Somalia live TV

About TV in Somalia

Somalia's television landscape is small but telling. With only seven channels broadcasting regularly, the market reflects a country still rebuilding its media infrastructure after decades of civil war. The dominant player is Somali National Television (SNTV), the state broadcaster that carries government press conferences, official ceremonies, and national news bulletins read in measured, formal Somali. Private channels like Universal TV and Horn Cable TV offer a mix of imported dramas (mostly from Turkey and India, dubbed into Somali), religious programs, and local talk shows where callers argue about politics and clan issues, often with a frankness unheard on state air. Satellite dishes pepper rooftops in Mogadishu and major towns, pulling in Arabic and Ethiopian channels too, but the local seven hold a loyal audience for Friday prayers, Quran recitations, and the evening news that everyone watches. Dubbing is universal: every foreign show, even cartoons, gets Somali voice-over. Primetime falls after Maghrib prayer around 7 p.m., when families gather for the main newscast. There is no commercial advertising as we know it, instead, channels run sponsorship messages from telecom firms and diaspora businesses. The whole scene feels improvised and fiercely independent, a TV culture defined by survival rather than ratings.