SECTOR 3 and a person skilled in the audiovisual area appointed by the supervisory ministry. They are appointed by decree of the Council of Ministers for a four-year (4-year) renewable term of office. Apart from the representative of the ORTB, all the other members of the board are chosen by the Minister of Communications. 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: 1.0 (2007=1.1; 2009=1.2; 2011=1.1) 3.5 The editorial independence of the state/public broadcaster from political influence is guaranteed by law and practised to ensure balanced and fair news and current affairs programmes. The ORTB is governed by Act No. 94-009 of 28 July 1994, on the establishment, organization and operation of offices of a social, cultural or scientific nature; Organic Law No. 92-021 of 21 August 1992 relating to the HAAC; and Decree No. 2005-252 of 6 May 2005 concerning its Articles of Association. It is endowed with legal personality and financial autonomy and is placed under the control of the Ministry in charge of Communications. The unanimous consensus is that the ORTB (particularly television) is very biased and at the service of the Government. However, its Articles of Association state that it is the benchmark public service medium. The decree establishing the ORTB gives no indication as to its editorial independence. There are many cases where the ORTB is accused of not living up to its role as a public service medium. Complaints have been filed on several occasions about the failure to broadcast an activity for which citizens have already paid the amount due to the ORTB6. A panellist argued that it was usually a question of reprisals. 6 With increasing regularity, activities covered by the media in Benin are being made subject to payment of a lump sum. This is the case with the ORTB as well as with the private channels. AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER BENIN 2014 93