Presentation of the Cameroon Radio Television (CRTV)

Published on August 31, 2016

_ Rostant MAGHEN Nancy
_ Rostant MAGHEN NEGOUFollow
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Cameroon Radio Television (CRTV) is an industrial andcommercial public establishment cre
ated on December 17,1987 by Act No. 87/020 and whose organization andoperation are set
by Decree No. 88/126 of January 25, 1988.With a legal personality and financial autonomy,
the CRTVprovides the public service of the Cameroonian audiovisualindustry. It includes br
oadcasting and television, the signalsof which are transported to the far end of the hinterla
nd bya network of 36 broadcast centres. The CRTV also has 10regional stations covering all
10 regions of the country andreflecting the values of each. In addition to numerous FMradi
o stations of proximity, it also has an Internet portalwhose rehabilitation has seduced users
. The CRTV also hasan advertising authority, the CRTV Marketing andCommunication Agenc
y (CMCA) and an audiovisual heritagetraining and Conservation Institute (IFCPA) which hasf
acilities and human resources to enable it to Meet thetraining needs of radio and television
in Central Africa.

Since the liberalization of audiovisual communicationenshrined in the law of 1990 on freed

om of socialcommunication, CRTV is evolving in a competitiveenvironment, where new entr
ants benefit from thetechnological advantage of ICT . In a world of rapidtechnological obsol
escence, the urgency for CRTV is thus theupdating of its infrastructures, both production an
ddiffusion, in order to offer its audiences quality products, i.e.products that give them Satis
faction. The great challenge ofCRTV, which is not that technological (digital) can be raisedwi
th a certain serenity. Indeed, the CRTV does not lackcompetitive advantages including its wi
de coverage area(signal captured throughout the national territory), thequality of its huma
n resources and the constant support ofthe state.

The first part allowed us to identify better businessstrategies for the public service of the Af
rican audiovisualsector, in particular in view of the threats and opportunitiesinduced by the
mutations

Technologies in the audiovisual industry. This second part isdevoted to the case of CRTV, in
particular to a contextualizedreflection in the light of the teachings of the first part. Thenwe
will discuss the applicability of the so-
called businessstrategies to the case of CRTV and propose solutions andreflections.

As we have already seen in the first part, there are goodpractices and effective business str
ategies that have proventhemselves elsewhere that we will try in this second part toadapt t
o the specificities of the CRTV in particular As theycan be factors of competitiveness and th
e creation of valuesadded by and for all of its stakeholders.

A history stemming from the NATIONAL andINTERNATIONAL context

Radio is the pioneer of the audiovisual industry inCameroon. Introduced during the Second
World War (1941)to facilitate the fight against the Germans, it will benationalized by the Yo
ung Federal Republic of Cameroon.The aim of the radio was therefore to educate, inform, b
uildnational indemnity and strengthen patriotism. Because ofthe great influence of the for
mer French colonial power, thenational radio incitation the people to the agriculture thenth
e main economic activity of the country. But the globaleconomic crisis of the years 1980 an
d especially the adventof television in 1985 (official visit of Pope John Pau II inCameroon) rel
éguèrent the national radio in thebackground. Indeed, by its advent in Cameroon and itspr
omotion of the pro-
imperialist state policy, the nationalradio had been assimilated by the populations to the ag
entof Western domination in Cameroon. The wind ofdemocracy that blew over African cou
ntries in the years1990 brought individual and collective freedoms, includingliberalization o
f communication.

Table 1: Chronology of regional station creation

The collapse of the USSR in 1989 and the uni-

polarization ofthe world by American capitalism pushed France, partner ofthe United State
s, to give direction to the leaders of itsformer African colonies (speech of La Baule by Franç
oisMitterrand) for The adoption and application of capitalistliberal ideology, including in the
ir political system. A periodof instability in Africa ensued: strong challenges, reversal ofcerta
in dictatorships, proliferation of rebellions, etc. InCameroon, laws strengthening individual
and collectivefreedoms, including freedom of the press, freedom ofexpression and commu
nication, were adopted. This was therevolution in the media landscape with the end of the
monopoly of the national radio and the appearance ofnumerous private local and foreign r
adio stations in FM(Africa n ° 1, RFI) and plurality in the processing ofinformation. The liber
alisation of the audiovisual sector thusended the order of President Ahidjo of 1962 said an
d thenew giving of the multiparty radically changed the editorialline of the CRTV. National R
adio (national station), nationaltelevision, regional stations and FM proximity channels arep
ublic service media intended for the welfare of thepopulation, the state's influence and gov
ernmentcommunication.

While the National post (P. N) was a branch of the Ministry ofInformation, CTV (Cameroon T
elevision) was created withFlorent Ellis EILY as general manager and NDI FONTAHNYAMNDI
as deputy. Separate entities until the strike ofRadio journalists in December 1987, PN and
CTV weremerged into one single company, Cameroon RadioTelevision (CRTV) with Florent E
llis EILY as general manager.He was replaced at his post on 10 November 1988 byGervais
Martins ZE. On 10 October 2001 Francis Walid wasappointed Deputy Director General and
on 26 January 2005Amadou VAMOULKE, the current Director general replacedGervais Marti
ns ZE.

