AMBASSADOR KNIGHT'S COURTESY CALLS ON LOCAL BENINESE MEDIA

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DEPARTMENT FOR AF/PD (DBWHARTON, EKEMP, SANCHEZCROWE),AF/W
(ASTEWART)

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KPAO OEXC ECPS BN
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR KNIGHT'S COURTESY CALLS ON LOCAL BENINESE MEDIA
OUTLETS


1. SUMMARY: In order to familiarize himself with local media and
establish good working relations with them, the Ambassador initiated
a series of courtesy calls to meet the directors and to see the
facilities and working conditions.


2. On December 7, the Ambassador hosted a meeting for three
Directors of the Fraternite Group of media enterprises made up of a
TV station, Canal 3; a radio station, Fraternite FM, and a print
media outlet, Fraternite in his office. In his welcoming remarks,
the Ambassador stressed the important role that media play in
building a stable democracy and told the Directors how delighted he
was to meet with them to learn more about them and their media
outlets. Malick Gomina, Director of Fraternite Group of Media, told
the Ambassador that they started their operations with print and
followed three years later by radio and TV. Gomina mentioned that
their media outlets are willing to cover events involving all
political actors, including the members of the ruling party and the
opposition.


3. Canal 3 operates by satellite and has an international audience.
The group is planning to open an office in Paris, and for this
reason, they must improve the quality of their productions, he said.
Canal 3 has foreign partners such as VOA, BBC and an international
radio station called Africa Number One.
In an effort to garner Embassy assistance, Canal 3 Director Berthe
Mensah Cakpossa pointed out the need for managerial and technical
training for the administrative staff and the technicians. Cakpossa
also mentioned that modern TV stations are now using digital
equipment, but Canal 3 is not even prepared for that, so she asked
for equipment donations, as well.


4. Gomina expressed his perception that it was difficult to get a
visa to travel to the U.S. to purchase needed equipment for the
station. The PAO briefly explained the referral process and offered
to assist in facilitating the visa process for legitimate travel.



5. Referring specifically to the kind of assistance the Mission can
provide, the Ambassador mentioned that he will look into the
possibility of bringing a journalist to Benin to provide a week-long
extensive training to journalists.


6. On December 8, the Ambassador visited the national press office,
which operates the state-owned newspaper, La Nation. He also
visited two private media outlets: Radio Tokpa and an independent
daily newspaper, L'Autre Quotidien. At each location, the
Ambassador noted that he wanted to visit them to observe the way
they operate. At each of the sites visited, the Directors requested
assistance in term of training of reporters. "When the journalists
are well trained, they perform their duties in a professional manner
and you have good programming," said Guy Kpakpo, Radio Tokpa's
Director. Kpakpo also spoke about his desire to participate in an
exchange program in the United States in order to learn how private
radio stations are run. During the visit to La Nation and L'Autre
Quotidien, the Ambassador was introduced to two former IV grantees
and their Directors said they would appreciate it if more of their
staff could receive such training opportunities in the United
States.
In leading the Ambassador on a tour of the national press office,
Director Akuete Assevi told the Ambassador that mosQJp/v\Q7. On December 15, the Ambassador visited the government-controlled
Radio and Television Office of Benin(ORTB). The Director of the
Office, Julien Pierre Akpaki, who was appointed by President Boni
Yayi, thanked the Ambassador for visiting ORTB and presented a brief
description of his office before taking the Ambassador and his
delegation to tour the various operations. The Ambassador's visit to
the newsroom coincided with the afternoon news cast, so the
Ambassador gamely agreed to appear as a special guest and reported
on his impressions of the news operation.


8. At the end of the tour, Akpaki made a plea for assistance in the
form of equipment such as tape recorders and new computers. He also
requested that the Embassy provide training to teach the journalists
how to present the news during electoral periQypQ^R~session at the
American Cultural Center in January.


9. On December 16, Ambassador Knight visited LC2, the first
privately-owned TV station in Benin, founded in 1998. After giving a
tour of the station, the LC2 Director seized the opportunity to
explain the historical background of LC2, now on satellite, with a
branch station in Paris and another one in New York. Visibly
impressed by the quality of the equipment being used, the Ambassador

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congratulated the young LC2 team for the high quality of their
product. Asked to comment about what LC2 can expect after this
visit, the Ambassador promised to offer the station moral support
and training sessions to prepare the journalists for the upcoming
elections in 2011. The Ambassador reminded them of the importance of
the media and enjoined them to keep up the good work for the
promotion of democracy and development.


10. Comment: Post will also be submitting a request for an SSI
Speaker to Promote the development of independent media, open
Internet access, and press freedom through programYFQE?e
part of government and the broader society, and the use of online
journalism and blogging.


11. Over the years, the U.S. Embassy has established good relations
with the local media community but no Ambassador, in recent memory,
had actually made a visit to the stations to tour their facilities.
These visits were given extensive coverage on TV and in the print
media. These goodwill visits will hopefully contribute to
reinforcing these good relations and providing more visibility to
the Mission's activities. End Comment.

Knight