Namibia - Media



Namibia has good quality telephone service, with at least 18 automatic telephone exchanges that can put callers in touch with 63 countries. Communication with rural areas is provided by about 65 fixed radio stations and 500 mobile stations. Fax machines and telex services are readily available. As of 2000, there were 110,200 mainline telephones and 82,000 cellular phones in use. The government-owned Namibian Broadcasting Corp. transmits radio programs in English, German, Afrikaans, and African languages. Television relays from South Africa began in the Windhoek and Oshakati areas in 1981. As of 2001, there were 2 AM and 39 FM radio stations. In 1997, there were eight television stations. In 2000 there were 141 radios and 38 television sets for every 1,000 people. There were two Internet service providers serving 30,000 subscribers in 2001.

Four major daily newspapers are published in Windhoek, including (with 2002 circulation): The Namibian (11,000), Die Republikein (12,000), and The Windhoek Advertiser (5,000). Tempo is a Sunday paper with a circulation of 11,000. The government owns and operates the Namibia Press Agency. The government also owns on biweekly newspaper, New Era , and two magazines, Namibia Today and Namibia Review .

The constitution provides for free speech and a free press, and the government is said to generally respect those rights. However, the government-owned Namibian Broadcasting Corporation operated most radio and television services, and though it provides significant coverage of opposition opinions, there have been many complaints of bias in the reporting of sensitive issues.

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