Radiodiffusion Television du Burkina (RTB)

The Radiodiffusion Télévision du Burkina (RTB), commonly referred to as Radio Télévision du Burkina, is the national public broadcaster of Burkina Faso, headquartered in the capital, Ouagadougou. Its roots go back to Radio Haute-Volta, which began broadcasting in 1959, with national television (Volta-Vision) following in 1963, the first public television service in francophone Africa; the broadcaster was constituted in its present form in 1999, when the national radio and television establishments were merged into a single state entity. It has since evolved into a multi-platform institution spanning radio, television and digital services. RTB is the government’s principal vehicle for public communication, a role that has become more pronounced under the military-led transitional authorities in power since 2022.

Media assets

Television: RTB Television

Radio: RTB Radio

Ownership and governance

RTB is a fully state-owned public broadcaster, operating under the authority of the government department responsible for communication. It was constituted in 1999 as a state establishment merging the national radio (RNB) and national television (TNB) bodies, and in July 2025 the Council of Ministers approved updated statutes giving the broadcaster a new organisational structure. Its Director-General is appointed through the Council of Ministers, and key management roles are filled at the government’s discretion, with staffing embedded in the state and public-sector framework. Galip Somé was appointed by the Council of Ministers on 29 June 2023 and installed on 5 July 2023, replacing Rabankhi Abou-Bâkr Zida.

State authority and the broadcaster’s leadership have become increasingly intertwined under the transitional government led by Captain Ibrahim Traoré, who has held power since the September 2022 coup. The point is illustrated at the highest level: the interim Prime Minister appointed in December 2024, Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouédraogo, is a former presenter, editor-in-chief and director of RTB who subsequently served as Minister of Communication and government spokesperson, underscoring the close ties between the broadcaster and the governing authorities. No independent oversight body or internal editorial statute governs RTB, and the national media regulator, the Conseil Supérieur de la Communication (CSC), was reformed in November 2023 in a way that strengthened government control, allowing the head of state to appoint its president.

Source of funding and budget

RTB’s funding follows a mixed model comprising direct government subsidies, commercial advertising and limited self-generated revenue. Despite its public-service remit, the broadcaster does not publish detailed or audited financial reports, and information from media insiders and regulatory stakeholders indicates that state subsidies remain the dominant source, reinforcing RTB’s dependence on public finances. According to the State Media Monitor review, civil-society organisations raised concerns in 2025 about the lack of transparency in RTB’s budget allocations, particularly in the context of increased public spending on state and security messaging, and no commitments to improve financial disclosure have been announced.

Editorial independence

RTB’s legal framework does not explicitly mandate editorial alignment with government policy, and officials assert that the broadcaster operates with full editorial autonomy. In practice, its coverage overwhelmingly reflects the priorities of the state authorities. According to a State Media Monitor content analysis conducted in 2024, more than 80% of RTB’s political coverage favoured the government’s narrative, with opposition and critical voices largely absent. The review reported cases in late 2023 and early 2024 in which security agencies and the Ministry of Communication were said to have intervened to block or alter critical reports. particularly those concerning military operations and governance during the transition. No independent oversight body or editorial statute exists to safeguard the broadcaster’s impartiality.

These conditions reflect a sharply deteriorating national media environment. Burkina Faso ranked 110th of 180 in the RSF 2026 World Press Freedom Index, with a score of 48.52, in the “difficult” category and down five places on the previous year. Reporters Without Borders reports that, under the junta, local and foreign newsrooms have been suspended, interrogations by the national intelligence agency have become routine, some journalists have been forcibly conscripted into the army or driven into exile, and at least two reporters remained missing as of the 2026 Index; foreign broadcasters, including Voice of America, have been suspended, and legal provisions adopted in 2019 restrict the reporting of information about military operations.

AI and digital policy

No RTB-specific published policy on AI-generated content, synthetic-media disclosure, or content-provenance standards such as C2PA was identified. Burkina Faso has not introduced sector-specific rules governing AI-generated or synthetic news content in the state broadcasting sphere.

May 2026