Office de radiodiffusion et de télévision du Mali (ORTM) is the national broadcaster in Mali. Its history can be traced to the establishment of Radio Soudan in Bamako in 1957. In 1960, following independence, it began to operate as Radio Mali, which later became RTM. In 1992, RTM was reorganized as ORTM.
Media assets
Television: ORTM 1, ORTM 2
Radio: Radio Mali, Radio Chaine 2, Radio Rurale
State Media Matrix Typology: State-Controlled (SC)
Ownership and governance
ORTM is a public administrative institution (EPA) with legal personality and management autonomy created by law 92-021. Its mission is to provide the country’s audiovisual public service. In 2015, the ORTM’s broadcast transmission service was spun off, and the ORTM remained in charge of content production only. Its new status is regulated through Ordinance No. 2015-036 PRM of 02 October 2015, which created the Office de Radio-Télévision du Mali.
ORTM is led by a general director named through a government-approved decree. The main governing bodies at ORTM are the Council of Administration (whose members are also appointed by the government) and the General Management (which mainly implements the decisions of the council). The Ministry of Communication, Digital Economy and Modernisation of Administration acts as the ORTM’s board chair.
Source of funding and budget
ORTM is financed through a combination of commercial revenues and state funding. In 2020, ORTM had a budget of XOF (US$ 24m), 56% of which was generated by the broadcaster through its own activities and 44% from a state budget allocation, according to media reports. However, in recent years, the state subsidy for the ORTM has markedly increased as the broadcaster had problems improving its own revenues. In 2024, ORTM had an estimated budget of XOF 12.8bn (US$ 22m), according to a report from an ORTM board meeting on 29 December 2023. Some 62% of that, XOF 6.94bn, was accounted for by state subsidies.
Editorial independence
ORTM’s content is blatantly censored by state authorities. The broadcaster is known as a government mouthpiece, openly supporting the government’s policies and widely covering its activities. According to four journalists from Mali interviewed between February and June 2024, the ORTM’s coverage is pure state propaganda.
During the latest round of research, no domestic statute establishing ORTM’s editorial independence, oversight, or assessment mechanism to validate the broadcaster’s autonomy was identified.
July 2024