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Botswana: Goodbye BBC News, Welcome Local Content
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The Voice (Francistown)
COLUMN
5 February 2008
Posted to the web 6 February 2008
I'm very thrilled that BTV has temporarily cut or suspended the broadcasting of BBC news on our national channel.
And my wish is for BTV to get rid of this world news service forever since the time slot which has been occupied by this monstrous programme can appropriately be channeled to accommodate more local content.
Being the only national television station locally, Botswana Television (BTV), was established by an Act of Parliament in 1997.
It was not until 31 July, 2000 that the station was launched as a public-funded station under the then Department of Information and Broadcasting Services.
The prime reason for establishing BTV was the need to reinforce Botswana's identity and to provide the country with its own news and current affairs coverage.
It was also set up in recognition of the educational value of television and its power to promote national unity and prestige.
Is that happening? Nope! Instead, we are bombarded with too much foreign content by the time our kids reach the ages of 40, they would have forgotten there used to be a country called Botswana.
When BTV was set up young audiences were of primary concern for the government, as it was worried by the amount and nature of television products and services from outside.
Take for instance things such as the Bold and the Beautiful, Passions, WWE and Dr.Phil just to mention a few.
My feeling is that the state-owned BTV should be aimed to include young people in national development and carry them into the future.
Television should contribute to national development by showing achievements made by Batswana in economics, agriculture, culture and other socio-economic aspects, and not to broadcast programmes and content that influence and changes our thinking as Batswana.
And when you take BTV's motto which is "to reflect Batswana back to themselves so they can see what others are doing to improve their living standards" into consideration, you'd realize that the latter is fumbling in its quest to satisfy its audience.
BTV was originally conceived as a news and current affairs station, but it expanded its mandate to include programmes of different genres demanded by Batswana. It started with local, in-house magazine, sports, religion and children's programmes.
My feeling is that BTV should give Batswana a medium through which they can participate in the government of their country.
However, there is a need for a private commercial television station that will broadcast different views from those of the government.
My foremost apprehension is for BTV to stop relying too much on foreign programmes.
It is high time they stepped up its commissioning of local content as I do believe we have enough TV and Film producers locally we can start having our very own Botswood ala mode Hollywood.
And this can only be achieved when government opens up television to the private sector. Otherwise this sector will continue to be dominated by the state.
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The state monopoly has persuaded many Batswana to watch a lot of foreign stations, especially the South African SABC TV 1, 2, 3 and ETV in the form of Philibao satellite decoder.
The absence of a vibrant Botswana television station needs to be addressed as soon as possible, and what a better way to start than minimizing or totally scrapping off international programming.
The demise of Dr. Phil, The Bold and the Beautiful, Passions and BBC World News Service is a step in the right direction...
Perhaps BTV and The Voice should not feel too threatened by the presence of the BBC World Service, concerned that it may undermine Botswanian national identity. I am Canadian and I am -- and have been for forty years -- inundated by programming from the USA. Yet this same television has made me feel more Canadian, rather than blur any sense of nationalism. It has only served to make me/us feel even more Canadian.
Certainly BTV must carry local content and news, but to completely eliminate a foreign news service strikes me as misguided identity-seeking. For a sense of place... [Read Full Text]
i think BTV and The Voice should seriously feel threated about this issue because as Batswana we have to show our talents,culture and everything that our precious and lovely country has.So BTV is ok it must totally remove BBC World service.
I think it is ok for BTV to deliver BBC world service or CNN or CCTV to Botswanian.
Wang Jian Gereral manager of www.imageTune.com
imageTune@yahoo.com
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