Morocco’s radio stations are thriving, 15 years after the sector’s liberalization

Fifteen years after liberalization, the Moroccan radio landscape is significantly diversified today, according to the High Authority for Audiovisual Communication (HACA).

As of the end of 2021, the national private radio offer is carried by 13 different operators broadcasting 20 FM radio services, including 7 radio stations with national coverage, 4 radio stations with multi-regional coverage, 2 networks of 8 regional radio stations, one multi-local radio station, in addition to 11 radio stations broadcast on the Internet, says HACA’s latest report.

These private services, covering a range of themes from music, society, information, sports, economy, culture, agriculture, lifestyle, and more, positively “complements the public offer” according to HACA, which includes 5 radio services with national coverage and 11 services with regional coverage.

Today, listeners can choose between 11 and 20 FM radio services across over 80% of the national territory, both public and private.

In other regions with less coverage, the radio offer can reach up to 10 services. The cooperation between HACA and the National Agency of Telecommunication Regulation (ANRT) has “made it possible to diligently enrich the national frequency park necessary for this deployment.”

In more concrete numbers, HACA has assigned 491 frequencies to private radio services between 2007 and 2021, after the authority decided to liberalize the profession and open it up to investors and entrepreneurs.

Moroccan private radios have contributed to the radio station offers, by making the medium more accessible to all listeners, through accommodating various tastes, interests, in various languages, and with respect to regional audience niches.

The commitments in terms of promoting cultural production and expression have made it possible “to stimulate the national music industry sector,” in a time dominated by online streaming services, all while supporting new artistic talents and creative musical trends in line with the expectations of Moroccan youth.

However, the Superior Council of Audiovisual Communication (CSCA) is maintaining its position on the necessity of “self-regulatory practices” within the editorial offices.

In addition to all the measures taken by operators, “others should reinforce professional vigilance and guarantee the respect of the listener’s right to reliable and quality media content,” stated the council.

The debate around internal control mechanisms was revived through the mediatization of the “anti-vaccine pass” debate, which saw some stations reap heavy consequences for “COVID-19 misinformation.”