Nauru Television

Last updated

Nauru Television
Company type government-owned
Founded1991
HeadquartersNauru
Products Television
Owner Government of Nauru
Parent Nauru Broadcasting Service
Nauru Media Bureau

Nauru Television (NTV), established on 31 May 1991, is the government-owned, non-commercial sole television company in the Republic of Nauru. It is operated by the Nauru Broadcasting Service and overseen by the Nauru Media Bureau. [1] [2]

Contents

Specifics

Nauru Television broadcasts 24 hours a day. It operates a PAL – B colour service transmitted free-to-air through 1x10w and 2x100w transmitters. [1]

Original plans to levy a fee per household were dropped, and NTV is funded by the government. [1]

Content

NTV's guiding policy upon launch called for it to present "a programme schedule that reflects and promotes cultural, educational, community and social interest in Nauru", and to have "a balance of programme types (news, current affairs, documentary, sports, adult and children’s comedy, drama, health, education, etc)." Local and international news would be covered, along with "major local sports and social events." [1]

By the early 2000s, NTV exclusively broadcast content provided by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, due to the country's dire economic situation and NTV's lack of a functioning camera. Its capacities were subsequently expanded with the assistance of AusAID. [3] In 2002, UNESCO reported that NTV's "only locally produced programme is a popular daily half-hour news bulletin produced by NTV personnel in the S-VHS format. Local news items are shot utilising three field cameras which double as studio fixtures for post production." [1]

NTV broadcasts both in Nauruan and in English. [4]

History

Before selecting the New Zealand-backed proposal, there were two further bids from Japan's NEC and Australia's OTCI, but were rejected on the grounds that they were expensive. A proposed cable television network was also mooted, it too was also deemed expensive. [5]

Television broadcasting in Nauru was inaugurated on 31 May 1991, with regular transmissions beginning the following day, 1 June 1991. Covering the majority of the island, the initial duration of broadcasts was approximately five hours per day. [1]

NTV operated as a subscription service in its early years, charging AU$500, AU$80-100 for the installation of an antenna and AU$50 for a monthly reception fee. In 1993, NTV it had 219 subscribers, with the aim of selling 500 decoders to achieve self-sufficiency. [1]

Initially, Television New Zealand were contracted to provide both technical facilities and basic operational training to local employees. Transmitted via satellite or through the regular transportation of videotapes from New Zealand, content consisted of American and New Zealand television programmes. This arrangement continued until 1995 when costs dictated a shift to alternative sources of programme content, specifically that bought in from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. [1]

Four Corners issue

In 2004, the government of President Ludwig Scotty, seeking re-election, ordered Nauru Television to broadcast the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Four Corners programme on past economic mismanagement under former President Rene Harris, every evening during the week before the election. Harris complained that NTV "had refused to give him equal time to present his side of the story." Scotty was re-elected. [6] [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Politics of Nauru</span>

The politics of Nauru take place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic republic, whereby the President of Nauru is the head of government of the executive branch. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the parliament. The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature.

A television broadcaster or television network is a telecommunications network for the distribution of television content, where a central operation provides programming to many television stations, pay television providers or, in the United States, multichannel video programming distributors. Until the mid-1980s, broadcast programming on television in most countries of the world was dominated by a small number of terrestrial networks. Many early television networks such as the BBC, CBS, CBC, NBC or ABC in the USA and in Australia evolved from earlier radio networks.

Public broadcasting involves radio, television and other electronic media outlets whose primary mission is public service. Public broadcasters receive funding from diverse sources including license fees, individual contributions, public financing and commercial financing, and avoid political interference or commercial influence.

Regular television broadcasts in the United Kingdom started in 1936 as a public service which was free of advertising, which followed the first demonstration of a transmitted moving image in 1926. Currently, the United Kingdom has a collection of free-to-air, free-to-view and subscription services over a variety of distribution media, through which there are over 480 channels for consumers as well as on-demand content. There are six main channel owners who are responsible for most material viewed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BBC Television</span> Television service of the British Broadcasting Corporation

BBC Television is a service of the BBC. The corporation has operated a public broadcast television service in the United Kingdom, under the terms of a royal charter, since 1927. It produced television programmes from its own studios from 1932, although the start of its regular service of television broadcasts is dated to 2 November 1936.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Television in New Zealand</span> Overview of television in New Zealand

Television in New Zealand was introduced in 1960 as a state-run service. The broadcasting sector was deregulated in 1989, when the Government allowed competition to the state-owned Television New Zealand (TVNZ). There are currently three forms of broadcast television: a terrestrial (DVB-T) service provided by Freeview; as well as satellite (DVB-S) and internet streaming (IPTV) services provided nationwide by both Freeview and Sky.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TVNZ</span> New Zealand state-owned television network

