Established in 1936 to provide hurricane warnings to the outlying islands, ZNS is the national broadcaster of The Bahamas. Television services commenced in 1977. Today, ZNS operates under the Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas (BCB), a state-owned entity.
Media assets
Television: ZTV
Radio: The National Voice 1540 AM, The Light 810 AM, Inspiration 107.9 FM, Power 104.5 FM
State Media Matrix Typology
Ownership and governance
The BCB is wholly owned by the Bahamian government. It was established by Parliament to operate radio and television services throughout the country. The Corporation is governed by a five-member board of directors appointed by the Governor-General upon the advice of the Prime Minister. The board is accountable to a cabinet minister responsible for broadcasting.
Source of funding and budget
The BCB has historically relied on state budget allocations for its operations. Despite government efforts to encourage the broadcaster to generate its own revenues, it remains heavily dependent on public funds.
In the fiscal Year 2023-2024, the government’s liabilities to the BCB amounted to US$ 6.1 million. In the fiscal year 2024-2025, the Ministry of Social Services, Information, and Broadcasting, which oversees the BCB, received a budget allocation of US $19.2 million.
Editorial independence
Concerns regarding political influence over the BCB persist. In June 2023, the appointment of Clint Watson, the Minister’s press secretary, as the BCB’s General Manager raised questions about the broadcaster’s editorial independence. Watson had prior experience with ZNS and in commercial media.
Cases of journalists being dismissed from the broadcaster for voicing their criticism have continued in recent years, according to media reports.
There is no domestic statute establishing the editorial independence of the BCB’s media outlets. Furthermore, no independent assessment or oversight mechanism has been identified to validate the editorial independence of the BCB’s channels.
May 2025