Network Name: | Établissement de la Radio Tunisienne |
Network Logo: | Radio Tunisienne main logo.png |
Country: | Tunisia |
Network Type: | Public-service sound broadcasting |
Available: | National; international |
Owner: | Government of Tunisia |
Key People: | Chokri Cheniti (interim director)[1] |
Headquarters: | Tunisian Radio House, Lafayette, Tunis |
Replaced: | ERTT |
The Établissement de la Radio Tunisienne (RT, French for Establishment of the Tunisian Radio or simply Tunisian Radio; in Arabic: مؤسسة الإذاعة التونسية) is Tunisia's state-owned public radio broadcaster. It was formed in August 2007, when the former national state broadcaster ERTT was split into separate radio and television companies. Tunisian Radio operates ten stations, four nationwide and six regionally. It is an active member of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and the Arab States Broadcasting Union (ABSU).
After a few private experiments, Tunisian radio broadcasting began as part of the operation of the French Post and Telegraph Service in 1938. The station was renamed Radio Tunis the following year.[2] The state broadcaster has been organized in several ways since its inception, including under the company Établissement de la Radiodiffusion-Télévision Tunisienne (ERTT) from 1990 to 2007. In November 2006, President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali decided to divide ERTT into two companies: the radio broadcaster Établissement de la Radio Tunisienne and the television broadcaster Établissement de la Télévision Tunisienne. The two companies were formally launched on 31 August 2007.[3] Both ERTT successor companies are members of the EBU, African Union of Broadcasting (AUB) and Arab States Broadcasting Union (ASBU).
In 2009, Tunisian radio launched its first website portal where the company's full list of radio stations are available via streaming. It was later relaunched in the autumn of 2015 in a new guise and with a separate news section. It also has a radio archive of previous recordings, programs and Tunisian music.
Following the Arab Spring in 2011, the Tunisian media, including Radio Tunisienne, have been given more freedom to report and broadcast news and information. Among other things, the country's political opposition has also been allowed to run on state-owned radio and television.[4]
In 2016, the Tunisian Radio Establishment manages ten public radio channels, four of which are national and the other six are regional stations in El Kef, Gafsa, Monastir, Sfax, Tataouine and Grand Tunis. Radio Tunisienne broadcasts in the FM and medium waves. Shortwave radio broadcasts ended in 2013.[5] Programs and a live stream of all stations can also be listened to online.