Togo Television was launched in 1973 as Radio-Télévision de la Nouvelle Marche (RTNM). It changed its name to the current one (Télévision Togolaise, TVT) in 1990.
Media assets
Television: TVT
State Media Matrix Typology: State-Controlled (SC)
Ownership and governance
TVT is a public broadcasting company owned by the state and subordinated to the Ministry of Communication and Media. The station’s highest authority is the director who is appointed by the government (the council of ministers).
In August 2022, the minister of communication and media, Akodah Ayewouadan, took over the helm of TVT until the appointment of a new director following the resignation of the station’s previous head.
In January 2022, the government in Togo adopted legal provisions to merge the audiovisual media in the country (TVT, Radio Lome and Radio Kara) into a single entity that will operate as Radio et Television du Togo (RTVT). The transition process is ongoing.
Source of funding and budget
TVT is fully funded by the government, according to information from FES, a German foundation that maps African media. Financing is used by authorities to control the editorial content of the station (TVT received in the past its funding in small tranches, which prevented the outlet from properly planning its content).
Editorial independence
There are no provisions obliging TVT to favor the government in its programs, but indirectly, through funding and control of the station’s management, the government has full control over the editorial coverage of TVT, according to local experts.
There is no statute and no oversight or assessment mechanism that would validate TVT’s editorial independence.
September 2023