothing and along the way Gambia mauled Mali. On the following Saturday, Ivory Coast would have its own turn to finally send us crashing disgracefully out of Rwanda 2011.


Calls and text messages started flowing into the popular sports programme on West Coast FM radio, throwing missiles on the coach for the dismal performance of the Under 17. Others went further to blame the MRI test for spoiling the tournament for us after eight players were dropped after the age-test. Others players were equally tested with reports that it had also affected them.

The Gambia indeed started playing well in the Under 17 since 2003 when the best performance was took us to the second round. And two years after that, the Gambia had the rare chance of hosting the tournament and went ahead to win the tournament for the first time in its football history.


Two years later, the defending Champions went to Algeria in 2009 to defend the title and lifted the trophy again. The euphoria that went along with it huge profits, a million dalasi was given to all the players who participated in the tournament. That was the highest prize President Jammeh presented to the young footballers.


Earlier, the country had represented the country in the junior World Cup in Peru where the first match against Brazil was historic - Gambia 3 -Brazil 1


Now people are beginning to forget that the game of football is full of actions, ups and downs, which ultimately meant that we have refused to accept or submit ourselves to the rules of the GAME. We have harsh words for the coach and the team that had in our opinions woefully failed us.

However, we need to remember that sometimes one has to fail to gain experience so that one can learn from the mistakes of the past and move ahead. I support comments that are positively directed and expressed in a constructive manner, so that it would serve as a lesson for the technicians who might have select another team next time.

The Gambia should count themselves lucky to have grabbed the trophy twice, while other countries in Africa or around the world are yet to appear at such high profile sporting games. The Drawing Board is the place we should retreat and take our place on the game.

BE OPTIMISTIC sometimes

A New Year, they say should bring good tidings which means that anything sort of this expectation is usually considered 'not' welcomed. Yes, come to think of it, on the first weekend of the new year Gambian football fans were humbled for the rest of last Sunday morning -Reason? Their team was hammered three goals to nothing by Congo.

The Football tournament underway in Rwanda for the Under 17 category of the African Cup of Nations has generated a lot fanfare around Africa and the rest of the world. I can vividly recalled in November 2009 when I traveled to Istanbul, Turkey to cover the OIC Summit, our crew crossed over to the Asian side and met some Algerians who claimed to have naturalised in Belgium. The duo told me how the Gambian team had remarkably performed during the tournament in Algeria.

For this year's team to succumbed to such a humiliating defeat begs for questions than answers especially as defending champs. But being an optimistic, I want to concur with the underfire coach Lamin Sambou that something positive will happen today in our second match against Mali. Is do or die for them too, having lost to Ivory Coast. So where are you are, try and watch that Game by 15 hrs GAMBIA VS MALI.

Gambian celebrates the birth of 2011

Ebrima Baldeh joined his colleagues to report on the spectacular new year celebrations at Senegambia.

This area is undoubtedly one of the most famous places in the burgeoning tourism industry. According to records, tourism contributes a staggering sixteen percent to the country’s gross domestic product. In this enclave call the Senegambia, you have more hotels in this area than anywhere else in the Gambia.

The dawn of the New Year was the first time that I have visited the area during this period. So crowded and frustrating party goers had no option but to hobble into the road paying attention on those who pilfer things. Others would look at you in the face and you begin to wonder when last you met such kinds of people.

At Senegambia road from the traffic light on the Bertil Harding highway, the traffic is busy as usual with all eyes focused on Senegambia for the big new year party.

Our car had to pack metres away from where the action had taken place, as the count down began, fire works rented the air. Flashes of light sparkle areas where the streets had failed to work as of that time the new year was coming.

Few people bothered to look at who is standing next to them, all eyes were on the sky, the fireworks thundering and cries of happiness took over. some holding their bottles, standing in rows, watching as the new year was coming from the sky.

Such was the scene at Senegambia as of the time we left. We were late, some people told us there was a big party at Kairaba Beach Hotel, Kololi Casino and Senegambia.

We had to rush back to the studio on time. And we went straight and crossed so many road blocks.