Postal, telephone, and wireless services are owned and operated by the government. Radiotelephone ties exist between Tripoli and European centers. In 1999 there were 411,000 telephones. The Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Broadcasting Corp. broadcasts on radio in Arabic and English, and on television in Arabic, English, Italian, and French. As of 1999 there were 17 AM and 3 FM radio stations, and 12 television stations. In 2000 there were 273 radios and 137 television sets for every 1,000 people. In 2000, one Internet Service Provider served about 7,500 users.
In 2002, there were three major daily newspapers. Al-Fair Al-Jadeed (The New Dawn) is a government-owned daily published in Tripoli, with circulation of about 40,000. The other dailies included Al-Jihad and Libyan Press Review.
The state owns and controls all media, and it is said to restrict all expression and opinion on matters deemed crucial to Qadhafi or his regime. All political activities, including publication and broadcasting, which are not officially approved are banned. Vague laws exist by which any speech or expression may be interpreted as illegal. It is said that there is a pervasive system of informants, which creates an atmosphere of mistrust and self-censorship at all levels of society.
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