By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Burkina Faso’s media regulator has imposed a much heavier fine on French broadcaster Canal+, accusing it of failing to provide free access to state TV channels.
The regulatory agency imposed a penalty of 200 million CFA francs ($350,000), four times higher than a 50 million CFA franc fine handed down in June for what it called Canal+’s failure to comply with obligations.
Authorities in the junta-led West African nation require Canal+, whose pay-TV packages are popular across Africa, to keep state broadcaster RTB’s channels available to subscribers even after the expiration of their subscription.
Under a 2024 agreement between Canal+ International and the media regulator, the company must continue carrying the public channels free of charge for users in Burkina Faso.
The state-backed watchdog however said the company had failed to comply with a 30-day deadline following the earlier sanction in June over what it called a failure to meet its contractual obligations.
“The CSC has regretfully noted that its decision has not been implemented within the prescribed deadline” and has therefore ordered Canal+ to pay a fine of 200 million CFA francs, CSC president Louis Modeste Ouedraogo said in a statement.
Burkina Faso has been ruled by Captain Ibrahim Traore since he seized power in a 2022 coup.
The junta has suspended most major Western media outlets, including France’s RFI radio and France 24 television channel, and expelled several foreign correspondents.
It has also been accused of cracking down on dissent, especially those criticising its handling of jihadist violence that has plagued the country for a decade. Traoré had vowed the end jihadist attacks months after toppling another military-led government.
