I was thrilled to see a new Ethiopian satellite TV station open on the Arab Sat. Like most Ethiopians, I was frustrated by the one-sided ETV reporting and was yearning for change to see a fully fair TV station. That is why I was happy to see ESAT emerge.
Just like the of the emergence of a few FM stations in Addis Ababa, the government has nothing to be frightened of new TV stations. But I think it is immersed in a serious paranoia. Thanks to technology, now we can claim that there is another TV station that has the “right” to air balanced reporting. I am hopeful that the government will not be collecting satellite dishes to stop people from watching the TV program.

For a program that has just started airing, it might be a bit too early to criticize its programs yet. However, from what I have seen so far, it sounds like it is being dominated by grudges over the last election. That is where my worry lies. We have been fed enough crap on ETV over the past decades. Since ETV is a state-owned station that is controlled by the ruling party, it might not come as a surprise when it airs only the good deeds of the government. It simply does not have the luxury of choice of appreciating opposite views. I wonder, however, if we should be getting another one-sided reportage from the people who have the choice to be balanced too.

The producers of the program have announced that they have plans to start full programs within a month. I hope ESAT has also prepared programs that go beyond the previous elections and paint a whole picture of the country - the good, the bad and the ugly. Otherwise, we will be seeing none other than another TV station that stands to humor its owner.

Ali B.
Ethiopian Reporter