of the sector. Virtually all laws and statutory texts are the initiative of the Government. There have been general consultations regarding communications, but their conclusions were slow to be applied and confidence in the process begins to crumble. The media landscape is quite diverse in Gabon. Radio is the most important due to its affordability (there is no fee for radio), and reach across the nation. Around 30 radio stations cover 85% of the national territory. Television is very popular today but is mainly found in the larger cities. This also applies to the Internet. In rural areas, electricity is not always available to operate a TV set or a computer. There are a dozen public and private television channels. The printed media includes twenty newspapers of which only five are regular. The distribution of newspapers is random and it happens that newspapers published on a Monday only reach the hinterland on the following Friday. The average cost of newspapers is also a prohibitive factor: about 400 CFA francs per unit (0.70 US$). Regarding the sales of newspapers, the distribution company SOGAPRESSE collects 40% of revenues. Mobile phones are the most important source of information. At least two-thirds of Gabonese owns a mobile phone, and many have two and sometimes more. But in a mountainous country such as Gabon, total coverage of the national territory is difficult to achieve. Politicians of the ruling party or senior officials own many media institutions. But they always hide behind nominees. The law in fact prohibits officials from owning media institutions. Under these circumstances of non-transparency, it is difficult to fight monopolies and conglomerates, even if there is a law to that effect. The Government provides financial assistance to the printed media. However, it is awarded arbitrarily and is largely insufficient. Newspapers struggle to survive and their life expectancy is estimated at five years. The Gabonese media is largely male-dominated from the point of view of both the actors as well as the content. It is a reflection of society where men occupy more space in public life. This also applies to ethnic minorities (such as the Pygmies) or religious minorities, who have a minimum of involvement in the media. Outside of Christianity and Islam, other faiths are considered as sects not deserving to be covered by the media. It is above all politics that dominate the media content. With this is meant national politics as opposed to local. This leaves little room to the subjects of investigation. Moreover, press institutions do not always have the capacity and capability to treat topics related to the economy, science, environment, etc in detail. AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER GABON 2016 61