About two years ago, there were reports about divisions within ESAT board of Directors
borkena
The Ethiopian Satellite Television (ESAT), Ethiopian Broadcaster which was initially launched in the United States during the struggle against TPLF-led government, is now transformed into a public media.
According to a report by state media, Ethiopia News Agency (ENA), ESAT is transformed from private share company to a public media in accordance with the new media regulation.
It will work “entirely neutral from political, ethnic and religious affiliation,” it was said.
ESAT has reportedly elected about 16 board of directors on Saturday. No more information is provided as to how the members of the board of directors are elected and on what basis.
What is known is that Andargachew Tsige, former secretary of Arbegnoch Ginbot 7 movement who was kidnapped by TPLF led government in Yemen during transit to Eritrea, is the Director for ESAT.
“There was no law to organize public media before. Because the new law for mass media allows it, ESAT is organized afresh as public media,” he said, as reported by ENA. A new guideline is approved to govern the operation of ESAT, he added.
It is organized as a not-for-profit public media.
When it was operating only from outside of Ethiopia, ESAT relied on financial support from Diaspora Ethiopians to broadcast to Ethiopia.
In June 2019, well over a year after TPLF lost central power in Addis Ababa, there was a talk about restructuring ESAT following a dispute that is said to have given rise to schism over questions related to ownership.
There were rumors that Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s administration is in part behind division within ESAT.
__
Join the conversation. Like borkena on Facebook and get Ethiopian News updates regularly. As well, you may get Ethiopia News by following us on twitter @zborkena
The post ESAT declared a public media with Andargachew Tsige as Director appeared first on Borkena Ethiopian News.