Togo Ministry Directs TV Distributors to Provide Free Public Broadcast Access

Audiovisual service distributors in Togo must make the country’s public television and radio services available to subscribers free of charge. The Communication Ministry reiterated the requirement on Friday, September 18, 2026, in a circular signed by Minister Yawa Ahofa Kouigan. The ministry said some distributors are still not making public television and radio services available free of charge to all subscribers. The ministry cited Article 36 of Law No. 2019-016 of October 30, 2019, governing audiovisual communications in Togo. The provision states that “within the national territory, every service distributor shall make public audiovisual media services available to its subscribers free of charge.” The requirement covers Télévision Togolaise, TVT, Radio Lomé and Radio Kara. Distributors subject to the regulation, including pay-TV operators, must ensure that subscribers can access these services free of charge. A 30-Day Deadline Operators that are not yet complying with the requirement have 30 days to do so. By the end of that period, they must also inform the Communication Ministry of the measures taken to comply with the law. Cases of non-compliance after the deadline may be referred to the regulatory authority for possible enforcement action. The circular is intended to enforce a requirement already contained in Togo’s legal framework for the audiovisual sector. The ministry said the measure is aimed at ensuring that subscribers have free access to the country’s public