NTT (Chemheria)
NTT is a rented TV channel in Chemheria. It started as a cable operator called National Television Trade in 1991. NTT applied for a terrestrial license and it started such broadcasts in March 2003. In the heightening of the national crisis, regular broadcasts ceased under the old administration on January 15, 2021. Since then NTT has been rented to others with limited programming and no internal productions or news.
History[edit | edit source]
NTT started in February 1991 as a 10-channel cable operator named National Television Trade. It carried four local channels, the three channels operated by Henarisen, a proto-NTT channel and six satellite relays.
NTT served as a platform for the creation of independent television companies. A relay of Eko TV from Karazhunia started in April 1993 on the NTT network before becoming a terrestrial channel. NTT provided an altered feed of Eko Karazhunia before becoming the independent Eko Qemher.
The appearance of new channels like Omega TV caused a paradigm shift in the Chemherian television industry, and NTT had changed its format. NTT was now both a provider and a television channel (Kanali NTT) available terrestrially in Magas. The channel was used as a shop window for some of the more popular content seen on NTT, including sports and feature films.
By 2000 the NTT channel was the Magas channel in a group of four, the other three channels being Piramida, Forum TV and Independent Television of Koqtomeni. NTT got a national license and in the summer of 2003 led the new NTT group of four channels, the other channels changed their profiles at the same time. The local affiliates still reserved a few hours for local programming.
NTT sold the cable operator to Qemher Telekom in 2007, the sale was finalized in 2008. The old NTT offer disappeared in August 2009.
In 2013, NTT shut down the loss-making Independent Television of Koqtomeni and in 2017 sold Piramida. NTT and Forum TV were still under the same owner, by 2019, they were broadcasting almost the same schedule.
On March 13, 2020, upon the declaration of the state of emergency in Chemheria, NTT announced that it was unable to continue broadcasting under restrictive measures. Despite attempting to survive in its first weekend, the staff announced on March 15 that the channel would be temporarily taken off the air. The shutdown also affected the news division.
The decision was seen as a government ploy mandated by the Chemherian Broadcasting Corporation, Eko Qemher and Omega TV, three media companies with close relations to the Chemherian government, to suspend independent television journalism during the course of the pandemic.
During the summer months and after confrontations from the appelate, NTT resumed its operations on October 1, 2020. The return was met with much expectation, but the limitations of the pandemic were causing dire ripples in the channel's internal affairs. New entertainment programming was still suspended, the channel started airing more Turkestani series in its slots, while doubling the length of its newscast. During this period the channel started renting out slots.
Faced with declining viewing figures and a worsening general situation, NTT announced on January 7, 2021 that it was going to suspend its programming for the second time starting January 15. In April the channel was scheduled to restart its operations, but failed to do so, only limiting itself to constant renting to broadcast Turkestani series and independent lifestyle shows.
The channel was temporarily taken off air in October 2022 as it was reported that the mostly empty remains of the NTT studios were used as a narco pole. The discovery of drugs in what was the news studio (until 2021), located near the channel's playout, caused the channel to temporarily show a blank screen instead of color bars.
At the same time, NTT's website, limited to the January 2021 suspension announcement, was locked in October 2022 and later stopped working definetly, raising questions over the possible total shutdown of the channel.
The current slots available are:
- Daily, 18:30 to 20:30
- Sundays, 13:00 to 14:00
Programming must be preceded and followed by the Chemherian national anthem in order to follow basic laws.
Programming[edit | edit source]
NTT broadcast a general line-up until 2020, consisting primarily of international content until the late 2000s, when national programming increased.
