Ethiopian television broadcasters are in an uproar over “unjust” satellite transponder lease fees charged by Ethiosat, a communication satellite platform launched by the government in 2017. A month ago, the Ethiopian Media Council, a media lobby group, petitioned the Office of the Prime Minister but has yet to garner a response.
The Ethiopian Media Authority directed all broadcasting stations to subscribe to Ethiosat in 2020 to reduce the estimated US$10 million they were paying in lease fees to foreign satellite service providers. Ethiosat was established by the Information Network Security Agency (INSA) in partnership with SES, a satellite telecoms network based in Luxembourg.
According to the Ethiopian Media Council’s petition, over 70 broadcasters collectively pay more than US$6 million in lease fees yearly – an amount the lobby group describes as unfair.
During the inaugural East African Broadcast and Digital Media Convention at the Hyatt Regency Hotel on May 7, 2024, executives of the broadcasting institutions passionately voiced their dissatisfaction, expressing what they see as a broken promise by the Ethiopian Broadcasting Authority since 2020.
