Oceania Broadcasting Network

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Oceania Broadcasting Network (also known as OBN, or by its call letters A3M-TV 7) is a Tongan free-to-air television station, privately owned by Christopher Racine, and operated by members of the Tokaikolo Christian Fellowship.

1 Opening
2 Building
3 Christian influence
4 Additional channels
5 'TV Tokaikolo'
6 Influence in Tongan politics
7 Local programs produced at OBN
8 External links

[edit] Opening

OBN was officially opened by King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV on September 29, 1991. It was the second TV station broadcasting in NTSC to operate in the Kingdom, initially running in direct competition against rival Tongan TV channel ASTL TV3, before the latter ceased operations in 1996.

[edit] Building

The building housing the station was once the home of the Mormon Nuku'alofa Tonga Temple. After their property lease was cut short by the King, the Mormons were forced to relocate to Liahona. It is said that the Mormons 'put a curse' on the building when they departed. The building was then leased to a Chinese entrepreneur, who set up the Tong-Hua Chinese Restaurant. Tong-Hua inhabited the building for almost ten years, until they were also forced to relocate, making way for TV 7. The original TV tower was attached to the part of the building where the spire once stood.

[edit] Christian influence

OBN started primarily as a Christian station, but later expanded its programming to include other genres, such as news, sport and general entertainment.

Christian programming broadcast on a regular basis includes:

Programming from the Trinity Broadcasting Network, once a frequent staple of the OBN schedule, is no longer broadcast by OBN, due to a falling out between the two organisations. TBN programs are now exclusively viewed in Tonga on TBN's local affiliate, Doulos Television.

[edit] Additional channels

In 1998, OBN expanded its operations with the upgrade of its studio facilities, the installation of two giant satellite dishes and a new tower, the tallest in Tonga. Three additional free-to-air channels were also opened to the viewing public, Channel 8 (a PAL version of Channel 7), Channel 9 (broadcasting CNN, and later BBC World & FOX News in NTSC), and Channel 10 (a PAL version of Channel 9). This is when the company started emphasising the OBN moniker, as opposed to TV 7. However, the station is perhaps still best known (and more popularly referred to) among viewers as TV 7. In 2000, OBN ceased to operate Channel 9, after the Tongan government revoked OBN's license for that frequency. The government then allocated Channel 9 for its own television station, TV Tonga. OBN has since dropped Channel 10, and is now broadcasting on Channels 7 & 8 only.

[edit] 'TV Tokaikolo'

To the average viewer, one notices OBN's tendency to devote a sizable portion of its air-time to the Tokaikolo Church and its school, Lavengamalie College. This is due to the fact that the majority of OBN's employees are members of Tokaikolo, Station Manager Sangster Saulala, the son of Tokaikolo President, Rev. Liufau Saulala being the most prominent. OBN has often been referred to affectionately by members of the viewing public as 'TV Tokaikolo'.

[edit] Influence in Tongan politics

While originally distancing itself from Tongan politics, OBN changed its stance when it went commercial, allowing almost anybody willing to pay for airtime, the chance to promote their cause on television. With the pro-government TV Tonga's outright refusal to air any program supporting the Human Rights and Democracy Movement during the 2005 civil servants' strike, OBN quickly became an outlet for the voice of the strikers.