Oromia Broadcasting Network

The channel is run by the Oromia Radio and Television Organization (ORTO), founded on July 12, 2006 by Proclamation number 113/2006 of the Regional Government, as Oromia mass media organization (OMMO). The organization was renamed by the regional government to Oromia Radio and TV Organization by the Proclamation No. 164/2011 in 2011.

Notably Abiy Ahmed was a board member of the organization that runs OBN before assuming the office of Prime Minister.[1]

In February 2018 the president of the Oromia regional state, Lemma Megersa, pledged to defend the independence and impartiality of the state-run Oromia Broadcasting Network (OBN), among others. He stated this after a central committee meeting in Adama by the OPDO, the Oromo faction of the ruling EPRDF party that controls the Oromia region.[2]

Content is mostly focused on news from the Oromia regional state, but also covers news from the national and international levels. The majority of broadcasts are in Afaan Oromo (the native language of the Oromo people) with some programs in Amharic (the federal language of Ethiopia) and English.

Many prominent Oromo leaders in the government of Ethiopia use OBN as a platform to reach the majority of the Afaan Oromo speaking population such as when leading OPDO figure Abadula Gemeda announced his displeasure with the government's mistreatment of internally displaced Oromo people in 2017.[3]

In March 2018 OBN was the first to confirm a deadly incident in the border town of Moyale via an interview with the town's mayor.[4]

The Oromia Broadcasting Networks along with two broadcasters, Tigray TV and Dimtse Woyane were alleged to disseminate media propaganda by Ethiopian government following the death of Hachalu Hundessa on June 29, 2020. These three networks considered operated by two political parties, Oromo Liberation Front and Tigray People's Liberation Front, the oppressive ultranationalist parties whose ultimate goals are to take over the sovereignty powers. The two parties were labeled as "terrorist agent" by the government and responsible for inciting violence after Hachalu Hundessa death. The Federal Attorney-General launched an investigation on three broadcasters in connection with alleged roles in inciting ethnic violence in Ethiopia. The channels has been breaching the broadcasting laws and warned to lift off-air in Ethiopia and ordered to shut down proclamation as of July 6. However the channels guarantee for broadcast via international networks, primarily using North American networks.[5]