21 August 2009
Walter Wilson Nana, AfricaNews reporter in Buea, Cameroon
A private radio station - Sky One - in Yaounde and Douala of Cameroon has been banned from operating by the Minister of Communication, Issa Bakary Tchiroma. The media house is alleged to have violated Cameroon's law on social communication in spite of numerous warning letters to its management.
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AfricaNews reporter said officials of the Communication Ministry are not content with the content of a programme – “La Tribunal” - airing on the radio station. They said the general public is using the phone-in segment of the programme to settle personal scores with people in government.

The Communication boss took the final decision to close shop for Sky One radio when officials of the Congo-Brazzaville embassy in Yaounde, drew the attention of the Prime Minister of Cameroon, Philemon Yang and the Minister of Communication on what they describe as a mudslinging campaign carried out by the station on their President, Denis Sassou Nguesso and the government of Congo-Brazzaville.

Tchiroma said his decision was in the public interest and to ensure professionalism in the media industry. “They are not professional in their activities. Journalism should not be an all-comers business. You have to be trained to be a journalist. The radio is not a law court, where individuals and institutions are tried and the presenter of a radio programme passes judgement,” he stated.

Sky One radio operates in Cameroon’s political capital, Yaounde and the economic capital, Douala. It is the first Cameroonian radio station that operates on the internet.

In 2008, former Communication Minister, Jean Pierre Biyiti bi Essam, now Minister of Posts and Telecommunication, banned Magic FM radio in Yaounde and Equinoxe Radio and TV in Douala. After six months, these radio and TV stations were authorized to begin operating again.

However, some Cameroonians in the streets of Buea, have described the recent move by the Communication Ministry as the return of press censorship.