Television in Toalugi

Television broadcasts in the Commonwealth of Toalugi commenced on June 21, 1963, with the launch of the country's first television channel, Televisin Toatoalugi. Within eleven months of its inauguration, ownership of television sets in Toalugi increased to 34%. Under the Ulakisonian regime, color television was introduced to Toalugi in 1976, with full-time color broadcasts commencing in 1981. Televisin Toalugi was the only Toalugian television channel until the launch of TeleToa2 (now TT2) on July 31, 1992. Government monopoly on local terrestrial television ended in 1993 after both Channel 3 and National Television were launched in that year. Currently, around 52 terrestrial channels exist in the country. The three pay television providers in Toalugi are DirecTV Toalugi, StoarTV, and Toalink DTH.

History
Responding with the massive spread of television in the Nesionytan Islands in the 1950s, Koalkinu Ali outlawed television, calling it a threat to Toalugian society. Ali also referred to newspapers and radio as the "proper forms of media". Anyone owning a television set at the time would be imprisoned for 15 years without warning, yet television sets were smuggled from Isandarual and. Many members of Toalugian rich families were either arrested or fined TG$5,000. The ban on television was lifted after Ali was deposed in 1962. Television was formally introduced to the Toalugian general public on June 21, 1963, with the launch of Toalugi's first television channel, Televisin Toatoalugi, broadcast from Kolamaya within a 10 kilometer radius. Throughout the 1960s, television stations were established in Dirulalo, Georgetown, Hawkwan, Yutiminna, and Siyasari. Television immediately spread among the upper and middle classes of Toalugi, and became one of the most popular forms of media in the country. As television was only available to the urban people at the time, the rural population still relied on radio until the mid-1970s.

After the Ulakisonian invasion of Toalugi in 1969, Televisin Toatoalugi was renamed to Toalugi Mahadiman Televisin (lit. Toalugi Central Television) and was fully transitioned into a government propaganda machine. All regular programming was suspended and all TMT stations broadcast pro-communist propaganda and news programming throughout the day. TMT became a full wing of Ulakisonian Television after Ulakisonia illegally annexed Toalugi in 1970. Television expanded to rural areas in 1974, with more stations opened across the Tahılujin province. Color television first appeared in the Toalugian archipelago in 1975, two years after Ulakisonia, using the French system. During the First Nesionytan War, much of UTV Tahılujin's transmitters were heavily damaged, making the network unwatchable in many areas. In 1980, RTVU Program Two began broadcasting in Tahılujin, the same year when the province transitioned to full-time color broadcasts. On January 13, 1981, commemorating the Kolamaya bombings happened that day, UTV Tahılujin, renamed to RTVU Program One Tahılujin, halted transmissions the entire day.

In response to the establishment of Shorimonti Television by the CCGT, RTVU Program Two Tahılujin began airing Toalugian language programming in 1986. Shorimonti Television played a key role during the Second Nesionytan War. After the invasion of Ulakisonia by the in 1990, television programming was temporarily suspended in most of the Toalugian archipelago as Tahılujin became a UN protectorate, but the station in Shorimonti remained intact and was renamed to "Free Toalugi Television". On October 25, 1990, after Toalugian independence was formally restored, Televisin Toatoalugi went on the air again as TeleToa, and Free Toalugi Television was immediately converted into a regional television station. All television stations in Toalugi previously owned by RTVU were handed over to TeleToa, and RTVU Program Two immediately ceased broadcasting there.

TeleToa remained as the only television channel in Toalugi until the launch of TeleToa2 in 1992, catering to English-language programming. Privately owned media and satellite television were formally legalized in early 1993 for further economic development in Toalugi. On February 17, 1993, Channel 3 commenced operations as the first privately owned Toalugian television channel. Throughout the 1990s, the number of Toalugian privately owned channels significantly increased. In 1997, Channel 3 began satellite transmissions, making it the first Toalugian channel to do so. To challenge the massive rise of private television, the Communications Authority of Toalugi privatized TeleToa on January 31, 1999, as the channel's viewership has been ailing. In 2000, the first cable television channel in Toalugi, Toalugi 1, began transmissions. After Toalugi 1, more local terrestrial and cable channels were launched in the 2000s decade. As of 2007, more than 78% of the population of Toalugi had access to television, with terrestrial being the dominant method.

Digital terrestrial television
There are 52 terrestrial television channels broadcasting in Toalugi. Five of them are owned and operated by the Government of Toalugi, and the rest are owned by local private corporations.