Sector 2: The media landscape is characterised by diversity, independence and sustainability. 2.1 A wide range of sources of information (print, broadcasting, Internet) is available and affordable to citizens. ANALYSIS: In the broadcasting sector, Angola does not enjoy a wide range of sources of information. Public/state radio still maintains a monopoly over shortwave and is the only station covering more than 90% of the territory in 12 of the many existing languages. The provinces in the interior, in particular, are badly served, with the exception of three that have commercial radio stations – Rádio Comercial de Cabinda in Cabinda, Rádio Morena in Benguela and Rádio 2000 in Lubango, all transmitting from the provincial capitals. There is, however, progress: citizens in the capital, Luanda, have access to Rádio Independente, a commercial station (Luanda Antena Comercial) of a relatively open nature, in addition to the four stations belonging to the national broadcaster – Rádio 5, Rádio Luanda, Rádio Escola and Rádio FM Stério. Recently, the state broadcasting media started to set up transmitters in regions in the interior of the country. Richer people have access to international channels via satellite, at an exorbitant costs – even for citizens of average income. For the vast majority, radio is the medium of easiest access to information. Private newspapers are sold mostly in Luanda, with prices that are not very affordable to the majority of people. All newspapers are bi-weeklies: Angolense, Semanário Angolense, Agora, Folha 8, A Capital, Independente and Cruzeiro do Sul, which is regional, distributed mostly in the south-central region of the country. Access to internet is limited to only a small minority, mostly concentrated in the main urban centres. The cost of access to this medium is still fairly high given the financial means of the majority of the population. Generally, the biggest restriction to access to information is of a financial nature, as Angola is still a country where 68% of the population live below the poverty level, surviving on little more than 2 dollars per day. SCORES: Individual scores: Average score: 2.2 2, 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 1 1.6 Citizens’ access to domestic and international media sources is not restricted by state authorities. ANALYSIS: There is no prohibition of access to any media as such. However there is an obvious distrust on the part of the authorities in regard to the expansion of independent media institutions, such as private radio stations and newspapers. Rádio Ecclésia is at this moment forbidden from expanding beyond Luanda, where it transmits on FM. There have been reports of retaliation on So This Is Democracy? 2005 -177- Media Institute of Southern Africa