Editing Telecommunications in Tunisia (section)

==Radio and television==
{{See also|Établissement de la Radiodiffusion-Télévision Tunisienne|Radio Tunisienne|Télévision Tunisienne}}
First radio service began in 1935 in Tunisia.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Yushi Chiba |title=Media History of Modern Egypt: A Critical Review |url=http://hdl.handle.net/2433/155745|journal=Kyoto Working Papers on Area Studies: G-COE Series|page=6|year=2010|volume=84 |hdl=2433/155745}}</ref> 

*Radio stations: Several state-owned and private radio networks (2012)<ref name=BBC-Tunisia-Media/>
*Radios: 2.06 million (1997){{update after|2013|2|21}}
*Television stations: State-owned and private national TV channels; Egyptian, French, and pan-Arab satellite TV command large audiences (2012)<ref name=BBC-Tunisia-Media>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-14107557 "Tunisia profile: Media"], ''BBC News'', 15 June 2012</ref>
*Televisions: 920,000 (1997){{update after|2013|2|21}}
*Households with television: 91.7% (2003)<ref>[http://www.nationmaster.com/country/ts-tunisia/med-media "Tkunisia > Media"], Nation Master, accessed 21 October 2011</ref>{{update after|2013|2|21}}

The government of former President Ben Ali tightly controlled the press and broadcasting. But since the 2011 popular revolt, many journalists have enjoyed new-found freedoms. The number of radio and TV channels and print publications has increased, as has their freedom to report and debate political and social issues. State TV, which had toed the government line, has changed tack, giving airtime to the former opposition.<ref name=BBC-Tunisia-Media/>

Prior to the Tunisian revolution there were four private radio stations operating in Tunisia. In June 2011, following the [[Tunisian revolution]], a recommendation to license twelve new private radio stations was forwarded to the interim Prime Minister. In August 2011 none of the recommendations had been acted upon. However, several stations began broadcasting under time-limited provisional licenses. The stations operate without specific operating rules because a new regulatory framework is not yet in place.<ref>[http://www.latunisievote.org/en/politics/item/253-new-private-radios-authorized-but-still-voiceless "New Private Radios: Authorized but still Voiceless"], Latifa Al-Mekbali, 27 August 2011</ref><ref>[http://nawaat.org/portail/2012/07/17/tunisia-the-hijacking-of-free-radio/ "Tunisia: The hijacking of free radio"], Sana Sbouai, [[Nawaat]], 17 July 2012</ref> In part due to the lack of a regulatory framework the government's National Office of Broadcasting (ONT) requires broadcasters to pay a licensing fee of 120,000 dinars (approximately $75,000), and while that license is not necessary to broadcast, it confers a certain amount of legitimacy that broadcasters need to draw advertisers. The large fee is difficult for new start-up stations and the new stations feel that the fees provide an unfair advantage for the older more established private groups organized under the previous regime.<ref>[http://www.tunisia-live.net/2012/11/14/emerging-from-the-underground-pirate-radio-seeks-legitimacy/ "Emerging from the Underground, Pirate Radio Seeks Acceptance"], Paul Rosenfeld, ''Tunisia Live'', 14 November 2012</ref>