Radio Télévision Gabonaise (RTG) is the state broadcaster in Gabon. It runs two television stations, a French-language radio network and several provincial radio stations.
Media assets
Television: RTG1, RTG2
Radio: Radio Gabon chain
State Media Matrix Typology: State-Controlled (SC)
Ownership and governance
RTG’s management, including its director general, is appointed by the government through the Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy, which decides about the appointments and oversees the contracts of the RTG staff.
Source of funding and budget
The RTG’s operations are financed by the government. It also generates revenues through advertising, but the bulk of the station’s budget comes from the state, according to journalists covering Gabon. The station doesn’t release any information about its budget.
Editorial independence
The news content policy of RTG is fully controlled by the government through the appointment of the station’s top management. The broadcaster is so tightly controlled that the first minutes of the news bulletins are as a rule dedicated to the President (mostly consisting of congratulatory messages about his performance), according to journalists covering Gabon.
No domestic statute and no oversight or assessment mechanism in place at RTG to validate the editorial independence of the broadcaster have been identified.
September 2023