Oromia Broadcasting Network

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The Oromia Broadcasting Network (OBN) is Ethiopia’s public service broadcaster based in Addis Ababa. It is the main media outlet for the Oromia region and broadcasts on Ethiosat via Eutelsat. OBN is run by the Oromia Radio and Television Organization (ORTO), which started in 2006 as the Oromia Mass Media Organization and was renamed ORTO in 2011.

OBN produces independent news, education, and entertainment programs in 14 Ethiopian languages and 3 international languages for radio and TV. It broadcasts about 119 hours per week on radio and 24 hours a day on TV, covering virtually all of Oromia by radio and over 70% of the region by TV. The network also reaches audiences abroad via satellite and the internet. Its website is obn.net. OBN has sister channels, including OBN Horn of Africa and OBN Gaammee (children’s programs). It was formerly known as ETV 2 and TVO Now.

Content is mainly Oromia regional news, with some national and international coverage. Most programs are in Oromo, with some in Amharic, Afar, Gurage, Somali, Kiswahili, Arabic, and English. The network has been a platform for Oromo leaders to communicate with the Oromo-speaking public.

Notable points in its history include:
- Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed was once a board member of the organization.
- In 2018, Lemma Megersa pledged to defend the independence and impartiality of OBN.
- OBN reported on significant events such as the Moyale incident in 2018.
- In 2020, OBN and two other broadcasters were accused by the government of spreading propaganda after the death of musician Hachalu Hundessa; the channels were labeled as “terrorist agents,” and a government investigation was opened. The networks said they would continue broadcasting, including via international networks.