Algeria Loosens Constraints on Media

In a move to defuse popular anger, President Abdelaziz Bouteflika of Algeria approved a series of media reforms that will allow for the establishment of private radio and television stations for the first time since the country gained independence in 1962. Previously controlled by the state, television and radio will now be governed by a new regulatory commission that incorporates journalists, though a timetable on its creation has yet to be announced.

Bouteflicka stated that the reforms will boost democracy in Algeria, which already boasts an active print media.

The Cabinet has also created a new commission composed of journalists and lawmakers to oversee press licensure and penalties for libel. In the past, journalists found guilty of libel often faced prison sentences.