The Bayelsa State Broadcasting Corporation, Glory FM, 97.1, on Tuesday, was gutted by fire, leaving the organisation with damaged property worth millions of naira.
Mr Victor Binawari, a presenter, who was on duty, told newsmen in Yenagoa that the fire was ignited by a spark from the station’s control room in the early morning.
Binawari said some of the affected areas were: the account department, live and recording studio, control room and confidential documents, electronics, furniture among others.
He said: “I was doing my breakfast show ‘Rise and Shine’ when the lights went off. I felt it was a minor technical issue we could fix, so we had to put on our touch lights and went on with the programme because the monitor indicated that we were still on air.
“It did not take long before I heard rumbling in the ceiling as if rats were up there chasing themselves.
“While I was wondering what was happening, one of our interns ran into the studio and alerted us that the station was on fire.
“It was at that point that I asked my guests to be calm and follow me out of the building. Only for us to get outside the studio to see that the building was seriously on fire.“
The Commissioner for Information, Mr Daniel Iworiso-Markson, who visited the scene, commended the fire fighters for putting the fire under control.
“We are grateful to God that no life was lost. I am going to give the report to the Governor and the state government will ensure that the station comes back on air, as quick as possible,”Iworiso-Markson said.
However, several attempts to have the Fire Chief that led the team of fire fighters to comment on the incident proved abortive.
“I am not authorised to speak”, he said.
