SECTOR 3 3.7 The state/public broadcaster offers diverse programming formats for all interests including local content and quality public interest programmes. Asian movies and foreign soapies dominate BTV programming. Some of these foreign programmes form part of a business arrangement - e.g. the South Korean films in exchange for advertising for Samsung. There are few current affairs and talk show programmes, and they find it difficult to attract members of the public to participate as audience members. Producers claim they have to vet people who appear as part of the studio audience. There is a clause in the Communications Regulatory Act that states that 50% of programming on private media should be local content. There was a time when government would commission local programmes for BTV. This posed a problem for the state broadcaster, as they were not comfortable about the dialogue on documentaries. During the second phase they requested more predictable programming, but these were eventually terminated. Just before elections the government had allocated funding to production houses for programmes, but some of these were never aired on television. Several government departments have set up public relations units that produce television programmes that are shown or aired on national TV. “So there is no diversity; it’s just government circulating content around.” Scores: Individual scores: 50 1 Country does not meet indicator 2 Country meets only a few aspects of indicator 3 Country meets some aspects of indicator 4 Country meets most aspects of indicator 5 Country meets all aspects of the indicator Average score: 1.3 (2005 = n/a; 2007 = n/a; 2009 = n/a; 2011 = n/a) Average score for sector 3: 1.5 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER Botswana 2014