Cameroon Radio Television (CRTV) is a state-run broadcast company that emerged years ago by merging Cameroon Television and Cameroon Radio. Today, the broadcaster operates the generalist television chain CRTV and two thematic television stations, CRTV News and CRTV Sport & Entertainment, as well as a nationwide radio chain and 10 regional radio channels.
Media assets
Television: CRTV, CRTV News, CRTV Sports & Entertainment
Radio: National-CRTV; Regional- CRTV Adamaoua, CRTV Centre, CRTV Est, CRTV Extrême-North, CRTV Littoral, CRTV North, CRTV Nord-Ouest, CRTV Ouest, CRTV Sud, CRTV Sud-Ouest; Local- CRTV Wave FM, CRTV Kousseri FM, CRTV Yagoua FM, CRTV Yaounde FM94, CRTV Mount Cameroon FM, CRTV Suelaba FM, CRTV Poala FM
State Media Matrix Typology: State-Controlled (SC)
Ownership and governance
CRTV was established as a public institution by Law No 87/020 of 1987. The station is accountable to the Ministry of Communication. The country’s President appoints the General Director of CRTV and the CRTV Board of Directors Chair.
Source of funding and budget
CRTV was run with a state budget allocation set at CFA 27.9bn (US$ 51.7m) in 2021. In 2022, CRTV received a state subsidy of CFA 29.7bn (US$ 53.1m), according to media reports. In 2024, CRTV has been operating with a budget of CFA 29bn (US$ 47.4m), a decline of over 3% in local currency from the previous year’s CFA 28.8bn (US$ 48.8m).
Editorial independence
CRTV is editorially under the government’s strict control, and hence, it is known as a government mouthpiece. An ad hoc content analysis conducted for this report found the station’s editorial coverage to be blatantly pro-government. Censorship has also been documented in various academic studies.
No domestic statute, oversight or assessment mechanism to validate the broadcaster’s editorial independence has been identified.
June 2024