(Ethiopia) Oromia State launches $16 million television station

Ethiopia launches $16 million television station


APA-Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) Ethiopia on Wednesday launched a $16 million television station, which claims to be the first of its kind in the country in using latest technical equipment.

The regional TV station, located in Nazareth, some 100 kiloemtres east of Addis Ababa, was launched for the Oromia regional state of Ethiopia, which is the biggest of the other eight regional states of Ethiopia.

This is the second television owned by the Ethiopian government. There is as yet no private television in Ethiopia, home to around 77 million people.

There are however three private FM radio stations in Addis Ababa, and a number of community radio stations in other regions of the country.

However, at the launch of the new TV station, the Ethiopian President Girma Woldegiorgise said that several state and private media have been approved and are in the process of being established in the country.

President Woldegiorgise said that the station not only benefits the regional state, but also contributes to bringing the other nations, nationalities and the people of Ethiopia closer, strengthen the democratic system, build the national image and contribute towards realization of Ethiopia’s vision.

The station started a daily 30 minute transmission in the Ethiopian federal language-Amharic-and a four hour transmission in Oromifa, which is the regional language of Oromia regional state, which also has the largest number of speakers, next to Amharic in Ethiopia.