Mass media in Mali

In practice, widespread poverty, a low literacy rate, and poor distribution outside of Bamako, limit access to television and print media.

The former government-controlled radio and television broadcasting company is officially autonomous, but it has been accused by the political opposition of having a progovernment bias.

In 2003 print media included 42 private newspapers and journals (39 in Bamako and one each in Tombouctou, Mopti, and Sikasso) published in French, Arabic, and various national languages.

Office de Radiodiffusion Télévision du Mali (ORTM) is the national broadcasting entity.

[6] The challenge is the economic return needed to sustain these media centers and the costs of technical maintenance services for radio stations themselves.

Since being introduced in February 2007, this channel can also be received in Europe via satellite W3A of Eutelsat, positioned at 7 degrees east.

There are five Internet service providers, who operate through the intermediation of the SOTELMA (société des télécommunications du Mali).

A number of cybercafés, and telecommunications centres (public, community or privately owned) have emerged since 1997 in the capitol Bamako.

Many have had to close their doors due to difficulties in management and high fixed costs for network connections.

Today, those that are surviving are those that support or develop a certain critical mass (access to a large number of computers, a regular customer base) and that offer complementary activities like training or equipment sales.

The skills needed to publish on the Web are increasingly available, but Internet hosting and support for Websites remains highly variable.