3.5

The public broadcaster is accountable to the public through a board
representative of society at large and selected in an independent, open
and transparent manner.

ANALYSIS:
Management of the two public broadcasting organisations are appointed by
their respective boards, which in turn are appointed by Cabinet. There is no
transparency. It has been suggested that the intermediate managers be elected
by the journalists, but nothing has changed ever since. At one point there was a
Council of Opinion in the 1990s, but it has since ceased to exist. The endless
public controversies between the boards and the executive managements of the
two publicly owned broadcasting organisations clearly show that there are
serious problems as to the manner in which they are managed, with their
respective boards believing that the executive managements are subordinated
to them, including on editorial matters, while the latter claiming editorial
independence, in accordance with the Media Law.

SCORES:
Individual scores:

1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1

Average score:

1.0

3.6

Persons who have vested interests of a political or commercial nature
are excluded from possible membership in the board, i.e. office bearers
with the state or political parties as well as those with a financial interest
in the broadcasting industry.

ANALYSIS:
Statutory Instrument Number 10/93, which regulates broadcasting activity in
Cape Verde, provides that such activity can be undertaken by public, private or
cooperative entities, and clearly makes it unlawful for political parties or
associations, trade unions, employer organisations or professional associations,
as well as local governments, either directly or through companies in which they
may hold shares, to be involved in the broadcasting industry. However, despite
that legal provision, the past few years have witnessed the emergence of radio
stations which belong or are linked to municipal authorities, rather than the
community ones, even if that is not so because NGOs, cooperatives and many
others continue to hold in their stores equipment donated to them through
international cooperation allegedly due to lack of adequate human resources
that would enable them to broadcast to their respective communities.
Essentially, according to the participants, there is nothing clearly stated in the
law, which makes it categorical that individuals with interests, be these of
whatever nature in the broadcasting industry, must be excluded from the
boards.
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Select target paragraph3