Libya Al Rasmiyah (meaning “Official Libya” in Arabic) is a television station that launched broadcasting in December 2011 after Gaddafi was toppled.
Media assets
Al Rasmiyah
State Media Matrix Typology: Not included due to lack of recent data
Ownership and governance
There is not much known about Al Rasmiyah’s current status, but according to the latest data we gathered from our experts and journalists working on Libya, Al Rasmiyah was fully operated by the GNA, which made all human resources appointments in the broadcaster and decided about the staff’s pay. The channel used to be run by Libya Radio and Television Corporation (LRTC), the successor to the state broadcaster run by the Gaddafi regime. The channel was fully controlled by the Government of National Unity, but there is no information about Al Rasmiyah’s current status.
Source of funding and budget
Al Rasmiyah was known to be fully funded by the Government of National Accord (GNA), the sole internationally recognized government in Libya for some years, according to local experts and journalists. In March 2021, GNA was merged with the Second Al-Thani Cabinet based in Tobruk, known as the Tobruk government, to form the Government of National Unity led by the Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh. Yet, in March 2022, the country got again divided when a Government of National Stability (GNS) was formed by the eastern-based parliament. GNS has been led by Fathi Bashagha.
There is no publicly available data about the budget of Al Rasmiyah. The station used to face deep financial problems five years ago when, short of funding, it was obliged to air only pre-recorded shows.
Editorial independence
According to the experts and journalists working on Libya, Al Rasmiyah operated as an official voice of the Government of National Unity. There is no domestic statute and no independent assessment or oversight mechanism that would validate Al Rasmiyah’s editorial independence. There is no information about Al Rasmiyah’s current status.
August 2023