The very first memorandum of understanding was signed to this effect on 26 March 2016 in Praia between the AUB and Cape Verde Radio and Television.
 
Adopted during the 8th General Assembly of the African Union of Broadcasting held in March 2015 in Dakar, the “One Minute Project” is gradually entering its pilot phase.
 
The first ever partnership agreement under this project has indeed just been put in place. It was signed on 26 March 2016 in Praia between the AUB Chief Executive Officer, Mister Grégoire Ndjaka and the Chairperson of the Board of Cape Verde Radio and Television, Dr. José Emmanuel Moreira. This was in the presence of Mrs. Evelyne Faye, Head of the AUB Marketing Department and senior collaborators of RTCV’s Chairperson of the Board.
 
What is the “One Minute Project”? According to participants in the Praia meeting, it is a collaborative model which calls on each member organization to offer free of charge to the AUB one minute of radio and television airtime (advertising screens) on a daily basis during prime time over a 365-day period. In practice, each African public service radio and television signatory to the partnership agreement with the AUB shall allocate one minute of airtime per day for the Union to run an advertisement from a structure that would have otherwise requested this service in accordance with well-established rules.
 
From a longer-term perspective, the Union should focus on helping to improve the quality of contents delivered by its members and on the development of broadcasting across Africa. It should also bid on international calls for the acquisition of rights to major sporting events, provide technical capacity building for the staff of its member organizations, correct subscription-related dysfunctions, facilitate access to MENOS for all member organizations, all this with the view of meeting the expectations of various partners.
 
In connection with this agreement signing, the AUB CEO discussed the outlines for setting up the OVERON Project, which he presented as an interim solution leading to the acquisition of MENOS whose launch is still facing a number of financial constraints.  To the Regulatory Social Communication Agency (ARCS), the AUB CEO presented the Union’s projects and his short-term vision for launching them. This was in the presence of the Chairperson of ARCS, Mrs. Arminda Barros. Similarly, a work session was organized with the National Communication Agency (ANAC), in the presence of its Chairperson, Mr. David Gomez. At the end of the meetings, Cape Verde was invited to participate in the Chief Executive Officers/Director Generals’ meeting that will be hosted by the African Union of Broadcasting on 17 May in Dakar, Senegal.
 
Irene Gaouda, CESTI/UCAD