GBC set to relaunch soon

MONKAGEDI GAOTLHOBOGWE
Staff Writer | Thursday February 4, 2010 00:00

The new name, e-Botswana, now relates well with South Africa's etv, which has a controlling stake at the Gaborone channel, where it also transmits one of its most sought after contents such as the   UEFA Champions League, and  hot movie line-ups.

GBC general manager David Coles says: ' We are very grateful to the NBB for the  name change', adding that they are still trading as GBC in the meantime pending the launch of the new name in a month or two. However, Coles told Showbiz that contrary to some reports, they  do not have a national license yet. ' What we got is a new name, and not a national licence. We are in  the process of applying for a national licence; as to when we  will do that , it is not decided yet', Coles explained. About  the acquisition of a national licence, Coles described the exercise as  a long process. ' It is an ongoing process that we cannot set a timeline on because they are a lot processes required, it has a lot of technical details, including how you roll out the network,' Coles explained. In 2007 South African media company Sabido, the holding company of  Johannesburg based television station etv, acquired 49 percent of GBC.

Local banker  Mike Klinck, who acquired the station 10 years ago has 51 percent shareholding at GBC.When it launched 19 years ago, GBC was Botswana's first television channel. It covered Gaborone and the surrounding areas, reaching a population of approximately 450, 000. Its estimated active viewership was 160, 000.

GBC had exclusive free-to-air rights for Botswana to the UEF Champions League tournament.Sabido's involvement would provide GBC with access to etv's inventory of movies, dramas and sports programmes, etv said in a statement then.