The Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation (SIBC) is the statutory national broadcaster under the Broadcasting Act 1976. It provides radio information, education and entertainment and reaches Honiara, Guadalcanal, Malaita and parts of Central and Western Province through AM 1035; shortwave at 5020 kHz serves remote islands. In 2026, the AM system operated at about half of its potential capacity, while FM expansion used Our Telekom towers in Malaita and Western Province and was planned for Lata in Temotu. SIBC reports directly to the Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and receives an annual state subsidy of SBD 5 million. Its legal framework states editorial independence, but institutional and political pressure risks were documented in 2025. Solomon Star and Island Sun are the two daily print newspapers. Solomon Star, established in 1982, operates in Honiara, Auki and Gizo and combines print coverage with PAOA FM 97.7, websites and social media. A 2025 ABC/PACMAS survey reported trust in print media above 80 percent among respondents. The advertising market is small, so government advertising and additional printing services are financially significant. The Media Association of Solomon Islands (MASI) supports press freedom, professional standards, training, provincial stringers and child-protection policies. Telekom Television (TTV) is a commercial free-to-air service available in Honiara, Gizo, Noro, Munda, Auki and Lata. SIBC television began in November 2023 and also distributes radio, video and news material through YouTube and Mixlr. The Ministry of Communication and Aviation Television Board issues television licences under the Television Act 1995; spectrum use may additionally require a licence from the Telecommunications Commission Solomon Islands (TCSI). TTV NOW offers live TTV1, TTV2, TTV3 and PLTV channels, films and series inside Solomon Islands. It requires an Our Telekom prepaid connection, a Facebook or email account and SMS verification, and supports Android 5 or later, Chrome on a computer and Chromecast. Packages include data and cost SBD 10 for one day, SBD 35 for seven days or SBD 120 for 30 days on Basic, and SBD 20, SBD 100 or SBD 300 for the corresponding Premium periods. Unused validity does not roll over. Parental controls are available. Mobile phones are the main way to access social media, but access remains unequal. The 2019 Census recorded mobile-phone ownership among people aged 12 and over at 44.7 percent, while 55.3 percent reported no phone ownership. Among mobile users, internet use was mainly connected with social media at 66.0 percent, communication at 62.0 percent and entertainment at 51.3 percent. Social-media use was concentrated in Honiara at 55.8 percent, compared with 16.3 percent in Guadalcanal and 13.1 percent in Western Province. ITU data put internet use at 29 percent of the population in 2024. Coverage, device prices, electricity and mobile-data costs therefore affect whether a media service is practically usable. Journalists often obtain access to government information through media organisations, but ABC/PACMAS reported difficult access, inconsistent press releases and occasional anonymous leaks in 2025. MASI and BBC Media Action provide training in fact-checking, ethics, interviewing and digital storytelling. No reliable evidence established a general mandatory journalism qualification or accreditation system. U-Report Solomon Islands provides free and confidential participation through SMS by sending JOIN to 747 or through Facebook on Our Telekom or bmobile. It collects feedback by age, gender and location with support from the Ministry of Women, Youth, Children and Family Affairs, the Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development, UNICEF and Oxfam. Online-safety concerns include cyberbullying, exploitation, privacy violations and disinformation, while no reliable unified national media age-rating system was identified. Section 12 of the Constitution protects freedom of expression, receiving information and communication. Restrictions can concern defence, public safety, public order, public morality, public health, reputation, the rights and privacy of others, court proceedings and technical regulation. Television broadcasting requires a licence, and telecommunications services generally require a TCSI service licence or exemption; radio-frequency use can require a separate spectrum licence. A complete compliant TCSI class-licence application is registered after 45 days under the stated process. A consumer should first complain to the provider and then to TCSI. Copyright, harmful content and false claims can create liability under applicable terms and rules. RSIPF guidance warns against spreading unverified social-media information, panic or incitement. Under the Electoral Act 2018, election campaigning ends 24 hours before polling day.
Media in Solomon Islands
Media in Solomon Islands includes radio, newspapers, television, streaming services and mobile social media. Radio remains the most practical source of news, education and emergency information across many islands, while television and streaming access is concentrated in Honiara and larger provincial centres. Access depends heavily on network coverage, devices, electricity and data costs.
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