BENIN: HAAC Counselor pays courtesy visit to the Public

UNCLAS COTONOU 000390

(DEPARTMENT FOR AF/PD (WHARTON, MCCOLLUM, LISENBY),AF/W (VHARPER)

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KPAO KIRCOEXC ECPS KCOR BN
SUBJECT: BENIN: HAAC Counselor pays courtesy visit to the Public
Affairs Officer


1. SUMMARY: On August 24, Moise Bossou, a Law Professor at the
University of Abomey-Calavi and one of nine newly appointed
Counselors at the Beninese High Authority of Audio-Visual and
Communication (HAAC, equivalent of the FCC),paid a courtesy call on
PAO Rhonda J. Watson to establish good relationships between the
Public Diplomacy Section and the HAAC, discuss the functioning of
his institution and to seek possible assistance from the Embassy.
Bossou was accompanied by Assanatou Ba Orou, also from the HAAC.


2. During his demarche, Bossou disclosed that Benin is one of 32
members of the Network of the African Communication Authorities
(RIAC) based in Cotonou. Bossou said that the HAAC was created in
1994 in the wake of the new democratic era in Benin and in
conformity with the constitution, to regulate the functioning of the
media. Since its inception, five privately-owned TV stations, 36
commercial radios, 25 non-commercial radios, 6 community radios, and
1136 print media, of which only 16 appear on a regular basis, were
created.


3. Although the HAAC is responsible for supervising the functioning
of the media, it does not have the necessary equipment to perform
its duty. For example, there are 20 private radios in the vicinity
of the capital city of Cotonou, but the HAAC has only three
listening booths to monitor the news they carry. Also, the HAAC has
only one booth for monitoring the programs of five TV stations. This
means that the work of monitoring the news simply cannot be done
adequately, due to a lack of equipment. Their financial situation is
inadequate and the newly appointed HAAC authorities feel that they
have no other alternative than to approach generous donors for
assistance with training and acquiring new equipment. They also
assert that the need for new equipment and the proper functioning of
the HAAC will become even more important since Benin will hold
another round of legislative and presidential elections in 2011.
Bossou claimed that the failure to have adequate control over the
functioning of the private media might lead Benin to a chaotic state
of affairs.


4. The PAO suggested that he and his colleagues at the HAAC might
want to consider visiting the FCC on a Voluntary Visitor program, to
learn how frequencies are regulated and to see how the functioning
of the media is controlled in the United States. The PAO also
suggested that the IRC Director could assist them with doing some
research to provide answers to some of their concerns. Bossou
concurred with PAO's suggestion, but expressed regret that his
institution cannot fund a voluntary visitor program at this point,
given that such expenditure was not included in the FY 2009 budget.
Bossou added that the HAAC might plan to participate in such a
program in the future. The PAO was also agreed with the idea of
organizing journalism training programs to assist the reporters, as
has been done in the past.


5. Another subject raised by Bossou is the allocation of frequencies
to private electronic media by the International Telecommunication
Union (UIT). According to him, the granting of frequencies to
private media outlets has been temporarily suspended in order to
avoid the use of the same frequency by several radio stations
located near the borders of neighboring countries. He also noted
that there was no mechanism in place for determining which
organizations and religious entities should be accorded a frequency,
since all the denominations want to have their own radio station.


6. Assanatou suggested that it would be helpful for rural radio
stations to receive donations of portable generators to increase the
number of hours for programming. The PAO questioned whether it
would be likely that such generators would end up being used,
instead, in private homes. Bossou agreed with the PAO that there
were no controls in place to control the use of donated property,
noting that when he assumed responsibilities, there was no furniture
in his office because the former Counselors of the HAAC had removed
all the equipment and furniture at the end of their tenure.
Commenting further on the issue of good governance and corruption,
Bossou opined that Benin could already be self-reliant if public
funds had not been mismanaged.


7. Comments: The Beninese High Authority of Audio-Visual and
Communication plays a vital role in regulating the functioning of
the media and the training of reporters, most of whom are young
university graduates without any basic training in journalism.
Bossou's concerns highlight the important role that the Embassy can
play in filling a void and capacity building to provide his
institution with the tools needed to perform its mandate.

Boustani