Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation

Tanzanian Broadcasting Corporation (TBC)
Type	Broadcast, satellite, television network
Country	Tanzania
Availability	North America, Europe, Asia and Africa
Owner	Government of Tanzania
Key people	Dr. Ayub Rioba Chacha, Director-General
Launch date	1 July 1951 (radio); 15 March 2000 (television)
Official website	tbc.go.tz

The Tanzanian Broadcasting Corporation is a television network. It is Tanzania's national network and is government-owned and operated.

History

Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation (TBC) is established under the Public Corporation Act, 1992 by an Establishment Order of 2007 published vide Government Note Number 186 of 2007 (The Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation (Shirika la Utangazaji Tanzania –TBC) (Establishment) Order, 2007). By this Order, signed by the President of the United Republic of Tanzania on 24 August 2007, the Tanzania Broadcasting Services (Taasisi ya Utangazaji Tanzania (TUT) (Establishment) Order, 2002) was revoked and then TUT ceased to exist.

TBC is a public broadcaster whose primary objective is to educate, entertain and provide information to the public. TBC is expected to fulfill its mandate through quality programming that is appealing to all citizens regardless of their ideology, race, religion, gender, class or physical disability. Since its establishment, TBC has built a relationship of trust with Tanzanians. The audience values the voice of TBC through its news and programs.

Historical milestones

Dar es Salaam broadcasting station (Sauti ya Dar es Salaam) - July 1951

Later known as: Tanganyika Broadcasting Service
Coverage: Dar es Salaam
Colonial Development and Welfare Fund granted UKP 10,000 for the project
Studio equipment: One gramophone turn-table, one microphone, a mixing panel made from old public address amplifier.
Transmission: Started with one short-wave transmitter
One standby medium-wave transmitter introduced on 10 March 1952
Programs: Broadcast in Swahili for one hour three times a week

Tanganyika Broadcasting Corporation (TBC) - 1 July 1956

Established by an Ordinance (Chapter 370 of the Laws Annual Supplement 1956)
Objective: to provide public service broadcasting as a means of information, education and entertainment with the national interest of Tanganyika
The government left programming to free judgment of the corporation.

Radio Tanzania - established 1 July 1965

The board of the corporation was dissolved.
The structure of the corporation was changed.
It became part of the government's Ministry of Information and Tourism.

Radio Tanzania established 2 stations IN 1973

Swahili service later called ‘Idhaa ya Taifa’ or the National Service
English service
External service

RTD expansion 1975-1988

In 1975 commissioned three 50 kw relay stations at Mbeya, Arusha and Mwanza
In 1988 commissioned two relay stations at Dodoma and Kigoma each with 100 kw and 10kw

RTD MW expansion IN 1990

Songea and Nachingwea relay stations with 100kw and 10kw standby

Upcountry studios in 1991

At Lindi, Dodoma, Songea and Kigoma

TV station built at audio visual institute – 1995

Television ya Taifa (TVT) established under Prime Minister's Office – 1999
TVT commissioned - October 1999
Kisarawe TV transmitter station commissioned in 1999

Television Tanzania (also Television ya Taifa) started its broadcasts on 15 March 2000, after an experimental period that started in December 1999. In the initial phase it broadcast eight hours a day (4pm to midnight) in both English and Swahili languages, covering (in its first phase) Dar es Salaam, Tanga, Zanzibar, Pemba, Lindi, Mtwara and parts of Morogoro.^[1] The next step was to enable the channel to start satellite broadcasts.^[2]

Taasisi Ya Utangazaji Tanzania (TUT) established in 2002

TUT started operating as a merger of RTD and TVT – July 2004
3 TV transmitter stations commissioned at Arusha, Dodoma and Mwanza in 2000
Commissioned 7 TV analogue transmitter stations at Bukoba, Musoma, Tabora, Kigoma, Lindi, Tanga and Mbeya

Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation (TBC) formed in July 2007

TBC Establishment Order signed by His Excellency the President of the United republic of Tanzania on 18 August 2007
Singida TV and Radio transmitter stations commissioned in 2010
10 new FM radio transmitter stations established at Sumbawanga, Kilimanjaro, Shinyanga, Babati, Mpanda, Tunduru, Songea, Morogoro, Iringa and Masasi in 2010/2011

Vision: To become a prominent, professional, culturally rooted, creative and reliable public service broadcaster on the continent.

Mission: To empower citizens through professionally produced content that is informative, educative, entertaining, interactive as well as reflective and transformative.

Motto: "Truth and Reliability;" in Kiswahili, "Ukweli na Uhakika."

Programming

Programming includes news and entertainment. TBC operates its television programs through three television profiles namely TBC 1, TBC 2 and newly established Tanzania Safari Channel (a wildlife channel). It also operates five radio stations, TBC Taifa, TBC FM, BONGO FM and TBC Arusha in Swahili and TBC International in English.^[3]

Stations

TBC broadcasts on three TV channels^[4] and four radio stations, TBC Taifa, Bongo FM, TBC International & Community Radios (though private television channels and radio stations also exist) and is also available via satellite^[5] and online.^[6]

References

^ "MEDIA PROFILE - TANZANIA" (PDF). Gamos Ltd. 2003. Archived (PDF) from the original on 20 June 2022. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
^ "Tanzania's top dogs open 2nd channels", Africa Film & TV Magazine, nº. 26, August-October 2000
^ "Tanzania: Fake News Increasingly Haunts Tanzania". The CItizen. Dar Es Salaam: AllAfrica. 12 March 2017. Retrieved 23 August 2017.
^ Nkwame, Marc (28 July 2013), "Tanzania: Digital Beats Analogue in More Television Coverage", AllAfrica, retrieved 23 August 2017
^ "Tanzania profile - Media1", BBC, 8 August 2017, retrieved 23 August 2017
^ "HOME", Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation, archived from the original on 24 June 2022, retrieved 23 August 2017