ABSTRACT
Malawi will gain its first television channel this June, courtesy of a deal struck with a Malaysian company. Aside from the state broadcaster, the only other player is Bop TV, a station belonging to the former homeland of Bophutatswana. It has managed to survive through the guile of its newest manager, M-Net-trained Cawe Mahlati, and the fact that the broadcasting legislation was so badly drafted that the state is locked into continuing funding. South Africa’s combination of a sprouting homegrown media conglomerate and continued state broadcasting might be beneficial. In Nigeria, the national broadcasting commission has been issuing licenses for a small number of commercial radio and TV stations. The civilian administration has long since been replaced by a military government, but the state system continues side by side with the federal system.
