SECTOR 2 The media landscape, including new media, is characterised by diversity, independence and sustainability. 2.1 A wide range of sources of information (print, broadcasting, internet) is accessible and affordable to citizens. In Mali, a wide range of information can be accessed via the airwaves, print media and the internet, in French and other local languages. Some of these media, however, are not available to the poorer segment of society. The Office of Radio and Television Broadcasting of Mali (ORTM), the State broadcasting operator, runs the national radio station, its second radio channel broadcasting in and around the capital Bamako, eight regional radio stations and a national television channel, Mali TV. Mali’s television signal is distributed throughout the country reaching about 75 per cent of the population. Moreover, there are 300 private, local radio stations in the country. These radio stations are run along commercial or associative (community, professional or cooperative) lines. Five foreign station are relayed by some of the local stations. With a modest radio-receiver they are affordable by all. When it comes to private television broadcasting, the situation is quite different. About 160 foreign television channels are rebroadcast in Mali. Despite the existence of a legal platform that regulates radio and television broadcasting, private television stations are not allowed. However, the State no longer exercises its monopoly on television: a private television channel called Africable, with ambitions to cover the whole of Africa, was established in 2004 without authorisation. Africable rebroadcasts about 80 per cent foreign programming. There are 200 independent, French-language newspapers in Mali, 40 of which are published regularly. Newspapers cost between 250 FCFA and 300 FCFA. There is also the public, State-run media such as the national French daily, l’Essor (200 FCFA), as well as publications in local languages, notably the Kibaru, Xibaaré and Kabaru, which are all published by the Malian Agency of Press and Publicity (AMAP). Jèkabaara of the Jamana cultural cooperative is a monthly magazine, which targets the rural community and has a print run of 30 000. 94 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER MALI 2010