The Business of Radio

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CAMEROON RADIO
KEY CONTACT INFORMATION
AMADOU VAMOULKE
Director General
+237 222 21 40 88 / 222 21 40 77
ALAIN BELIBI
Central Director in charge of Radio
+237 222 21 40 35 / +237 222 21 40 36
CAMEROON RADIO TELEVISION
Broadcasting House
Nlongkak
Yaounde
B.P. 1634 Cameroon
+237 222 21 40 35 / +237 222 21 40 36
IN BRIEF
Historically, broadcasting in Cameroon started in 1941,
when the French government opened the first radio station
in Douala, Radio Douala, also known as l’Enfant de la
Guerre. This later became the department of radio
broadcasting controlled by the then Ministry of Information
and Culture after the Independence.
Other government radio stations were started in the
following years: Radio Yaounde (1955), Radio Garoua
(1958), Radio Buea (1961) Radio Bertoua (1980), Radio
Bamenda (1981) Radio Ngaoundere, Radio Ebolowa, and
Radio Maroua (1986). President Amadou Ahidjo
inaugurated the first seven radio stations, while President
Paul Biya launched the last three.
KEY PROGRAMMES
Dimanche Midi
Cameroon Calling
Back to school
Luncheon Date
CRTV M'accompagne
Cameroun Midi
Morning Safari
PROFILE
According to official figures, in
Cameroon there are 163 radio
receivers per 1000 of population.
Broadcasting in Cameroon operates
in three tiers: the state, private and
community broadcasting.
The state-owned Cameroon
Radio Television (CRTV) is the
leading radio broadcaster in the
country. It covers the entire nation
with its ten regional network
stations and four Proximity FM
stations (Buea, Douala, Yaounde
and Bafoussam) as well as a pilot
FM station in Kousseri in the Far
North region. Being a government-
controlled corporation, its stations
act in accordance with government
directives. After the liberalisation of
the audio-visual sector in April
2000, the number of radio stations
have dramatically grown. They are
regulated by the National
Communication Council and the
Ministry of Communication
through the private broadcasting
decree, ensuring among other
conditions that radio programming
is made up of at least 70 per cent
local content.
The Department of Radio
Broadcasting and Cameroon
Television initially operated as
separate entities. Following a strike
by radio journalists, the two
broadcasting arms were merged in
December 1987 with the creation of
Cameroon Radio Television (CRTV).
SERVICES
Besides the classical functions of a
mass medium which are to inform,
educate and entertain, the national
radio network of the Cameroon
Radio Television serves as a social
link for the population. That is why
announcements (births, deaths,
general interest information, etc)
from the population are read on
network programmes.
The radio network also carries
commercial-related content such as
adverts.
CELEBRATING RADIO | WORLD RADIO DAY 2016 | 25
BROADCASTERS | THE BUSINESS OF RADIO
Other key facts
Founded 1940
Funded by the Audio Visual Tax,
Government subventions and
advertising
About 2,000 staff
Global audience
12m weekly on radio
Our languages
Official languages broadcast on
the national radio station:
French and English
National languages broadcast
on ten regional stations
Target countries
Cameroon, Nigeria, Chad,
Central African Republic,
Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon
Broadcasting House, Yaounde Amadou Vamoulke, Director-General
PARENT ORGANISATION CRTV (CAMEROON RADIO TELEVISION)