Télédiffusion du Sénégal (TDS-SA), the public operator responsible for broadcasting Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) in Senegal, issued a press release on March 12, 2025, to clarify a situation related to the payment of broadcasting services. In response to rumors, TDS-SA informed the public that "TDS has not made any cuts and reiterated that the amounts owed by television channels are not royalties but rather broadcasting fees."

The company explains that, contrary to popular belief, "to cover broadcasting costs, channels must pay TDS fees in return for their presence on the DTT bouquet." According to the press release, these arrears, estimated at "577 million, more than half a billion of our francs," remain unpaid despite TDS-SA's willingness to "continue to cover these costs for several years" and the channels' commitment to honor this commitment.

In a context of tensions, TDS-SA has recently taken a technical measure: "For several days, TDS-SA's technical partner has decided to reduce the bandwidth allocated for nationwide broadcasting of DTT channels." This decision comes after a situation where "the channels' coverage of the territory was no longer maintained" due to unpaid bills, while the level of coverage was previously considered satisfactory.

In the face of this crisis, TDS-SA calls for collective responsibility: "TDS-SA calls on all stakeholders to take responsibility to ensure the continuity of public broadcasting services and remains open to discussions for a lasting solution." Signed by Dr. Aminata Sarr, Director General, this press release underlines the urgency of finding a consensus to preserve Senegalese access to television channels.