Radiodiffusion Télévision du Burkina (RTB) is the national state broadcaster of Burkina Faso, based in the capital, Ouagadougou. It was founded in 1959 under the name of Radio Haute-Volta.
Media assets
Television: RTB Television
Radio: RTB Radio
State Media Matrix Typology: State-Controlled (SC)
Ownership and governance
RTB was created as a public establishment under the control of the state. The outlet is subordinate to the Ministry of Communication and Relations with Parliament, which makes all the management appointments at the broadcaster. In 2015, the government (Council of Ministers) adopted Law no. 2015-059, which gave RTB the status of a state company. The staff at RTB are employed as public clerks. The Director General of the station is appointed through a government decree. In July 2023, Galip Some was named general director of the RTB following the government’s decision.
Source of funding and budget
According to Law no. 2015-059, RTB is funded through a combination of state subsidies, advertising, and other forms of self-generated income. RTB does not publish financial reports about its activity. Information from local journalists and experts indicates that the government predominantly funds the station.
Editorial independence
No formal editorial rules would oblige RTB to favor authorities in its coverage, and often, government officials claim that RTB has total editorial autonomy. However, local journalists and experts say that the government exerts significant influence at the station, which is proved by various incidents where state authorities were criticized for interfering with the broadcaster’s coverage. An ad hoc content analysis conducted for this project also found that the station’s coverage is very much dominated by pro-government coverage.
No domestic statute or oversight, or assessment mechanism to validate RTB’s editorial independence has been identified.
July 2024