IFEX - News from the international freedom of expression community
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ALERT - CHAD

4 April 2002

Authorities ban political programmes on private radio stations ahead of
legislative election

SOURCE: Reporters sans frontières (RSF), Paris

(RSF/IFEX) - In a letter to Emmanuel Touade, president of the High Council
of
Communications (Haut conseil de la communication, HCC), RSF protested the
decision to bar private, community and associative radio stations from
programming "political debates" or "programmes of a political nature" during
the
entire legislative election campaign. The election is scheduled for 21 April
2002. RSF asked the HCC president to reconsider his decision and allow all
of
the country's media outlets to cover the election freely. "The authorities
are
trying to prevent private radio stations from participating in the country's
political debate during the electoral campaign," said RSF Secretary-General
Robert Ménard. "It is unacceptable that only public audiovisual media are
allowed to report on the elections. Everything leads us to believe that the
authorities are hiding behind technical arguments in order to deprive
citizens
of information pluralism," added Ménard.

According to information gathered by RSF, on 30 March, the HCC announced its
decision to ban the recording, programming or broadcasting of "all political
programmes [and debates] or ones of a political nature . on the airwaves of
private, associative or community radio stations". Furthermore, the HCC
decided
that programmes broadcasting the official campaign could be suspended "if
the
content is insulting or provocative, or contrary to provisions of the law
and
regulations in force". According to a source close to the HCC, this decision
was
made due to the regulating authority's technical inability to control each
political party's airtime on private radio stations and thus avoid any
"imbalance."

RSF recalled that, on 17 April 2001, the HCC had adopted decision no.
002/HCC/P/SG/2001 "regulating the media campaign for the 2001 presidential
election". Article 23 of the text stipulated that "during the entire 2001
presidential election campaign period, any political debate or debate of a
political nature is banned on the airwaves of private, associative or
community
radio stations". The next article stipulated that information bulletins
"must
not be backed up by commentary". Finally, Article 35 indicated that radio
stations "that do not conform to the present decision will be suspended
during
the entire electoral campaign period".

For further information, contact Jean-François Julliard at RSF, rue Geoffroy
Marie, Paris 75009, France, tel: +33 1 44 83 84 84, fax: +33 1 45 23 11 51,
e-mail: [email protected], Internet: http://www.rsf.fr

The information contained in this alert is the sole responsibility of RSF.
In
citing this material for broadcast or publication, please credit RSF.
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