New TBC television and FM Radio stations will go on air in Vava'u in early March, according to the General Manager of the Tonga Broadcasting Commission, 'Elenoa 'Amanaki.

The new station will be located at Fangatongo, Neiafu, in a building that was occupied by the Oceania Broadcasting Network when it was operating a service there, and 'Elenoa said that the television would broadcast from around 4 pm to midnight, while the FM station would be on the air 24 hours.

The TBC Board approved the setting up of a TV and FM station in Vava'u in December 2006, and TBC technicians are currently in Neiafu setting up the station.

"This is a good move for us because our main revenue is generated from the paid local programs we air on TV like we do now with Television Tonga and we will do the same in Vava...’u as there is no other television station there at the moment. We will have cameras to record local panel programs from over there and air them," said 'Elenoa.

TBC already has a Sky Television branch in Neiafu, and they hope the introduction of the two new stations will increase their customers from the current 48 Sky subscribers.