Togo Television was launched in 1973 as Radio-Télévision de la Nouvelle Marche (RTNM). It changed its name to the current one (Télévision Togolaise, TVT) in 1990.
Media assets
Television: TVT
State Media Matrix Typology: State-Controlled (SC)
Ownership and governance
TVT is a public broadcasting company owned by the state and subordinated to the Ministry of Communication and Media. The station’s highest authority is the director appointed by the government (the Council of Ministers).
In August 2022, the minister of communication and media, Akodah Ayewouadan, took over the helm of TVT until a new director was appointed following the resignation of the station’s previous head.
In January 2022, the government in Togo adopted legal provisions to merge the country’s audiovisual media (TVT, Radio Lome, and Radio Kara) into a single entity that will operate as Radio et Television du Togo (RTVT). The transition process is ongoing.
Source of funding and budget
TVT is fully funded by the government, according to information from FES, a German foundation that maps African media. Authorities use financing to control the station’s editorial content. In the past, TVT often received its funding in small tranches, which prevented the outlet from properly planning its content. The government has not released information about TVT’s budget to date.
In recent years, the Chinese government has exerted a growing influence on TVT. According to documents consulted by the Media and Journalism Research Center, a total of US$ 12m in funding awarded by the Chinese government to TVT and Radio Lome (another state-run media outlet) has been identified between 2017 and 2022.
Editorial independence
There are no provisions obliging TVT to favor the government in its programs. Still, indirectly, through funding and control of the station’s management, the government has full control over TVT’s editorial coverage, according to a survey among 10 Togo journalists in February 2024.
There is no statute and no oversight or assessment mechanism that would validate TVT’s editorial independence.
July 2024