Explicit and Implicit Cultural Policies: A Critical Analysis of the Role and Impact of Cultural Policies that Govern the Television Sector in Botswana

Abstract

3 Abstract The cultural policy landscape in Botswana is characterized by considerable ambiguity, with far-reaching implications for both the television sector and the broader media environment. Deploying the lenses of implicit and explicit cultural policies, stakeholder management, and intergovernmental relations, the study critically examines the role of policy in propelling Botswana's television sector forward. This paper establishes that the television industry in Botswana faces obstacles due to a convoluted regulatory framework and insufficient cooperation among stakeholders, leading to governance issues and impeding industry advancement. It highlights deficiencies in policy implementation and calls for enhanced collaboration between government departments and broadcasting entities to tackle governance challenges and foster sectoral expansion. The research addressed both theoretical and practical gaps in television regulation in Botswana, advocating for the establishment of a more cohesive and coordinated policy framework to facilitate sustainable growth within the sector. The central argument made in the paper is that the television sector in Botswana is shaped more by implicit cultural policies than explicit cultural policies, and therefore effective coordination and management of stakeholders driving both implicit and explicit cultural policies need to be located in both the Ministry of Youth, Gender, Sport, and Culture and the Ministry for State President to strike an equilibrium of interests and influence.