The Early Development of Ethiopian Television (1964-1991)

From ‘Magical Window’ to Socialist Propaganda

Abstract

This paper covers a specific period of Ethiopian media development from 1964 to 1991 recognizing that media are among the most powerful forces in shaping Ethiopian society. The topic focuses on two parts: The birth of Ethiopian Television in the reign of Emperor Haile Selassie and its development through the era of the Derg regime from 1974 to 1991. As part of Ethiopian media history, it investigates the full range of television's development in terms of its technological and human resource advancement. As a humanistic endeavor, the ETV history considers unique events, technologies, personalities, and developments—the contingencies that the station faced during the 26 years of its existence. Descriptive research design is used as a research methodology that focuses on describing the event in a systematic and accurate manner. It aims to answer questions about how ETV developed as an institution, how technology and professional practice in the newsroom changed, and what challenges and progress were observed during these two periods. The research data collection began with the analysis of historical documents, and interviews were conducted with people who had worked at the station starting from its inception. In particular, the organization's documents obtained from the Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation became the basic resource for this study. The article tried to analyze and present the transformation of the Ethiopian television station through time.