Aso Radio 93.5 Fm, which metamorphosed into Aso Radio and TV services was conceived as far back as 1997 by the former military administration under the late General Sani Abacha and the construction of its studios and installation of equipment commenced thereafter. The station was commissioned on the 19th of May 1999 and has since began regular transmission of Radio services.
The Radio and TV station that is located on Katampe Hill along Murtala Muhammed Expressway in Abuja, has its booster stations at Karshi, Abaji and Bwari, but its transmission capacity within Abuja and its surrounding areas is yet to be improved on.
While inaugurating the TV station in 2008, the then FCT Minister, Dr. Aliyu Modibo said its establishment was part of the efforts to reposition Abuja to be one of the top twenty cities in the world by 2020, through the provision of quality broadcasting as Aso Television/Radio Services would be equipped to go satellite by the end of 2008.
The Yar’adua administration, which appointed a seven-man board for Aso TV, had then argued that Abuja needs a veritable and powerful broadcast media to sharpen its ima-ge to the world because there are so many competing modern cities in the world seeking for attention especially from investors.
Therefore, the dream and vision of the FCT Administration for Aso Television was to bring out a modern broadcast media organization that can conveniently compete with the renowned broadcast organizations like the CNN, BBC and Aljazeera.
Despite this, not much has been done to actualize the vision and objective of the TV station, almost four years since it was inaugurated. It was gathered that efforts are being made through the release of funds for the station to procure the needed equipment and qualified manpower to meet the demands of a modern broadcast media organisation as envisaged by the FCT authority.
Another setback for the TV station was the allegation of corrupt practices leveled against some its erstwhile board members. In 2009, the EFCC arrested some of its directors over allegations of mismanagement of N300 million meant for the installation of transmission equipment for its take-off.
In all these, inside sources confirmed to Sunday Trust that there is a renewed effort to put Aso TV on track in order to meet its objectives and vision. Our source said its present board is working round the clock to ensure that it begins transmission by June this year.
Presently, the TV station is being repositioned to meet the challenges it is likely to face when it begins operations later this year. Apart from plans to equip it with modern transmission equipment, it was also learnt that experienced hands will also be recruited for its successful take-off.
