Several articles questioning the quality of ORTB's programming and announcing the creation of a new television channel, ORTB+, prompted a response from Jean-Philippe Erick Abraham, acting director general of the Benin Broadcasting and Television Office, who explained in an interview with Jeune Afrique that "For the past five years, ORTB has benefited from a vast and ambitious modernization program initiated by Head of State Patrice Talon. On July 28, 2021, during a cabinet meeting, the government launched an important phase of this process by opting for a technical assistance contract with the Télédiffusion de France group to carry out a technical and organizational audit.
Since then, experts have been staying in Benin to assess and formulate needs in terms of skills, equipment to be acquired, production and broadcasting procedures, and finally to consider training and retraining for target personnel and technical modernization. Several site and equipment visits have been carried out, not to mention interviews with targeted workers, technical management, and senior management. "
As in all African countries, Benin launched the process for digital terrestrial television a few years ago (read our interview with Darius Quenum), which offers new possibilities in terms of the number of channels. This is true for private initiatives, but also for public channels, which can offer a more diverse range of programming.
According to Jean Philipe Erick Abraham, "… it is important to emphasize that, with the transition to digital terrestrial television offering several possibilities, the creation of several public thematic channels is being considered. The aim is to diversify radio and television offerings and to provide the public with a varied range of programs to choose from.
He also points out that the public channel ADO TV, which is not part of ORTB but is under the supervision of the Ministry of Sports, "should be transformed into a sports channel that meets international standards."
As is often the case, new initiatives are presented as tools for destroying the existing order, whereas in television—usually the media par excellence—old and new players often coexist for very long periods, with the key factor remaining the resources available to each.