SECTOR 2 However, gaps remain. Despite the high number of radio stations operating in the country, some localities still do not receive radio signals. The introduction of FM transmission has limited the coverage area of radio signals which are of much better sound quality compared to short and medium wave broadcast signals. In other places, the lack of electricity and other infrastructure is a problem. For most of the country’s people - who live below US $1.5 a day - buying a radio receiver is still unaffordable. The potential of community radio stations to reach remote places is limited by factors such as lack of resources. Furthermore, as one panellist pointed out, “experience has proven that community radio stations in Cameroon are increasingly concentrated in semi-urban areas and not in rural areas.” In the urban areas, television is the preferred source of information. This landscape is also dominated by the state-broadcaster, even though private commercial channels have been attracting large audiences. Cable and satellite television has increased the number of channels available to households. Cable distributors now run direct-to-home channels delivering mostly entertainment.17 Panellists point out, however, that piracy is a serious problem among cable operators in Cameroon. Print media (Newspapers and magazines) The print media in Cameroon is declining partly because of harsh economic conditions, distribution problems, a poor or inexistent reading culture, and the rise of new media. Messa Presse, the country’s major newspaper distributor, does not cover all parts of the country. Newspapers almost never reach far flung places like border towns and villages. At CFA400 (US $0.8), newspapers are considered very expensive and out of reach for the vast majority of the population. Plans to raise cover prices to CFA500 (US $1), would make the affordability of newspapers even more difficult. Newspaper publishers say the cost of production could explain the high cost of newspapers. Messa Presse charges as high as 44% in sales commissions, forcing publishers to pass on additional expenses to the consumer in the form of higher cover prices. “This is killing the newspaper industry in Cameroon,” said a panellist. “Sales are falling because newspapers are expensive and with the dwindling sales, publishers have little or no means to generate good content.” 17 Canal 2 International recently launched Canal 2 Info and Canal 2 Movies 96 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER CAMEROON 2014