History

It was established as a body corporate on 8 June 1964 under the Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation Ordinance no. 7 (1964). Prior to that date it operated as a Government Service under the name of Mauritius Broadcasting Service. The original ordinance establishing the Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation was amended and consolidated by Acts of Parliament: Act no. 65 of 1970, Act no. 22 of 1982 and Act no. 65 of 1985. These amendments were necessary to accommodate interalia changes at both technological and social levels as well as to satisfy the aspirations of all segments of the Mauritian nation. TV broadcasts started on a pilot basis in 1964 with the installation of three repeater stations at Fort George, Mount Thérése and Jurançon. On 8 February 1965, television was officially launched with a daily evening transmission of about three hours. The first live local program was broadcast on the occasion of the visit of Her Royal Highness Princess Alexandra in 1968. The phasing out process of black and white television started in 1973 and indeed the OCAMM Conference which was held at the Mahatma Gandhi Institute in the same year was broadcast live in colour (SECAM system). By 1978 the MBC was fully equipped for the broadcast of colour programs. The MBC started it operation in Rodrigues on 7 November 1987. A second channel was launched on 30 July 1990, the MBC 2. The MBC 3 became operational in March 1996. In 2005, the MBC was the first public television broadcaster in Africa to launched Digital Terrestrial Television channels. In 2007, the MBC also extent its digitalized service to the islands of Rodrigues and Agaléga.[3] In 2011, the MBC move from its former headquarter in Forest Side, Curepipe to Moka. The Bhojpuri Channel and Senn Kreol was launched in January 2013.