Morocco transferred the decision-making process for the creation of a radio and television stations to the high authority on audio-visual communication (Haute Autorit de la Communication Audiovisuelle or HACA). The law became effective early this month after it was publish on the official registry, the Bulletin officiel. Up to now Morocco did not allow competition in the sector .
The transfer to HACA is an important step toward the elimination of the monopoly held by the state media apparatus over the past decades.
As such, private entities are likely to apply soon for licenses to operate a TV or radio station. Given the current state of the sector and the shortage of specialists, new players will probably tap into the existing entities, namely RTM, 2M and the print media to build their own staffs.
The authors of the new law say the abolishment of monopoly was firstly dictated by the obligations for Morocco to guarantee a plurality in public speech and materialize freedom of expression and cultural diversity. As Morocco implements its partnership agreement with the European Union, it has also pledged to make changes in non economic areas, such as human rights, free cultural expression and other areas. The liberalization of the media sector could be seen as one of the mandatory actions it must take. Despite its cultural nature, the audio-visual sector is also an important component of the economic landscape and its opening is likely to lead to an explosion of cultural creation.
But for now, the state is not planning to be entirely sidelined. Indeed the new law sees the liberalization of the sector not as a de-facto withdrawal of the state but more like a partnership between state and private sector, just as is the case in the telecommunications sector. In practical terms, the state will deliver licenses to private companies via HACA, although that body is supposed to be an independent entity from the state. HACA has the mandate to determine the requirements and conditions of license attributions based on factors that would include the economics of the project, the commitments of the applicant in terms of media creation and programming, all the while insuring fair competition and wider national coverage. In addition to private entities, licenses can be distributed to professional associations and non-profit groups.
Meanwhile, the state-owned media organizations such as the Moroccan radio and TV company RTM and the advertisement agency Service Autonome de Publicite (SAP) will witness a change in their legal status to the more universal corporate status with shareholding structures. RTM and SAP will be merged into a single entity with the new name of SNRT for Socit Nationale de Radiodiffusion et de Tlvision (SNRT), to form the primary public television network. Despite its transformation into a corporate entity, SNRT will remain entirely under the control of the state. 2M, the second TV station, will not see substantial changes in its status. Today 2M is jointly owned by the government and private shareholders, and will remain a public service entity.
© The North Africa Journal 2005
