SECTOR 3 3.3 The body, which regulates broadcasting services and licences, does so in the public interest and ensures fairness and a diversity of views broadly representing society at large. Much arbitration has taken place around the allocation of frequencies by the HAAC. One of the panellists suspects the influence of the power of money. But Article 3 of Act 97-010 of 20 August 1997 stipulates that “broadcasting space and frequency bands covering the national territory of the Republic are the property of the state”. “Authorizations to use frequencies for sound broadcasting, television in analogue terrestrial or by satellite, shall be issued to private persons by the HAAC”. The Minister of Communication draws up a technical report on the availability of frequencies. Scores: Individual scores: 1 Country does not meet indicator 2 Country meets only a few aspects of indicator 3 Country meets some aspects of indicator 4 Country meets most aspects of indicator 5 Country meets all aspects of the indicator Average score: 1.4 (2007= n/a; 2009=3.2; 2011=3.3) 3.4 The state/public broadcaster is accountable to the public through an independent board which is representative of society at large and selected in an independent, open and transparent manner. The ORTB has a board of directors, but it is neither accountable to the public, nor independent, nor representative of society as a whole, nor appointed in an independent manner. Articles 7 to 9 of the Articles of Association of the ORTB present the organisational structure of the institution, governed by a board of directors made up of seven (7) members: the Minister in charge of Communications (supervisory ministry) or his/her representative, the chairperson of the board, the representative of the Minister in charge of Finance, the representative of the Minister of Planning, the representative of the Minister of Agriculture, the representative of the staff of the ORTB elected by the General Assembly, the representative of the users appointed by the supervisory ministry 92 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER BENIN 2014