Africell, one of the biggest mobile telecommunication companies in the country yesterday signed a D4.1 million sponsorship deal with the Gambia Radio and Television Services (GRTS) at a ceremony held at the GRTS building on MDI Road in Kanifing.

The deal covers sponsorship packages for one television programme, and coverage of a sports tournament. The GSM service provider that is not new to sponsoring GRTS television programmes has accepted in principle to provide D2.3 million to the nation’s giant broadcaster, being the sponsorship package for the Mexican telenovela series Passion, which is expected to start soon and will be aired over a period of one year.

In a similar development, Africell will also provide D1.8 million to the national broadcaster being the sponsorship package for the FIFA Football World Cup to be held in South Africa later this year, of which GRTS has obtained the right to broadcast all matches.

Speaking at the brief signing ceremony, the director general of GRTS, Alhaji Momodou Sanyang recalled that Africell in 2008 purchased a decoder for GRTS at a time when it was urgently needed. He also expressed his impressions of the manner the Africell sports panelists programme was conducted during the recent African Cup of Nations held in Angola.

Sanyang used the opportunity to commend President Jammeh’s administration for providing the station with state-of-the-art equipment, so that institutions and companies can go into meaningful partnerships with the national broadcaster.

Alhaji Momodou Joof, the deputy director of GRTS also joined DG Sanyang in thanking Africell for what he called a comprehensive sponsorship package which covers something GRTS viewers have been keenly looking forward to. The marketing manager of GRTS, Kemo Jatta told the gathering that he was happy to know that the painstaking efforts he made over the past months trying to hammer out a deal with Africell has finally paid dividend.
Abdou Touray, the manager, Television Programmes, explained that Passion which has 98 episodes will be aired on Fridays and Sundays at 9pm and repeated on Mondays and Tuesdays at 3pm.  

Alhaji Kebba Dibba, the senior manager, Television Programmes said the signing ceremony was a groundbreaking event, pointing out that his institution’s relationship with Africell has been consolidated over the years. Cognizant of the fact that running a television station is by no means and easy project, Dibba underscored the importance of getting the much needed money to sustain the TV programmes.

For his part, Africell’s director of Customer Care, Papa Leigh, said he was humbled by what the top cadre of GRTS emphasised regarding some of the interventions his company has made over the years. He said that as part of their corporate social responsibilities, they have to plough back some of the profits they generate to common and worthy causes.

A number of GRTS viewers have over the years made it clear that Telenovelas and sports are some of the most interesting and widely watched programmes, so the sponsorship by Africell has come at a good time. The move by Africell to sponsor such programmes on GRTS speaks volumes of the relationship existing between the two institutions and the private sector in general.