The year 1990 marked a turning point in the functioning of the media in Cameroon with the adoption of the so-called liberty laws which removed the noose on freedom of expression hitherto held under check.

Benefitting from the numerous openings in the new legislation, the media scene has observed an exponential increase in the number of media houses, notably privately-owned radio stations, a situation Cameroon had never experienced before.

To avoid an expected cacophony in the use of the limited available bands and frequencies, the government found it necessary to create an inter-ministerial committee on the attribution of frequency bands to potential promoters of radio stations. The government’s decision was informed by the necessity of bringing decision-making under one umbrella given the transversal nature of the sector involving several ministries and administrations.

The session has met in Yaounde on Monday 16 December 2013 in its seventh session. But the regularity of its sessions is far from leaving an impression of close control over the functioning of radio stations. On the contrary, the whole sector has become a jungle of sorts and it is rather the exception than the rule to tune to a favourite station on the basis of the advertised frequency.

Listening comfort is very often impaired by interruptions from other stations.  Of course, accusing fingers are pointed to the inter-ministerial committee for lack of promptitude in treating files and other requests for the attribution of frequencies, leading to the disorder that prevails in the sector.

Rather than work with the alacrity the situation requires, red-tape and other administrative bottle-necks and, above all, a decried administrative tolerance have plunge the functioning of the committee into near ineffectiveness. Several actors of the sector have even denounced the clandestine attribution without going through normal procedure, a situation that could only encourage more disorder and consequently, sacrificing listeners’ interest and listening quality.

There is therefore need for the committee to sit up; otherwise the political gains made by this important policy shift in introducing freedom of expression will be gravely undermined and an unwarranted new form of censorship reintroduced.