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2 channels
Television in Mali is a small but tightly focused ecosystem. With only seven channels, the lineup is dominated by the public broadcaster ORTM (Office de Radiodiffusion et Télévision du Mali), which runs General, Music, and Religious feeds. ORTM’s flagship news at 20:00 remains the primary source of national information for most households, delivered in measured, official French with occasional Bambili segments. Religious programming is prominent: Islam-themed talks, Quran recitations, and Friday sermon broadcasts fill significant airtime, reflecting the country’s deep Muslim culture. Music channels lean heavily on local genres like Wassoulou, desert blues, and griot traditions, with video clips that often feel like mini-documentaries of village life. There are no big private networks or flashy reality shows, the market is too small for that. Instead, viewers get a mix of government-produced public service shows, imported French-language dramas (dubbed, not subtitled), and live coverage of national events like the Festival du Désert. Primetime starts early, around 19:00, because power outages and early bedtimes are realities. Satellite dishes are common in cities, pulling in French channels like TV5 Monde and France 24, but for local news and religious programming, the seven Malian channels are the only game in town. The contrast with neighbors like Senegal or Côte d'Ivoire is stark: those countries have vibrant private broadcasters and telenovela imports, while Mali’s TV landscape remains deliberately modest and state-steered.