Benin’s Haute Autorité de l’Audiovisuel et de la Communication (HAAC) has selected 16 online television operators for authorisation under Decision No. 26-059/HAAC, dated 14 October 2026, advancing the country’s formal regulation of internet-based audiovisual services. The decision supplements a selection process launched on 11 March this year.
The selected operators were assessed against technical requirements for websites delivering audiovisual communication services to the public. The decision marks another step towards formalising online television within Benin’s media regulatory framework, with reports indicating that agreements with the selected applicants are expected to follow.
The development is significant for digital media operators because it establishes a formal route for qualifying web television services to operate within the regulatory system. Rather than leaving online television outside conventional broadcasting oversight, Benin is applying a selection process that identifies eligible providers and establishes requirements for their activities.
The approach contrasts with recent enforcement measures in neighbouring Guinea. In September, Guinea’s Haute Autorité de la Communication (HAC) ordered the closure of Baro TV and subsequently banned four other web television services under Decision No. 35/HAC/P/2026. The regulator cited the operation of audiovisual services without the required legal authorisation.
The distinction is important: Guinea’s measures target services deemed to be operating unlawfully, rather than establishing a blanket prohibition on web television as a category. Both countries are asserting regulatory authority over online audiovisual distribution, but Benin’s latest decision highlights the selection and formalisation of eligible providers, while Guinea’s recent actions demonstrate enforcement against operators lacking the required authorisation.
For streaming news services, digital publishers and independent producers across francophone Africa, the developments underline the importance of understanding national licensing requirements before launching or expanding online television operations. Internet distribution does not necessarily exempt a service from rules governing audiovisual broadcasting.
The Benin decision also provides a documented example of how regulators can bring web television operators into a formal selection process. Whether this framework encourages further investment in compliant digital services will depend on how requirements are implemented, how quickly agreements are concluded and how consistently the rules are applied.
