Set up in 1966 in Bamako (Mali), it is charged with the follow-up of technological developments in the fields of radio and TV, the monitoring of radio transmissions of all URTNA member organizations, assisting them with technical advice and publishing monitoring reports. The Technical Centre is also charged with carrying out studies on radio/TV signal propagation under various climatic and geographical conditions in Africa. Furthermore, the Technical Centre works in close collaboration with ITU and the ECA on African Regional Telecommunication by satellite project (RASCOM).

The Programme Exchange Centre (PEC) – Nairobi (Kenya)

Set up in 1977 in Nairobi (Kenya), it is essentially a privileged instrument for the promotion and coordination of radio/TV programmes exchange among URTNA member organizations. It also carries out all activities aimed at improving the quality of programmes in Africa. The Programme Exchange Centre has modern equipment for programmes reproduction and dubbing. In 1998, more than 3,000 radio/TV programmes were exchanged.

URTNA PEC also organizes screening sessions for the selection of the best TV programmes presented by its member organizations (at least 125 programmes are selected each year) called ’’URTNA SCREEN’’. Its main objective is to enable television organizations to select African programmes and to, thus, promote inter-African and international exchange. ’’URTNA SCREEN’’ which is therefore the showcase for the best TV programmes in Africa was launched in October 1986. In 1997, URTNA PEC successfully launched the African Television Programme Market (MAP-TV).

URTNA Training Centre - Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso)

The URTNA Training Centre was formerly known as the Inter-African Rural Radio Studies Centre (CIERRO), which was set up in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) in 1978. For twenty years (1978-1998), the Centre offered training on rural radio techniques for staffs of French-speaking African member organizations.

However, in accordance with the decision of the General Assembly at its 37th ordinary session in 1997, the Centre will now offer training on all aspects of broadcasting (radio and television) to staffs of all URTNA African member organizations comprising all the linguistic groups.

URTNA TV News Exchange Centre (Afro-Vision)

Set up at the beginning of 1991, this Centre which is based in Algiers (Algeria) launched its activities with the participation of an initial group of eight African countries. Thousands of TV News items are exchanged within the framework of AFRO-VISION, covering politics, econmics, culture, sports, etc. The items exchanged, with the present participation of twleve (12) countries, are prepared by African TV news journalists for Africans and the rest of the world and can be received by 36 URTNA African member organizations as well as the member organizations of sister broadcasting unions throughout the world.