Jordan Times
Thursday, April 29, 2004
JTV forging ahead with reform plan
AMMAN (JT) — Jordan Radio and Television
Corporation (JRTVC) officials have said the 36-year-old-institution was taking
serious steps for reform, despite criticism by citizens and media experts that
it was lagging behind other Arab networks in performance and capabilities.
“We are trying to move forward and hope to provide citizens with a new
responsible, free and active form of media that will also give us a competitive
edge,” said JRTVC Director General Ayman Safadi. He noted that the recently
endorsed restructuring plan would help the corporation upgrade its performance
and gain public credibility.
In January, the Cabinet endorsed JRTVC's modernisation and restructuring plan
designed to meet the requirements of a competitive market.
The plan addresses all operational aspects of the organisation, including
financial issues, programming and news.
The plan was based on a thorough assessment of JRTVC's weaknesses and strengths
to determine how the corporation can better operate in a media market that has
witnessed fundamental changes in recent years.
According to Safadi, the reconstruction stipulates that the institution
prioritise local issues. “In such an open media market where everything is
available, JRTVC's competitive edge is in focusing on local issues rather than
pursuing financial gains,” he said.
Safadi noted that the two-year restructuring plan would start to bear fruit
soon, adding that a study by Ipsos-Stat Jordan last year showed that a majority
of Jordanians believed JTV had improved.
The August 2003, study revealed that 95 per cent of the respondents believed
that JTV has improved or rather improved lately, while 5 per cent believed that
it has definitely not improved at all or rather not improved.
The study said 42 per cent of those who believed JTV improved, stated that more
variety has been incorporated within its programmes, while 17 per cent said news
reporting has become much better and more credible, and 14 per cent believed
that programmes have improved in general.
On the other hand, 29 per cent of respondents who stated that JTV has definitely
not improved believed presenters were unprofessional/not presentable, 29 per
cent thought JTV's programmes were repetitive, while 25 per cent believed the
programmes were boring and not entertaining.
Safadi said the institution was aware of the long road ahead, but stressed, “we
are on the right track.”
“Our new strategy is reform. It is a multifaceted process, which entails
continuing to assess market needs and attempting to meet those needs. Our aim is
to improve the quality of programming, production and the level of
professionalism of the JTV team,” he said. The corporation celebrated its 36th
anniversary on Tuesday April 27.