Malawi: Catholic broadcaster Luntha TV forging ahead even in the face of challenges
Paul Samasumo – Vatican City
Malawi’s Luntha Television Station, broadcasting under the tagline “Bringing Wisdom into Your Home,” was officially launched on 5 May 2008. It is located in the capital, Lilongwe, at Bishop Nervi House, with a sub-office and studios in Balaka, a southern region town.
Luntha in the local Chichewa language means Wisdom.
Luntha TV is accessible on 10 platforms
Father David Niwagaba, a Ugandan national and Montfort Missionary who lives and works in Malawi, has been the Director of the television station since 2018.
“I was ordained in 2014 and I have served in Malawi and Uganda. After my priestly studies, I obtained an MBA degree from Mbarara University of Science and Technology in Uganda. It was then that I was asked to come and serve at Luntha Television as its Director,” explained Fr Niwagaba.
Asked about the growth and coverage area of Luntha TV, Fr Niwagaba said it had happened slowly.
“Luntha Television traces its story way back to 1981 when it started as Kuwala Studios at Ulongwe in the Diocese of Mangochi. Today, we are on 10 platforms, and our broadcasts reach over 26 African countries on different decoders and all over the world, online. Luntha TV is accessible on Kiliye Kiliye channel 007, Zuku on channel 51, StarSat channel 474, Top Star channel 474, Star Times on channel 474, Gotv channel 807, and Azam channel 386. Luntha TV is also accessed on a mobile App known as, Kanema Online. Further still, Luntha TV is followed and accessible on YouTube -Luntha TV Official, and on Facebook as Luntha Television. So, at the moment, Luntha TV reaches over 7.5 million people on the 10 different platforms. On Facebook alone, as I speak, Luntha TV has 6.9 million impressions,” he said.
The television’s programming ranges from spiritual to entertainment, information, current affairs, environmental programmes, and those of a developmental nature, such agriculture or health issues. The television station has 5 daily news bulletins and one main news broadcast. Its news content includes activities of the Pope, the Holy See, the Church in the African region, and what the local Church in Malawi is saying or doing. The second part of the news bulletin is dedicated to politics, society, and other national stories; international news stories are also featured. The news hierarchy differs daily but follows the television station’s editorial policy.
The challenges of running a Catholic media house
In Africa, many Catholic media houses face daunting economic challenges. With high production and technical costs, the burden of salaries, electricity, phone and Internet bills, as well as the wear and tear of machines mean that staying on air is an intentional choice and a labour of love. They continue to broadcast because most of them see what they do as a mission or a calling rather than a Going Concern. So, how has Luntha TV fared and managed to continue transmission for so long?
“When I took over Luntha Television as Director in 2018, it was very difficult for me. I attempted to resign five times, mainly because of the finances. We could hardly meet our daily running costs or even pay salaries. Luntha TV has about 30 staff members today. In 2018, we were fewer and yet struggling. We were not even in the capital city. We were running the television station from Balaka. But we soldiered on with the support of my superior, the Montfort team of council members, and my confreres. We still have many challenges; we don’t have all the necessary equipment, but we are in a much better place than before,” Fr Niwagaba said.
He continued, “We are very grateful for the collaboration of the Montfort missionaries and some donor agencies. Thanks also to the tremendous support of the local Christian faithful here in Malawi and our viewers. I would be failing if I do not acknowledge the support of the of the Episcopal Conference of Malawi. Let me just say many people have been very generous, even beyond the confines of this country. For example, some of our television programmes come from Zambia, Kenya, Uganda and even Rome. We have some social programmes that we air on behalf of NGOs and development agencies who advertise with us or buy airtime. Of course, the adverts must align with the Church’s teaching. In recent years, we have been airing some political programs without being aligned to any political party, and the parties pay for airtime. In a nutshell, that is how we get by. I can safely say, at the moment, Luntha TV is able to run and pay its costs,” Fr Niwagaba narrated.
Catholic Television is a worthwhile ministry
According to Fr Niwagaba, many people identify with and find Luntha TV beneficial for their spiritual lives. “We broadcast live Mass every day at 6 O’clock in the morning. But believe me, the choirs from the different parishes are present and on time every day, without fail!“
What if someone, a religious congregation or, say, a diocese or a Bishops’ Conference in Africa, wants to start a television station in this age of social media and with all the high costs. What would be Fr Niwagaba’s advice?
“TV broadcasting is quite expensive. Much more complicated than radio broadcasting. It requires a lot of money to run and maintain. If any Bishops’ Conference wants to start one, my word of advice would be -go ahead! It is worth it. In Africa, Catholic television for evangelization is still an important ministry. The benefits outweigh the challenges. Imagine a live Mass of thirty minutes broadcast, and your message reaches millions of viewers in a short period. That is a huge audience. It is another way of evangelizing. There are people who are sick and unable to go to Church. They feel the Church near to them in their suffering. We will not have everything when we start a television station. We start small and slowly, and we gain the skills required. I think once there are many television stations on the continent, it will also be easier to share content,” said Fr. Niwagaba.
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