Radio algérienne (RA), also known as Établissement public de radiodiffusion sonore (EPRS), is the company in charge of the public radio service in Algeria. It was created in 1986 as part of the former state broadcast company RTA, which was founded in 1962.
Media assets
National: Chaine 1, Chaine 2, Chaine 3, Radio Coran, Radio Culture, Jil FM
International: Radio International
State Media Matrix Typology: State-Controlled (SC)
Ownership and governance
EPRS was established through executive decree no. 91-102 of 1991 as a public establishment “with an industrial and commercial character.”
The highest governing structure at EPRS is its Administration Council, which has 13 members (including the Director General), four of whom are representatives of government bodies (various ministries). The others are directors of the EPRS’ three main radio chains, journalists, a representative of the APS, Algeria’s official news agency, and other groups. The council is chaired by the Director General appointed through a presidential decree. EPRS is subordinated to the Ministry of Communication.
Source of funding and budget
EPRS is financed through a combination of state funding and advertising sales. EPRS has not published financial data recently. According to local experts familiar with the EPRS budget interviewed for this report in May 2024, the state allocation accounts for over 85% of EPRS’ total budget. In 2021, EPRS received a total subsidy of DZD 5bn (US$ 37.4m) from the Ministry of Communication.
In 2022, as part of a government program aimed at stepping up its propaganda efforts, with a total budget of €120m, the government allocated some €32m to the EPRS, according to our local experts interviewed for this report.
Editorial independence
The government tightly controls the editorial coverage at EPRS. According to local journalists and experts interviewed for this report in May 2024, journalists work under tough pressures, and the government imposes the editorial coverage and agenda. Because of these pressures, journalists often have to leave their jobs.
The decree that established EPRS includes several provisions governing the broadcaster’s programming. However, during the latest round of research, no domestic statute establishing EPRS’s editorial independence was identified.
July 2024