Television New Zealand, more commonly referred to as TVNZ, is a television network that is broadcast throughout New Zealand and parts of the Pacific region. All of its currently-operating channels are free-to-air and commercially funded.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">René Harris</span> Nauruan politician

René Reynaldo Harris was President of the Republic of Nauru four times between 1999 and 2004. He was a Member of Parliament from 1977 to 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CJON-DT</span> Independent TV station in St. Johns, Newfoundland and Labrador

CJON-DT, branded on-air as NTV, is an independent television station in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, owned by Newfoundland Broadcasting Company Ltd. The station's studios are located on Logy Bay Road in St. John's, and its transmitter is located in the city's Shea Heights section.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Community radio</span> Community-owned and operated radio service

Community radio is a radio service offering a third model of radio broadcasting in addition to commercial and public broadcasting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Television in Australia</span> Overview of television in Australia

Television in Australia began experimentally as early as 1929 in Melbourne with radio stations 3DB and 3UZ, and 2UE in Sydney, using the Radiovision system by Gilbert Miles and Donald McDonald, and later from other locations, such as Brisbane in 1934.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sky Open (TV channel)</span> New Zealand free-to-air television network

Sky Open is a New Zealand free-to-air television network. It airs a varied mix of programming, largely imported from Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States.

The New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation (NZBC) was a publicly owned company of the New Zealand Government founded in 1962. The Broadcasting Act 1976 then reformed NZBC as the Broadcasting Corporation of New Zealand (BCNZ). The corporation was dissolved on 1 April 1975, and replaced by three separate organisations: Radio New Zealand, Television One, and Television Two, later known as South Pacific Television. The television channels would merge again in 1980 to become Television New Zealand, while Radio New Zealand remained unchanged.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ABC Australia (Southeast Asian TV channel)</span> Asia-Pacific pay television channel

ABC Australia, formerly Australia Television International, ABC Asia Pacific, Australia Network and Australia Plus, is an Australian pay television channel, launched in 1993 and operated by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation as part of the ABC television network of services. The channel broadcasts a mix of programming, including lifestyle, drama, sports, English-language learning programs, children's programming and news and current affairs to viewers across East Asia, Central Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia and Pacific Islands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Namibian Broadcasting Corporation</span> Public TV and radio broadcasting corporation

The Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) is the public broadcaster of Namibia. It was established in 1979, under the name South West African Broadcasting Corporation (SWABC).

Analogue terrestrial television in the United Kingdom was originally the method by which the significant majority of viewers in the UK, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man received television. Analogue terrestrial television broadcasts have fully ceased in the UK with Northern Ireland being the last region to have ceased transmission analogue terrestrial television broadcasts. Northern Ireland switched off the last analogue television signals, making all of the United Kingdom only capable of receiving digital television, in the early hours of 24 October, 2012. It has been completely replaced by digital terrestrial television and other non-terrestrial means as of the end of 2012.

Mass media in Nauru remain undeveloped, but Australian aid program AusAID has been financing and supporting their development. As of February 15, 2010, Nauruan media consist in a television station and a radio station, with a fortnightly newspaper due to be launched within days. Former Australian Broadcasting Corporation broadcaster Rod Henshaw is serving as interim media director for the Nauruan government.

The Nauru Broadcasting Service is the state-owned, non-commercial broadcasting service of the Republic of Nauru.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation</span> National television network of Sri Lanka

The Sri Lanka Rūpavāhinī Corporation, also known as Jathika Rupavahini or simply as Rupavahini, is the national television network of Sri Lanka. The term Rupavahini literally means "purveyor of images" in the Sinhala language.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 Nauruan parliamentary election</span>

Parliamentary elections were held in Nauru on 9 July 2016. Parliament was dissolved by President Baron Waqa on 10 June after it completed its three-year term. Speaker Ludwig Scotty called the elections for 9 July, with nominations taking place between 19 and 25 June.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "PACIFIC ISLANDS TELEVISION SURVEY REPORT 2002" (PDF). UNESCO . Retrieved 6 May 2020. Archived 4 January 2016 at Archive-It
  2. "Nauru Yearbook 2006". Commonwealth of Nations. Archived from the original on 8 July 2011. Retrieved 8 July 2011.
  3. "Nauru makes media network from scratch", The Australian , 15 February 2010
  4. "Nauru", L'aménagement linguistique dans le monde, Trésor de la langue française au Québec, Université Laval
  5. Bentley, J.E.; Schultz, A.; Hermanson, Dale (September 1993). "PACIFIC REGIONAL TELEVISION SURVEY PROJECT – 352lRASl21 (PAC TEL)". UNESCO. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  6. "Budget gives Nauru reality check". ABC Radio National. Retrieved 7 November 2004.
  7. "TOUGH ADJUSTMENT AHEAD FOR REFOCUSED NAURU". Islands Business International. 29 December 2004. Archived 16 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine