2 0 0 3 , ▁there ▁were ▁an ▁estimated ▁ 1 6 1 ▁rad ios ▁and ▁ 7 5 ▁television ▁sets ▁for ▁every ▁ 1 , 0 0 0 ▁people . ▁ ▁Television ▁ ▁Television ▁first ▁came ▁to ▁Cam ero on ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 5 ▁( rel atively ▁late , ▁if ▁compared ▁to ▁other ▁African ▁countries ). ▁It ▁arrived ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁development ▁and ▁modern ization ▁project ▁of ▁the ▁President ▁Paul ▁Bi ya , ▁who ▁saw ▁it ▁as ▁a ▁mean ▁of ▁education ▁for ▁the ▁youth s , ▁as ▁he ▁stated ▁in ▁his ▁political ▁manif esto ▁Pour ▁le ▁lib ér alis me ▁commun aut aire ▁( 1 9 8 7 ). ▁For ▁the ▁construction ▁of ▁the ▁television ▁centre ▁at ▁M bal la ▁II ▁and ▁the ▁training ▁centre ▁at ▁Ek oun ou ▁in ▁Ya ound e ▁were ▁inv ested ▁nin ety ▁billion ▁fran cs ▁C FA ▁and ▁anten nas ▁and ▁repe ater ▁stations ▁were ▁built ▁in ▁different ▁strateg ic ▁sites ▁to ▁ass ure ▁decent ▁coverage ▁by ▁television ▁signals ▁all ▁around ▁the ▁country . ▁The ▁first ▁broadcast ▁was ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 5 , ▁in ▁B am enda , ▁in ▁occasion ▁of ▁the ▁con gress ▁of ▁the ▁single ▁party , ▁in ▁which ▁the ▁Cam ero onian ▁National ▁Union ▁became ▁the ▁Cam ero on ▁People ’ s ▁Democratic ▁Party . ▁Until ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 0 s ▁there ▁was ▁only ▁one ▁official ▁television ▁channel , ▁which ▁was ▁the ▁state - owned ▁CR TV . ▁While ▁Paul ▁Bi ya ▁and