Solenian Broadcasting Corporation

The Solenian Broadcasting Corporation (SBC) is the government-funded broadcaster of Solenial. Unlike other such organizations, the SBC is heavily pillarized and divided into narrowcasters. The interest in narrowcasters is being reduced over time due to competition from private players, as well as web platforms and streaming services in general.

History

The Solenian public broadcasting system was set up in 1923. The government set up the Solenian Radio Union and its programming was dovoded among its members. The initial years were of massive debauchery, more than five companies wanted to have airtime on the existing radio station. The legislation changed in 1930, abolishing most narrowcasters and integrating the Solenian News Agency into its structure. The central narrowcaster was now renamed Solenian Radio Union, while the radio operator was renamed Solenian Broadcasting Corporation. In the 1940s, a number of narrowcasters tried opening up against the will of the SRU, however the SBC banned these from operating within two years or a few months in the worst case, saying that they were against government viewpoints.

1950 saw the introduction of commercial radio under the auspices of IBS and the SBC's foray into television. The SRU was renamed SBU and was now delivering the schedule of the television service. IBS Television started in 1958 with tight restrictions compared to the SBC. A second SBC channel followed in the early 1960s. The channels were henceforth known as Solenial 1 and Solenial 2. A UHF channel, Solenial 3, followed in 1969. It was initially catering to the regions before a revision was made in 1989.

In 1974, the old system was dropped. The SBU collapsed into a series of narrowcasters and task-based organizations that served ethnic minorities and religions. This system had mixed results from former SBU members.

List of narrowcasters

Member-based

• CRO (Catholic Radio Organization): Catholic broadcaster. Has predominantly non-religious programming and tends to be liberal.
• EBC (Evangelical Broadcasting Corporation): A Protestant Christian broadcaster, often broadcasting programs of an evangelical nature. It is infamous for, among other things, its views on creationism and the censorship of imported wildlife documentaries (in 2007).

Task-based

• SNA (Solenian News Agency): Responsible for news and sports broadcasts. It also provides a "raw feed" of Solenian and international events caught by SNA cameras. Founded in 1921, it was merged into the extant narrowcasters, and later the SRU/SBU between 1926 and 1974.

Special narrowcasters

Apart from the member and task based broadcasters, a small amount of airtime was given to smaller organizations, which represented religious and philosophical groups. None of these organizations had members. In 2016 these broadcasters, except HUMAN, were consolidated into member and task-based broadcasters, as part of a major reorganization of the system.

• SBB (Solenian Buddhist Broadcaster): A small Buddhist broadcaster. Christian broadcaster CRO-NCRV is currently responsible for Buddhist programming.
• ICBS (Interchurch Broadcasting Solenial): A small broadcaster representing a diverse set of nine mainstream Christian churches. Merged with EBC.
• Jewish Network: Solenian-Jewish broadcaster. Merged with EBC.
• OHM (Organization Hindu Media): Small Hindu broadcaster. NTR is currently responsible for Hindu programming.
• SCB (Siennan Catholic Broadcaster): Small Roman Catholic broadcaster, responsible for events and services on television linked to the Siennan Catholicism.
• VoS (Voice of Sikhs): Small Sikhist broadcaster.
• Nur Islam: Small Muslim broadcaster. Formerly known as Solenian Islamic Broadcasting, the name had to change because the abbreviation was a rearrangement of IBS.
• Pagan Broadcasting Association: Small Paganist broadcaster.

Other

• ABC (Advertisement Broadcasting Corporation): founded in 1965 as a SSO, it has allowed regular commercial advertising on all SBC operations between January 2, 1967. Due to its peculiar nature within the framework of the SBC, football matches have to be divided into the pre-game, the first half, the second half and the post game on listings magazines and electronic program guides.

Former narrowcasters

• SBU (Solenian Broadcasting Union): grouped all narrowcasters between 1930 (even though some were still in operation as late as 1933) and 1974.
• Democracy XXI: A small broadcaster targeting "issues the big news organizations (indirectly referring to the SNA) don't touch". It also served as the exclusive broadcaster of Hopelandian public access programs Democracycast and The Talk to Solenial. Defunct in 2008 due to perceived links between its founder and a shooting in Jerièrre weeks before a program was put on air.
• Humanist Broadcasting (HUMAN): A small broadcaster dedicated to secular Humanism. Obtained a regular license, as an aspirant broadcaster, in 2014. Shut down due to low membership in 2015.
• Links: responsible for programs related to the Solenian diaspora and, until 2010, programs related to foreigners in Solenial. Defunct in 2015 due to low membership.