World Radio Day: French-language radio stations in Africa in the age of artificial intelligence

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An exceptional webinar will be held on Friday, February 13. This strategic meeting will bring together major players in broadcasting to explore a topical issue: "AI, a lever for development for local radio."

Pontarlier, February 9, 2026 – On the initiative of FOMECAF (Forum des Médias Chrétiens d’Afrique Francophone, or Forum of Christian Media in French-speaking Africa), and to mark World Radio Day, a special webinar will be held on Friday, February 13. This strategic meeting will bring together major players in radio broadcasting to explore a topical issue: "AI, a lever for the development of local radio."

AI: An assistant, not a replacement
Far from fears that journalists will be replaced by robots, this conference aims to demonstrate how Artificial Intelligence (AI) can become a strategic ally for African stations. Faced with technical, financial, and infrastructure challenges, AI offers concrete solutions to free up editorial time and improve sound quality.

Two experts for a 360° view
To guide this reflection, FOMECAF brings together two complementary perspectives:

Jonathan Darboux (Benin): Specialist in technological solutions in the African context. He will detail the tools available to optimize production, even with low bandwidth.
Emmanuel Ziehli (Switzerland): International media expert. He will share his insights on preserving ethics and human warmth. In particular, he will discuss the experience of Swiss radio station Couleur 3, illustrating why editorial and legal responsibility must remain human.

"AI should not be seen as a Western import, but as an opportunity to better serve local listeners by transforming voice into text and noise into crystal-clear sound," emphasizes Mawuéna Abotchi, permanent secretary of FOMECAF, the event organizer.

The non-exhaustive program includes: Concrete solutions for the field
The webinar will feature practical case studies tailored to the realities of African radio stations:

Transcription: To transform broadcasts into web articles or archive oral heritage without tedious manual typing.

Local news reporting: AI as an assistant for structuring local news briefs and prioritizing information gathered in the field.

Technical support for breakdowns: Use AI models to diagnose hardware problems (transmitters, consoles) when the engineer is not on site.

Translation: Switching from French to national/local languages to strengthen the station's community roots.

Practical information
Date: Friday, February 13, 2026
Time: 2:00 p.m. GMT
Location: Online (Webinar)
Free registration: https://bit.ly/4rKu5UF

Press contact: FOMECAF Mawuéna Abotchi, Permanent Secretary fomecaf@gmail.com
WhatsApp: +228 92 48 20 78

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