Television was introduced into Papua New Guinea in 1987. Initially there were two channels, EM TV and NTN. NTN shut down after one year on air due to financial difficulties, leaving EM TV in a monopoly situation until 2008, when Kundu 2 opened. In 2014, Digicel opened TVWan.

History Television in Papua New Guinea was first suggested in 1964, when it was still an Australian territory, per a World Bank mission, with the initial aim of introducing an educational service for schools.TERRITORY SHOULD LOOK INTO TV, Pacific Islands Monthly, January 1965 A two-man commission for the development of television was set up in October 1965 by Professor Derek Broadbent and Douglas Brooke. It was expected that their findings were to be sent to Administrator Donald Cleland in January 1966.FINDINGS ON P-NG TV DUE SOON, Pacific Islands Monthly, January 1966

The government of Papua New Guinea first considered having a television service in 1977. The initial plan suggested the creation of a national television service using satellite technology to cover the country by 1982, with battery-powered receivers sent to remote areas.TV for PNG by '82?, Pacific Islands Monthly, November 1977, No. 11, p. 31 The government rejected the idea of television the following year, under the principle that television would be "counterproductive to development".Committee says "NO" to PNG TV, Pacific Islands Communication Newsletter, April 1978, Vol. 8, No. 1, p. 3 Shortly after the decision, Ikini Holloway of the National Broadcasting Corporation demanded that television should be introduced with different programming than initially suggested,Meacham L., Holloway, Planning PNG TV programs, Pacific Islands Communication Newsletter, April 1978, Vol. 8, No. 1, p. 3 but one of the three sub-committees was against the introduction of television.No for television, Asian Mass Communication Bulletin, June 1978, Vol. 8, No. 2, p. 2 Even without television, video cassette recorders began to emerge in Papua New Guinea.Is PNG-TV free? Well, yes, and then again, no..., Pacific Islands Monthly, August 1978, Vol. 49, No. 8, pp. 55–57

In 1981, two Australian expatriates created HiTRON, Papua New Guinea's first subscription television company.Lawyer committed to trial for alleged forgery 30 years ago in Hitron case, The National, 17 March 2020, retrieved 7 October 2026 The company relayed television channels from satellites years before the creation of the first local television stations. This meant that only wealthy elites could access television; videotapes were the only other alternative. When the Parry Corporation, owners of NBN, decided to establish the Niugini Television Network in early 1984, the government finally legislated satellite television.

NTN, licensed in December 1984, was scheduled to open on 16 September 1985, but this was later delayed to 18 July 1986, and then 21 January 1987. The station broadcast on channel 7 in Port Moresby; EM TV opened on 23 July (Remembrance Day) on channel 9. EM TV was backed by the Nine Network, which it shared with local investors. Although it was originally meant to be a sort of Nine affiliate, foreign programming had to be negotiated directly with the producers and distributors due to licensing rules.

NTN faced financial difficulties in late 1987 and shut down on 15 March 1988. This left EM TV in a monopoly. That year, EM TV started expanding its terrestrial footprint and claimed an audience of 900,000 viewers nationwide.

On 16 September 2008, EM TV's monopoly was broken with the launch of the National Television Service, better known as Kundu 2 until 2015.PNG to get second television channel during 33rd independence day celebrations, Radio New Zealand, 15 September 2008, retrieved 6 October 2026 It was renamed NBC Television in October of that year.NBC finally comes of age, The National, 19 October 2015, retrieved 6 October 2026 On 14 November 2014, TVWan launched, coinciding with the launch of Digicel Play.

Digital terrestrial broadcasts began on 16 December 2024, using a grant from the Chinese government. The service launched with a 16-channel capacity with eight channels occupied and another eight vacant.NBC officially commissioned analog to digital transition, NBC PNG, 17 December 2024, retrieved 6 October 2026

Channels + Name Owner LaunchedEM TV Media Niugini Limited NBC TV NBC PNG TVWan Digicel

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