The Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) serves as the national state-owned broadcaster, operating both radio and television services across Sierra Leone. Headquartered in Freetown, SLBC maintains a network of local FM radio stations that provide regional content throughout the country. The organization traces its roots back to 1934 with the founding of the Sierra Leone Broadcasting Service (SLBS)—one of the earliest radio broadcasters in West Africa.
Media assets
Television: SLBC TV
Radio: SLBC Radio
State Media Matrix Typology
Ownership and governance
SLBC was formally established in 2010 through the merger of the government-run SLBS and Radio UNAMSIL, the UN peacekeeping radio operation. This unification was enacted under the SLBC Corporation Act (2009), which defines the broadcaster’s public service mandate. SLBC is fully state-owned and operates under the supervision of the Ministry of Information and Communications.
Governance is vested in a nine-member board, composed largely of representatives from civil society, academia, and professional bodies including the Bar Association, the University of Sierra Leone, and media development groups. The President appoints the board chairperson, with parliamentary approval, while the Director-General sits on the board as an ex officio member.
In March 2024, Josephine Kamara was appointed as Director-General by presidential decree, becoming the first woman to lead the institution since its transformation from SLBS. Kamara, a former senior journalist and media policy advocate, has signaled intentions to modernize the newsroom and professionalize editorial standards. Her appointment has been broadly welcomed by media reformers as a potential turning point for the beleaguered broadcaster.
Source of funding and budget
SLBC’s finances are a hybrid of state appropriations and commercial income, including advertising and paid programming. Yet despite these dual revenue streams, the broadcaster remains far from financially self-sufficient. Government subsidies continue to underpin SLBC’s survival, with annual budget shortfalls hampering its capacity to invest in infrastructure, staff, and content.
Historically, approved allocations have often not materialized in full. For example, in 2019, only SLE 317.8 million (US$34,000) of the SLE 1.3 billion (US$140,000) budgeted was disbursed by the Ministry of Finance, according to parliamentary oversight reports. In 2020, the broadcaster received SLE 710 million (US$76,700) in state support while earning SLE 563 million (US$60,800) from commercial operations.
As of June 2025, no updated annual report or financial statement has been released by SLBC. However, internal sources consulted for this report suggest the broadcaster continues to struggle with late and partial disbursements, contributing to unpaid staff salaries and outdated equipment. While the Kamara administration has reportedly proposed a digital transition plan to attract donor and private-sector support, its implementation remains in the early stages.
Editorial independence
From its inception, SLBC was envisioned as an independent public service broadcaster, and international partners—including BBC Media Action, DW Akademie, and UNESCO—have long provided technical assistance, journalist training, and governance support toward this goal. However, persistent political interference has stymied such reforms.
SLBC’s editorial alignment with ruling authorities was highlighted in the European Union’s 2023 Election Observation Mission report, which described the broadcaster as “subservient” to government interests. The report cited clear favoritism in its electoral coverage, particularly during the presidential campaign, where opposition voices were underrepresented in both time and tone.
Despite the statutory founding law, there remains no domestic legal framework explicitly guaranteeing SLBC’s editorial independence. Moreover, no independent regulator or public service charter exists to review or safeguard its impartiality. The absence of institutional checks has left SLBC vulnerable to political capture, with successive governments leveraging the outlet as a tool for state messaging.
July 2025