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::LBS-growing from mat to mattresses,under Charles Snetter's Leadership.

By: Lewis T. Togba, Sr.

It all started as an amateur radio long ago in the 1950s with Dr John B. West, Samuel Watkins, and Mr. Sewell T. Brewer who Were lovers of commutations, when the whole idea of a national Broadcasting institution came about at the time, they set up a 10 Kilo watts transmitter broadcasting station something that heavily overwhelmed many of the residents of Monrovia.

Veteran Liberian Journalist G. Henry Andrews services were requested for his brilliant programming and production skills for the amateur radio. This initiative by these gentlemen drew the attention of national Government, especially President William V.S Tubman whose Government immediately started the process of the establishment of a national Broadcaster. Exactly between 1960 January 1 to 1964 January 1, the radio and television stations were launched respectively by President Tubman.

Since then, LBS has been existing as a state Broadcaster with assistance coming from national Government and its international partners like Japan, the United States, Germany, Egypt, The People’s Republic of China among others.

However with the launch of the senseless Liberian civil upheaval, the facilities of the system were destroyed leaving it in ruins. Since the realization of some peace and tranquility in the Country, past governments have done little or nothing to bring the status of the state own broadcasting system to standard. But with the inception of a democratically elected Government headed by Africa first woman President Mrs. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf there are signs of growth and positive development at the Liberia

Broadcasting System, under the dynamic leadership of Director General Charles A. Snetter Jr.

Since he took over the mantle of authority DG Snetter has made it his priority to seek the up-liftmen of LBS. He first began a vigorous campaign of equipping the system’s News Department with additional modern computers, desks and chairs through to central air conditioners as well as several wall clocks that are exhibiting the time of major cities in the world, along with two vehicles for the department. The Rural Broadcasting and Radio departments have since been revamped with new style of programming and also the provision of new tape recorders including digital marantz.

Mr. Snetter’s leadership at LBS has afforded about 25 of the employees the opportunity on scholarships to the People’s Republic of China, Egypt, Nigerian, Ghana, the United States, South Africa, Madagascar among others with Mainland China being the biggest donor.

Being cognizance of the fact that the employees’ welfare is paramount, salaries are being increased on a yearly basis while a new brand 32 seated bus was purchased to take the staff of the system to and fro, to work.

Liberians here at home and in the Diaspora and foreigners alike can now braise news from the Liberia, on the Liberia Broadcasting System owned world Wide Website code named and style ‘www.liberiabroadcastingsystem.com’ established by Director General Snetter, while after nearly 15 years of off and on situation, again Mr. Snetter ensure that instead of broadcasting 12-18hrs. The System has since for the past two years now began broadcasting 24hrs daily and seven days a week.

Under the leadership of Mr. Charles Snetter, Jr the one time viable ELTV signals that were devastated as a result of the Liberian civil conflict, has been restored with only 60-thousand United States Dollars taken from the LBS budget. The Management led by DG Snetter named the restoration of the ELTV project, ‘Small TV today, Big TV tomorrow’.

The television transmitter which was specially built in Manchester, the United Kingdom, Great Britain for LBS, has a radius of 47 kilometers and since its transmission, the Liberian Broadcasting system has received signal reports from as far as Tubmanburg, Robert sport, Harbel, Owensgrove, Smell No Taste, Kakata and across Monrovia and the entire Montserrado County.

When recounting the many meaningful achievements DG Snetter has made at the state broadcaster, it would be a side forgetfulness not to mention the biggest gift the Liberia Broadcasting System has received in recent times is the 3.75 Million United States Dollars LBS-China Radio expansion project, which was successfully implemented.

Since the completion and subsequent dedication of the LBS-China Radio expansion project, the system has received signal reports from across Liberia and its Mano River Union Countries as well as from Bujumbura refugee camp, where Liberians are still residing, in Ghana.

The LBS-China Radio expansion project is package with six relay stations located in Zwedru, Grand Gedeh County, Gbarnga, Bong County, Tubmanburg, Bomi County and Voinjama, Lofa, County while the other two are situated in Harper, Maryland County and Buchanan, Grand Bassa County. It is interesting to note that along these relay stations China Radio International (CRI) also has transmitters in four of the six Rural Counties.

Besides the relay stations owned by LBS and CRI in the Leeward Counties, in Paynesville at the system’s main compound, the Chinese Government has built a modern antenna system less to name two ten thousand kilo watts transmitters, one each for LBS and CRI with new modern digital on air and recording studios with state of the art equipment. Mr. Snetter has also purchased a twin cabin pick up for the solely use for the relay station coordination.

You see, since Mr. Snetter was appointed by the President and for the love of the profession and his Country, he has abandoned

Completely his stay in the United States and has since move with his family back to Liberia.
Despite these numerous achievements that are attributed to the ingenuity of Mr. Charles Snetter, Jr at the Liberia Broadcasting System under whose leadership employees received their salary and transportation on time, there are others who are standing on the fence, hiding and have engaged in smell campaigned.

Unfortunately, those who are propagating these smell campaign through the Media, they fail to know that it is through President Ellen Sirleaf Government and the Charles Snetter leadership that LBS is today recognized in Liberia and the international community since the end of the prolong Liberian Civil crisis. At long last at least LBS employees can now match through the streets of Liberia with pride as staffs of the state own Broadcaster. | Archive Version