Burkina Faso fines French TV channel $340,000 for defying media regulator

Burkina Faso's media regulator has fined Canal+ International 200 million CFA francs (about $340,000) for failing to restore unrestricted access to the country's national television channels for its subscribers.

According to a statement from the High Council for Communications (CSC), cited by local news portal Lefaso.net, the company did not comply with a previous regulatory order requiring it to make the channels of state broadcaster RTB available to all subscribers without the need to send an SMS, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

In June, the CSC had already imposed a fine of 50 million CFA francs (around $85,000) and gave Canal+ International 30 days to implement the measure.

The regulator said the company failed to meet the deadline, prompting the larger penalty.

"We regret to note that the Council's decision has not been implemented," the CSC said in a statement signed by its president, Louis Modeste Ouédraogo.

By Sabina Mammadli