Goal, VISION and MISSIONS

Created by Act No. 087/020 of 17 December 1987 andorganized by Decree No. 88/126 of 2
5 January 1988, theCameroonian broadcasting Office, known as CameroonRadio television i
n short CRTV, is a public institution of anindustrial nature and Business, with legal personali
ty andfinancial autonomy. Its aim is to put the audiovisual in theservice of the national cons
truction.

The vision of the CRTV is summarized in this quotationpronounced at the 28th Board of Dir
ectors of the CRTV byMr Amadou VAMOULKE, director general of the CRTV:. Thisvision is di
sseminated and appropriate by the differentstakeholders through the mantra

The vision of the CRTV revolves around fundamental principles:

Public radio and television is an instrument of nationaldevelopment and integration;

The important role of public radio and television in buildingthe rule of law and consolidatin
g a true pluralisticdemocracy;

The ever-
increasing legitimate demand for people in favourof a public audiovisual service that truly r
eflects their valuesand major concerns, particularly in the areas of information,education a
nd entertainment;

The promotion and development of public service for theraising of citizens ' awareness;

A quality public service with its viewers at the heart of itsapproach.

The migration to the whole digital and the development ofTNT.

The CRTV is also responsible for many missions, the mainones of which are:

To design, perform on its own or in the context of co-

productions, and to disseminate information, audiovisualproducts or programmes of a did
actic, cultural or playfulnature;

Acquire by purchases, exchanges, donations and bequests,audiovisual products or progra

ms conforming to its programpolicy;

To ensure the conservation of the national audiovisualheritage;

To conduct research on audiovisual creation and to ensurevocational training in the profes

sions of I'audiovisueI;

To operate and maintain networks and facilities for thebroadcast of audiovisual programm
es;

To ensure the protection of the broadcast and reception oftelevision signals by the public;

To conclude for remuneration of its benefits, specialagreements with public administration

s, associations andnatural or legal persons of public or private law;

Rental of antenna slices for brand advertising

To ensure national and international coverage of theaudiovisual signal;

To orient its programmes towards education, identity andnational cohesion;

The emergence of new means of dynamic communication inorder to educate, inform, reco
ncile and entertain.

Organization and Operation

The governing bodies of the CRTV are constituted by a boardof directors, the Directorate-
General and the FinancialCommission.

The Board of Directors

The Board of directors is the highest governing body of theCRTV. It is composed of a Presid
ent (usually the Minister ofCommunication) and ten members (a representative of thePresi
dency of the Republic, a representative of the Ministryof Culture, a representative of the Mi
nistry of Posts andTelecommunications, a Representative of the Ministry ofNational Educati
on, a representative of the Ministry ofTerritorial Administration, four personalities and one
staffrepresentative, all appointed by Presidential decree with theexception of the staff repr
esentative. The services of theChairman of the Board of Directors have staff appointed byt
he Board of directors and taken over by the generalmanagement. The Board of Directors h
as the most extensiveauthority over the administration and management of theOffice. It be
longs to him in particular:

To adopt:

The Rules of Procedure,

The Staff Regulations

The terms of remuneration.

To approve:

The organization Chart of Board,

The annual action programme,

The program grid,

The forecast budget,

The financial report for the past year, as well as the accountsand balances

To authorize:

Recruitment, reclassification and dismissal of executives,

The appointment to any position of responsibility within theOffice, from the head of depart
ment to the directors,

Loans within the limits of Board's financial means.

To consent and accept all legacies and gifts;

The General management

The Directorate-General is under the authority of theDirector-

General, assisted by the Deputy Director-
General,both appointed by decree of the President of the Republic.For the accomplishment
of its missions, the Directorate-General of CRTV has:

Of a central government,

Related Services,

of external Services,

and subsidiaries.

The Director-
General shall, within the limits of the powersdelegated to him by the governing body, execu
te theresolutions adopted by the Board of Directors. It belongs tohim in particular:

To develop:

The Agency's annual Programme of Action,

The draft budget for the new financial year,

The activity report for the previous financial year,

To order the budget,

To recruit, reclassify and dismiss non-executive staff of theOffice,

To ensure the management of the Office,

To represent the Office in all acts of civil and legal life,

He is also the Director of publication and responsible for allproductions and programs of th
e Office.

The Financial commission

The role of the Financial Commission is to continuouslymonitor financial management. In a

ddition to its Chairman,the Committee is composed of three other members (arepresentati
ve of the Minister of Finance, a representative ofthe State Inspectorate and a representativ
e of the Ministerresponsible for information). It has all the investigativepowers, both on-
and on-
site, for the general and permanentcontrol of the financial management of the CRTV. Thefi
nancial Commission approves the accounts and sends twohalf-
yearly reports and an annual report on the financialmanagement of the Office to the Chair
man of the Board ofDirectors and the Minister of Guardianship