Bétel Miarom, the president’s communicator, heads public broadcasting

A journalist by training, the former director of production at the Communication Directorate of the Presidency of the Republic of Chad now presides over the fortunes of public broadcasting. Aged 37, the man who until recently was in charge of giving visibility to the Chadian president’s actions was appointed director general in June 2014.

On the young but sturdy shoulders of this trained journalist rests the heavy task of Chad’s national radio and television office, which, since going on satellite, is still finding its way in a highly competitive field. It is a challenge Bétel Miarom intends to meet — a typical example of the young Chadian executives in whom President Idriss Deby Itno has placed his bets.

Calm to the point of making it his trademark, the graduate of IFTIC in Niamey (journalism degree, 2000) and of the University of N’Djamena (master’s in communication, 2003) already has considerable experience despite his youth. He became known to the public in 2002 through a programme that achieved cult status, “À cœur ouvert” (“Open Heart”). The weekly show on Chad’s national radio became unmissable, as it gave public figures a platform to revisit Chad’s contemporary history through their own experiences. The journalist’s seriousness and professionalism quickly earned him the respect of listeners and peers. To this day, some listeners still ask him whether the programme could be revived.

In 2003, Bétel Miarom was called to the heart of power and appointed head of the press office. Two years later, he became director of production at the Communication Directorate of the Presidency. His mission: to make the head of state’s actions visible and understandable. For years he followed and covered all of the president’s activities, travelled widely, and attended international summits and meetings. He also witnessed major events and worked alongside many journalists.

Besides his role as the president’s communicator, Bétel Miarom has also distinguished himself in a field close to communication: ceremonial. He has officiated at many ceremonies, notably the 50th anniversary of Chad’s independence. Master of ceremonies is another passion of this young man, who turns 37 on 30 November.

According to those close to him, Bétel Miarom sees himself as a servant of the Republic. During his time at the Presidency he received three decorations, the most recent being Commander of the National Order of Chad. “Knight in 2007, Officer in 2009 and Commander of the National Order of Chad in 2013 — I received these three distinctions with great humility. For me it is an honour, of course, but also a responsibility: every day I must give my very best to live up to the trust of the highest authorities,” he says.

A new challenge

After Abdoulaye Ngardiguina left to join the government, the Ministry of Communication, which was looking for a new director, chose him. It is a new challenge for Bétel Miarom, who is no newcomer to the house. His priority, he says, is to bring qualitative change to the programmes. To do so, he is counting on the existing teams and suggests reinforcing the staff. His watchword remains professionalism.

“We have a big challenge ahead. As soon as I took office, I asked my staff at every level to get to work, with zero tolerance for idlers. We are bound to deliver results, like a football team,” he says. The comparison is no accident: he is a football enthusiast and has chaired the Chadian communicators’ football team for several years. He also coordinates “Cap Renaissance”, a platform of young Chadians running socio-educational, sporting and cultural activities around the president’s vision.

Married with two children, Bétel Miarom is a keen reader. On his new desk lies a book he has just started, Africafrance: when African leaders become masters of the game (Antoine Glaser). But he admits he has little time left for reading. “Like all journalists, I naturally love reading, with a preference for history books.” The programme “À cœur ouvert”, which he produced for years, bears this out. He also co-wrote, with other journalists, a book entitled The origins of the 1979 civil war in Chad.

Erratum (issue 04): Bétel Miarom was appointed director general of Chadian Television (Télé Tchad), not of ONRTV.