Dominica Broadcasting Corporation, also known as DBS or DBS Radio, is the national radio station of Dominica. The company was established in 1971 as Radio Dominica.
Media assets
Radio: DBS Radio
State Media Matrix Typology: State-Controlled (SC)
Ownership and governance
Dominica Broadcasting Corporation is owned by the government of Dominica and was established through the Dominica Broadcasting Corporation Act 33 of 1975. It is operated by a state-appointed board. In June 2024, Damien Dublin was appointed chairman of the corporation’s board of directors.
Source of funding and budget
Dominica Broadcasting Corporation depends on government funding for its operations. The broadcaster has not disclosed its budget, and the government has not released any budgetary information about the corporation.
Editorial independence
Dominica Broadcasting Corporation operates under strict government control, according to experts who specialize in media freedom in the Caribbean, as interviewed for this report in July 2024. It is common for journalists to lose their jobs due to political reasons. An analysis of content from January to June 2024 found that the radio almost never broadcasts news about politicians in opposition.
No domestic statute establishing Dominica Broadcasting Corporation’s editorial independence has been identified. No independent assessment or oversight mechanism to validate the editorial independence of BCB’s channels has been identified in our research.
August 2024