deals are negotiated and concluded by media houses to cover the political vision of the Head of State and sometimes of other political parties or interest groups. Government contracts are negotiated by all media outlets particularly private television networks, which are the main means of communication of the government and the ruling political parties. On the other hand, each year the State provides 350 million CFA francs (534,350 Euros) in government aid to all private media, distributed by the HAAC (Higher Broadcasting and Communication Authority) based on established criteria. While this ensures a certain economic viability of media outlets, it clearly compromises the independence of the media. There are currently 73 radio stations, 7 television networks and 1,186 newspapers (about fifty daily newspapers that are regularly published and 160 others that are being set up). Most readers are located in the capital city with its 1,500,000 inhabitants; a particularly small market for 50 dailies sold 300 CFA francs (i.e. 0.5 Euros) a piece. La Messagerie du Bénin ensures the distribution of independent newspapers in large towns. Most rural communities are, however, cut off from print media news. La Nation, the state daily newspaper is increasingly a newspaper that provides accounts of institutional events and activities of government officials. There is no law to actually ensure the editorial independence of the newspaper La Nation or of the public broadcaster ORTB (Benin radio and television broadcasting network), whose management is appointed by the President of the Republic following a shortlisting of candidates by the HAAC. Internet is accessible in certain large cities including Cotonou, the capital, where the average hourly connection fee in cybercafés is 500 CFA francs. With the exception of the union representative, all members of the ORTB board of directors are appointed by the government through a process that is neither independent nor open and which does not guarantee the independence of the public broadcaster. The August 1997 law on liberalizing the broadcasting landscape is used by the government to prevent the setting up of new broadcasting networks; the preliminary technical authorization to be obtained from the government is refused while the state broadcaster ORTB is expanding its coverage throughout the country. The HAAC (Higher Broadcasting and Communication Authority) which regulates, with significant effort, the broadcasting sector in the interest of the public is an example that has inspired many French-speaking African countries. However, it is faced with all sorts of difficulties in regulating the state media, particularly the television sub-sector. The appointment process of its 9 members (3 are appointed by the National Assembly, 3 by the President of the Republic and 3 by media professionals) is conducted without the consultation of other civil society members. 68 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER BENIN 2009