Mass media in Gabon

The mass media in Gabon is primarily monitored by the Gabon government. Although the main newspapers are associated with the government, there are private broadcasters, and private weekly newspapers that are mostly controlled by opposition parties.

There are two major television stations. One is a French radio network and the other is a provincial station.[1]

Press

The national press service is the Gabonese Press Agency, which publishes a daily paper.

L'Union located in Libreville, is the government controlled daily newspaper, it had an average daily circulation of 40,000 in 2002.

The weekly Gabon d'Aujourdhui, is published by the Ministry of Communications.

There are about nine privately owned periodicals which are either independent or affiliated with political parties. These are published in small numbers and are often delayed by financial constraints. Foreign newspapers are also available.

List of publications
Name Language Frequency Ownership Notes
Gabonews French Daily Online
Gabon Actu French Daily Online
Gabon d'Aujourdhui French Weekly Ministry of Communications[2]
Gabon Eco[3] French Daily Online
Gabon Libre[3] Online
Gabon Matin[3] Daily
Gabon Review[3] French Daily Online
Infos Plus Gabon French Daily Online
Le Journal[3] French Bi-monthly Private
La Lowe[3] French Weekly Private
La Relance[3] French Weekly[2] Private
Le Temoin[3] French Weekly Private
Le Temps[3] French Weekly Private
L'Union Daily[3] Government[4]

Television
Further information: List of television stations in Africa § Gabon

Radiodiffusion-Télévision Gabonaise (RTG) (est. 1959), which is owned and operated by the government,[2] broadcasts in French and indigenous languages. Color television broadcasts have been introduced in major cities. Radio Télévision Gabonaise is one of the state run television stations. Two channels are operated under their network.

There were also two government television stations and four privately owned. Télé africa is one of the four privately owned television stations.[1] In 2003, it was determined that around 308 television sets are available for every 1,000 people. About 11.5 of every 1,000 people were cable subscribers.

Radio
See also: List of radio stations in Africa: Gabon

In 1980, a commercial radio station, Africa No. 1, was founded.[2] Broadcasting to a large area of the African continent,[4] it has participation from the French and Gabonese governments and private European media. In 2004, the government operated two radio stations and another seven were privately owned. In 2003 it was estimated that about 50% of the population owns radios.

Examples of radio stations include:

  • Radio Frequence 3 (est. 1996)[2]
  • Radio Generation Novelle (est. 1996)[2]
  • Radio Mandarine (est. 1995)[2]
  • Radio Soleil (est. 1995)[2]
  • Radio Unite (est. 1996)[2]
  • Urban FM Gabon

News Agencies

Agence Gabonaise de Presse (AGP) is an online news agency in the French language. Foreign Internet News Media includes: Africa Intelligence, Africa Time, Afrik, Afrol, All Africa, Ici Cemac, Index Mundi, IRIN, IZF, Relif Web, and Topix.

Internet

In 2003, there were 22.4 personal computers for every 1,000 people and 26 of every 1,000 people had access to the Internet. There were six secure Internet servers in the country in 2004. By 2011, approximately 109,000 people were determined to be Internet users.[1]

Telecommunications

Gabon's oil resources and the revenue that is generated from oil rank the country high among the wealthy nations in Africa. The income in Gabon has major discrepancies. However, the gross domestic profit is one of well above the average in comparison to other African nations. In 1999, the telecommunications market become liberalized. The government established an independent regulatory authority. There mobile telephone licenses and two Internet Service Providers (ISP) licenses were also established. By 2008, Gabon Telecom became privatized when Vivendi-controlled Maroc Telecom purchased a large amount of stock. The Ministry of Information, Post and Technology provides domestic services for Gabon and participates in international services. There are direct radio and telephone communications with Paris and other overseas points. Their telecom operation's are privitazations, acquisitions and new licenses. It includes fixed, mobile, and broadband. Gabon has one of the most penetrated mobile markets among in Africa. The major service providers include Zain, Gabon's Telecom's Libertis, and Etisalat's Moov.[5]

Freedom of speech
See also: Internet censorship and surveillance in Gabon

The Constitution of Gabon was adopted on March 26, 1991. There has been five amendments to the constitution since it was implemented in 1991. The Constitution protects the freedom of speech and the freedom of press. In the Constitution's fundamental principles and rights, the second right states: "Freedom of conscience, thought, opinion, expression, communication, and the free practise of religion shall be guaranteed to all, under the reservation of respect of public order."[6]

See also

References
  1. BBC News Africa (2012). "Gabon profile". Gabon profile. London, England: BBC. Retrieved 2013-05-09.
  2. Europa 2004.
  3. "Gabon Profile: Media". BBC News. Retrieved 24 July 2017.
  4. "Gabon: Media and Publishing". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 24 July 2017.
  5. BuddeComm (2013). "Gabon - Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband". Executive Summary. Gabon: BuddeComm.
  6. World Intellectual Property Organization (2003). "Constitution of the Gabonese Republic". Constitution/Basic Law. Gabon: World Intellectual Property Organization.

Bibliography
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