Cape Town TV (known as CTV) is a non-profit, free-to-air, community television service operating in Cape Town, South Africa. Community broadcasting in South Africa aims to serve local areas and it is intended to provide people with programming that is informative and educational, with entertainment being a secondary goal.
CTV was founded by over 100 non-profit organisations in 2006 and has a membership base of around 200 NGOs in Cape Town. In this way it is owned by ‘the people’ and is intended to serve their interests, providing a space on the airwaves for civil society. CTV is committed to providing community access to the powerful medium of television as a tool to promote community development, human rights and social justice.
The organisation began broadcasting in September 2008. The station broadcasts locally on two analogue frequencies from a single transmitter that provides a broadcast footprint over most of the Cape Town area. Some areas do not receive the signal because of the mountainous terrain of the region. The channel is also available nationally throughout South Africa and Lesotho on the pay TV platform, DStv.
CTV’s primary strengths are that it provides local programming of interest to the people and communities of Cape Town; and it provides alternative perspectives to those afforded by the mainstream broadcasters. The channel broadcasts 24 hours a day with a variety of programming including talk shows, local and international news, magazine and actuality shows, music, comedy, theatre and sport, amongst others. The station is well known for its documentaries, which provide informative and educational content, often with a controversial or alternative point of view.
www.capetowntv.org