Mass media in Niger is a diverse collection of public and private entities, both print and broadcast, centered in the capital of Niamey, but with vibrant regional centers. The media has historically been state funded, and focused on radio broadcast media, as the nation's population is spread over great distances. Niamey boasts scores of newspapers and magazines, many of which are fiercely critical of the government. These papers though have very small circulations, and almost none outside the cities.
The majority of Niger's population live in rural communities, are relatively poor and are illiterate. Consequently, radio, in contrast to print or more expensive television is the primary source of information and entertainment amongst most Nigeriens. More than a dozen public and private radio networks broadcast across the more populated south of the nation. Many are highly critical of the government. Despite this, there is a strong government regulatory regime, and this combined with strong libel laws, have seen many journalists arrested and private media shut down during the 2000s.
History
While the first newspapers were founded in the 1950s, until the end of military rule in the early 1990s, print and broadcast media were limited to government controlled outlets. With the coming of democracy in the 1991-1993 period, many print news sources were founded, mostly in the capital of Niamey and most weekly publications. From 1994, private radio stations began to appear. As illiteracy rates are high and distances around the nation are great, radio has become the primary medium for entertainment and information. State, private, and international satellite television has also begun to appear in the 2000s. Free media was suspended following the 1996 and 1999 coups, with the short Fourth Republic of 1997-1999 imposing severe restrictions on media. Since the re-installation of democracy in 1999, Nigerien media has been judged independent of central government control by international observers, although since the advent of the Tuareg rebellion of 2007-2009 Niger has seen harsh local and national restrictions on journalists.
The government publishes a French-language daily newspaper, , and its weekend edition. There are approximately 12 private French-language weekly or monthly newspapers, some of which are affiliated loosely with political parties, and most of which appeared with the formation of the Third Republic in the early 1990s. Most prominent are the daily La Nouvelle Tribune du Peuple, the weeklies Le Républicain, La Canard Dechaine, Infos de l'Air, the fortnightly l'Evenement, L'Observateur and Haské.
Radio
Radio is the most important medium, as television sets are beyond the buying power of many of the rural poor, and illiteracy prevents print media from becoming a mass medium. In addition to the national and regional radio services of the state broadcaster ORTN, there are several privately owned radio networks which total more than 100 stations. Anfani FM, Radio Sarounia, Radio et Musique, Radio Bouclier, Radio Malibero, Radio Tambara, and Radio Tenere are urban-based commercial format FM networks in the major towns. These private radio stations generally are less critical of government actions than are the private newspapers. These stations broadcast programs in French as well as local or regional languages, including Djerma and Hausa. Radio Anfani and Radio et Musique presented news coverage that has included a variety of points of view. Radio Sarounia has presented regular news coverage. Its news director, Moussa Kaka, was arrested by the government in 2007 for interviewing Tuareg rebel leaders and held awaiting trial for more than a year. The other private domestic radio stations are smaller and offer little domestic news programming.
There is also a network of over 80 community radio stations spread across all seven regions of the country, governed by the Comité de Pilotage de Radios de Proximité (CPRP), a civil society organisation. The independent sector radio networks are collectively estimated by CPRP officials to cover some 7.6 million people, or about 73% of the population (2005).
Aside from Nigerien radio stations, the BBC Hausa service is listened to on FM repeaters across wide parts of the country, particularly in the south, close to the border with Nigeria. Radio France Internationale also rebroadcasts in French through some of the commercial stations, via satellite.
Tenere also runs a national independent television station of the same name.