The High Council for Broadcasting has not been constituted yet. SCORES: Individual scores: 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 1, 1 Average score: 1.1 3.4 The body’s decisions on licensing in particular are informed by a broadcasting policy developed in a transparent and inclusive manner. ANALYSIS: The High Council is to guarantee independence, impartiality and equality in dealing with broadcasting service providers. It grants licences to them and monitors their adherence to the schedule of conditions set for their operations. The Council exercises control, by all appropriate means, over the objective, content and modalities of programming put on air by broadcasting services. Since this regulatory body has not yet been set up, the Ministry of Communication is currently exercising all these functions. It issues operating licences authorising broadcasting on frequencies allocated by the Malagasy Office for the Regulation of Telecommunications Office Malgache d’Etude et des Régulations des Télécommunications (OMERT), and also withdraws licences. False technical pretexts are sometimes put forward in order to close down a radio station if its editorial line does not please the authorities. Operators seem to accommodate themselves in this vacuum which does not protect their stations and channels. Absence of cohesion and solidarity is palpable in the sector since a closed station means, at least, one competitor less for those remaining. SCORES: Individual scores: 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1,1 Average score: 1.0 3.5 The public broadcaster is accountable to the public through the board representative of society at large and selected in an independent, open and transparent manner. ANALYSIS: The directors of the national radio (RNM) and the national television (TVM) are nominated by decree of the council of ministers as is the director-general of the Office of Malagasy Radio and Television (ORTM). This office supervises both RNM 37