SECTOR 3 3.11 The state/public broadcaster offers as much diverse and creative local content as economically achievable. Local content in Ivorian public media is having difficulty in trying to establish itself and maintain its position. Although there are a a few special local pages on national radio and television, such as “Connais-tu mon beau pays ?”, local content in public media remains an area of need and a weakness. The technology is weak and human resources in the regions are limited. Most of the time, the Ivorian News Agency (AIP) is a pool for local journalists but ‘correspondants’ are few in numbers. These reports are often conducted thanks to external funders such as the GIZ (German Agency for International Cooperation), VVF, the Francophonie or the Friedrich Ebert Foundation. One of the panellists, however, reported that an agreement for a project between AIP (Agence Ivoirienne de Presse/Ivorian News Agency) and RTI that would entail picking up information beyond the urban areas, is currently under discussion. This project, should it come about, would be a significant development for regional information. Scores: Individual scores: 1 Country does not meet indicator 2 Country meets only a few aspects of indicator 3 Country meets some aspects of indicator 4 Country meets most aspects of indicator 5 Country meets all aspects of the indicator Average score: 2.4 (2009: 2.0) 3.12 Community broadcasting enjoys special promotion by the government given its potential to broaden access by communities to the airwaves. Community radio stations in Côte d’Ivoire legally referred to as ‘private non commercial radios’, appeared in the 1990s, thanks to massive investments by the World Bank. Unfortunately, from inception, they became the targets of political and economic excesses. Seven community radio stations were vandalised and used as pirate radio stations during the post election crisis. With time, certain operators came to use local broadcasters as commercial radios. The current Cahier des Charges (contract specifications), which were specifically drawn up for these 102 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER COTE D’IVOIRE 2012