“Regulatory Authority for Social Communication defines support for nine private media outlets in Cape Verde”
The Regulatory Authority for Social Communication (ARC) has formalized the allocation of state incentives for the private media sector for the year 2026. Through Resolution No. 16/CR-ARC/2026, the Regulatory Council approved a total financial package of $9,499,905.06 (nine million, four hundred and ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred and five escudos and six cents).
The decision was made during the 4th ordinary session of the Regulatory Council, held on February 17, 2026, in Praia. This process complies with ARC's legal powers to manage public support for the media, as established in its statutes and current legislation.
The technical evaluation process
The selection of beneficiaries and the definition of amounts are not arbitrary. The process was technically supervised by ARC's Incentive Analysis and Allocation Unit. This technical structure took on the functions of the Evaluation and Monitoring Committee (CAA), analyzing each application based on the eligibility criteria defined in Decree-Law No. 55/2017 and Ordinance No. 11/2018.
The final technical proposal, which was approved by the Regulatory Council, ensures that all procedures and rules for state co-financing were strictly complied with before the final decision was issued.
Comparison of incentives: 2025 vs. 2026
The table below details the evolution of financial support granted by ARC, revealing changes in amounts and the addition of new beneficiaries this year.
Who was left out in 2026?
A comparative analysis between the two periods reveals the absence of some titles that appeared on previous lists of incentives for the private press and media. The most notable case is that of Santiago Magazine, which does not appear on the list of beneficiaries of Resolution No. 16/CR-ARC/2026.
Who is ARC?
The Regulatory Authority for Social Communication (ARC) is the independent administrative entity responsible for regulating and supervising the social communication sector in Cape Verde. Its Regulatory Council is currently chaired by Arminda Pereira de Barros, with the participation of councilors Maria Augusta Évora Tavares Teixeira, Alfredo Henriques Mendes Dias Pereira, and Karine de Carvalho Andrade Ramos. In addition to awarding state incentives, the ARC ensures compliance with ethical and legal standards in journalism and broadcasting.
Private sector sustainability
The total amount will be distributed among nine different publications and platforms. The Expresso das Ilhas newspaper and the weekly A Nação receive the largest share of the support, followed by Revista Iniciativa magazine. This category of incentives covers both traditional newspapers and magazines and leading digital platforms that meet the requirements of periodicity and legal registration.
These incentives are essential to ensure that private media outlets, which face growing challenges in the digital information age, continue to fulfill their role of informing the Cape Verdean public and promoting diversity of opinion in the public sphere.
Caboverde24.info
Source: ARC – Regulatory Authority for Social Communication
Editorial Note: The figures presented in this article strictly follow the annex to Resolution No. 16/CR-ARC/2026, issued on February 17, 2026, by the ARC.
