Fonds d’aide à la presse : Le CDEPS dénonce l’éligibilité de la RTS, de la Maison de la presse et Le Soleil
The Senegalese Radio and Television (RTS), the Press House, and the Press Distribution Agency (ADP)-Le Soleil are not eligible for the Press Support and Development Fund (FADP). This is the conviction of the Council of Broadcasters and Publishers of Senegal (CDEPS), which contested the allocation of public funds to these organizations on Wednesday, April 8, 2026.
Speaking to the press, the organization pointed to a "clear deviation" from the fund's purpose, arguing that RTS, Maison de la presse Babacar Touré and Le Soleil -Agence de diffusion et de publicité (ADP) do not meet the criteria set by the decree governing the FADP.
Believing that "Article 9 of the decree is unambiguous," the CDEPS asserts that the fund is intended exclusively for Senegalese press companies, as defined by the Press Code. This provision, in their view, automatically excludes public media outlets like RTS and administrative bodies like the ADP.
“Furthermore, RTS and Soleil ADP are not listed anywhere in the decree as beneficiaries of the FADP. Their funding therefore constitutes a textual violation of article 9,” insisted Mamadou Wane, director general of the newspaper “EnQuête”.
Regarding the Babacar Touré Press House, the press employers' association states that "it is not mentioned in any article of the decree, nor among the beneficiaries of article 9 nor in the exhaustive list of article 10. Its financing has no legal basis."
Beyond specific cases, the CDEPS denounces a method it describes as "discriminatory and unequal." It asserts that "procedures have diverted a fund intended for the private press to benefit structures falling under the general state budget."
According to them, the figures presented illustrate this imbalance. Public entities reportedly received an average of 187.3 million CFA francs, compared to only 18.1 million for private press companies, despite the latter being subject to strict eligibility criteria (permanent employment, social security contributions, minimum circulation, compliance with the collective agreement).
The CDEPS also notes a "flagrant contradiction" in the handling of projects. While projects submitted by private media outlets, totaling over 2 billion CFA francs, were rejected due to "budgetary constraints," a grant of 190 million CFA francs was awarded to the ADP project.
"This contradiction reveals that the rejection of private projects was not dictated by purely budgetary imperatives, but by deliberate discrimination against the independent press," denounced Mamadou Wane.
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