Public Broadcasting in Africa Series

The Public Broadcasting in Africa Series is a research project that aims to collect, collate and write up information about regulation, ownership, access, performance as well as prospects for public broadcasting reform in Africa. 

According to the publishers, the main reason for conducting the research is to contribute to Africa’s democratic consolidation. Many African countries have made significant gains in building democratic systems of governance that are based on popular control of decision-making and in which citizens are treated as equals. Availability and access to information by a greater number of citizens is a critical part of a functioning democracy and a country’s development. The role of a public broadcaster as a vehicle through which objective information and diverse perspectives are transmitted into the public domain cannot be overstated. 

A number of countries are currently undertaking public broadcast media reforms that aim to improve service delivery and accountability to citizens. Such reforms draw from evolving African and global standards regarding media and broadcast media in particular. The survey instrument that was developed in consultation with media experts from Africa and other parts of the world is largely based on agreements, conventions, charters and declarations regarding media that have been developed at regional and continental levels in Africa. 

The survey of broadcast media in Africa was initiated by two projects of the Open Society Institute (OSI) - the Africa Governance Monitoring and Advocacy Project (AfriMAP) and the Media Programme, working with the African members of the Soros foundation network in Africa.