# Somali National Television (SNTV): from 1983 to today

> Somali National Television (SNTV, Telefishinka Qaranka Soomaaliyeed): the 1983 launch, the 2011 relaunch, SNTV Daljir, new studios in 2025 and the Somaliland ban.

Source page: https://calankii.com/en/society/somali-national-television/
Last checked: 2026-11-12
Publisher: Calankii (https://calankii.com)

## 1983: the first Somali television

Regular television began in Somalia on 17 August 1983. [Kuwait](/en/diaspora/kuwait/) and the [United Arab Emirates](/en/relations/uae/) paid for it. It broadcast in Somali and Arabic for two hours a day, and three hours on Fridays and holidays ([Somali National Television, Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somali_National_Television); [World Radio TV Handbook, TV Factbook 1984](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1984-TV-Factbook/TV-Factbook-1984.pdf)). The Ministry of Information and National Guidance planned two transmitters, of 100 and 500 watts.

The channel was first called *Telefishanka J.D. Soomaaliya*, the television of the [Somali Democratic Republic](/en/history/somali-democratic-republic-1969-1991/). Reception was limited to Mogadishu and its surroundings, on VHF channel 6. One early programme was the journalist Axmed Siciid's *Todobaadkii Hore iyo Aduunka* ("The past week and around the world") ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somali_National_Television)).

## The war years

Broadcasting stopped during the civil war. On 27 April 2002 the facilities were handed by Artan [Ali Warsame](/en/people/ali-haji-warsame/) to the information ministry of the transitional administration ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somali_National_Television)).

## 2011 relaunch

The [Transitional Federal Government](/en/history/transitional-governments-2000-2012/)'s information ministry began test broadcasts on 18 March 2011 and officially relaunched the station on 4 April 2011, after a gap of about 20 years. It used the Thaicom satellite, like the private channels Universal TV, Somali Channel and Horn Cable TV ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somali_National_Television)). SNTV still counts 1983 as its founding year and marked its 39th anniversary in 2022 ([FTL Somalia](https://www.ftlsomalia.com/sntv-celebrates-39th-anniversary/)).

## SNTV today

- **Reach:** 24 hours a day, inside Somalia and abroad, by terrestrial and satellite signal. It is regulated by the federal Ministry of Information ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somali_National_Television)).
- **Training:** in 2021 the Finnish journalists' NGO Vikes helped train staff for new children's programmes ([Vikes](https://vikes.fi/en/uutiset/working-conditions-for-journalists-in-somalia-are-gradually-improving)).
- **SNTV Daljir:** a second channel, SNTV2, started in 2021. On 23 November 2022 it was replaced by SNTV Daljir, which Hiiraan Online described as a channel to counter al-Shabaab's messaging ([Hiiraan Online, November 2022](https://www.hiiraan.com/news4/2022/Nov/188852/somalia_launches_anti_al_shabab_tv_channel.aspx)).
- **New studios:** opened on 9 February 2025, built with Italian cooperation ([ANSA, 9 February 2025](https://www.ansa.it/english/news/news_from_embassies/2025/02/09/new-studios-at-somali-national-tv-thanks-to-italian-cooperation_f71e1caf-2d5b-46b9-b2c1-a36bdccbf4fe.html)).
- **Satellite teleport:** reception improved after a media satellite teleport opened on 18 July 2025 ([FTL Somalia](https://www.ftlsomalia.com/somalia-launches-first-media-satellite-teleport-in-35-years/)).

## Somaliland

According to reports carried by Garowe Online, [Somaliland](/en/states/somaliland-1991-to-2026/)'s information minister banned SNTV from being broadcast into homes in Somaliland from June 2019 ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somali_National_Television)). Somaliland has its own state channel, Somaliland National TV ([Somaliland Ministry of Information](https://mingc.govsomaliland.org/article/somaliland-national-television)).

## Read more

- [State media in Somalia](/en/institutions/state-media/)
- [Radio Mogadishu](/en/society/radio-mogadishu/)
- [Media in Somalia](/en/society/media-in-somalia/)
- [Somali media companies](/en/economy/somali-media-companies/)

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