The only privately owned television station in Botswana, Gaborone Broadcasting Corporation Television (GBC-TV), has been granted a national broadcasting licence by the National Broadcasting Board (NBB). The station, which has been bought by Etv, is set to go on air as E-Botswana in a few months.
Etv has been in existence as South Africa’s only private television station for more than 10 years now. And in those ten years, it has managed to cement its position as one of the top stations in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region going as far as having Enews broadcasting 24 hours on MultiChoice’s DSTV bouquet.
NBB has issued the local station with a new licence that will allow them to go national as well as to trade and broadcast under their new name. E-Botswana’s nationwide coverage will give Government owned Botswana Television (Btv) some competition on the national market.
Speaking to The Botswana Gazette, station manager David Coles confirmed that the rebranding process was underway and that the decision to rebrand the station was taken five months ago. According to Mr Coles, the decision was influenced by the need for the station to go national with a brand that all Batswana would relate to without feeling that the station was just for Gaborone.
“We don’t want people to think that we only offer our services to the Gaborone community. Again, we wanted to differentiate ourselves and stand out in the market after people were confused about who we were and who GTV was,” he says.
The station, which has already begun broadcasting similar content to that of South Africa’s Etv, will continue to do so even after the rebranding, but will also include a lot of local content of the same international quality. Furthermore, they are hoping to stimulate local production to add on to the current ones (a hip hop and music show) that are currently on their weekly line-up.
“We are currently developing other shows that will be launched when the rebranding is finished, we are hoping to fill the gap and provide local content that Batswana are hungry for,” says Mr Coles. The station also has the the rights to broadcast football from the UEFA Champions League and the Barclays Premier League in England.
(Source: Botswana Gazette)
on Apr 9th, 2010 at 09:12
This is big oppoturnity of us batswana to get jobs,and enhance our talent show it out. I thank E.tv to have seen a need to come and invest here ib Botswana,because will never regret their decision taken. I would like to see myself being part of the station one day,contributing to its development.
on Apr 30th, 2010 at 09:43
This is a good opportunity for Batswana. a big indeed. it is a wake up call for BTV to give us quality now which i dont see. Etv dont regret it because you are only TV station in Botswana. i sometimes watch your channel and its educating and entertaining. what needs to be done is to improve the signal so that people can access your channels clearly. grow and have white beards and hair and be successful.
on May 10th, 2010 at 10:08
now dat we have E-Botswana we dont need any thing else but jus to chill and enjoy all of their fun, educational and entertaining programs….a little suggestion is to have the channel available via dish and botswana will be ok and we will get a break from watching cartoons all day long from this other channel……..
on May 18th, 2010 at 06:02
WE WANT E-BOTSWANA TO GO NATIONAL SO THAT EVEN WE WHO ARE STAYING FAR WHATCH IT KANA RE TLHOAFALETSE BO SCANDAL LE BO RHYTHIM CITY
on Jun 1st, 2010 at 12:46
Its good to hear that Etv which is now E-Botswana has been granted with national broadcasting licence…. but to us who are nt close to Gaborone still worry because its not yet reaching us and we can say more about it til we enjoy as those near gaborone. I asking that when will we see it broadcast national as stipulated because for now Gaborone and a radius of 20-30km… whch is not yet national.
on Jun 28th, 2010 at 07:28
Botwana Tv for me is an excellent channel I ever had. I was able to access Btv on my Dstv package and believe me, my nieces prefered it than anything else on the package. However I could not access it now as it is not available broadly in my area. I strongly think that if I can have an option to pay for Btv on my bouguet I will definitely do so. Rebecca is absolutely right to say that it should go national so that everybody can access…paying for it would not be a problem.
on Jul 27th, 2010 at 15:10
you ebotswana gys should get cartoon programs you coolcats is booooooooooooooooooring and others but get series like dragonball z the ones in SABC 2 pliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiz!!!!!!!
on Aug 1st, 2010 at 10:54
we cant get signal im broadhurst for ebotswana so plz widen you signal base……
on Aug 3rd, 2010 at 13:32
we have seen it, its enough. monopoly is something that hinders creativity and commitment to producing quality and standard materials that are of an interest to the market. Now what e botswana needs to do is lie under the tastes of Batswana, bring eyecatching and mouthwatering content. i belief the best is still up to come caz this station has a very good background and of coarse i wont be surprised to see some of us working there.
i LOVE the media, so much!
on Sep 13th, 2010 at 09:08
we have seen it, its enough. i think the repeating of movies is boooooring. A ko le leke go introduce r some of our local drama. Nna gape the red thing you are using for break time is embarrassing especially mo nakong ya gompieno ya technology. pull up ur sock or Batswana will keep on enjoying the SA tvs.
on Mar 22nd, 2011 at 12:42
i only mis scandal and rythm city
on May 25th, 2011 at 15:35
Personaly i think thats great,this can even bring improvement to botswana television,they have been so reluctant about bringing in some new staff as they had no one to compete with,gape its entertaining fit for people across all ages,i like it
on May 27th, 2011 at 13:53
there is too much wrestling i think, even during the week, and too much kick boxing movies which iam not very fond of…..i always enjoy the thursday movies….keep it up.
Why not spoil us with the latest movies, like scarlet woman, every now and then?
on Oct 11th, 2011 at 10:10
ebotswana is great,love ur shows n everithing bt i persnali think ts hy tym u start involving more batswana,their own nu shows and some special news show covering botswana.we need more local news coz our govt run teli does not cover drama in our govt
on Oct 24th, 2011 at 13:24
HI GUYZ U AR DOING A GREAT JOB,MY QUESTION IZ THAT,KE ENG LESA DIRE GORE E- BOTSWANA E TSHWARE MO MAUN.LE RONA RE BATSWANA,RE BATLA GO BONA GORE GO DIRAFALANG MO BOTSWANA.