Communications policy and planning were investigated through the Republic of Niger's television service, Tele-Sahel, a state-owned autonomous service with a mandate to provide programs for rural development. In order to understand the context within which Tele-Sahel operates, the following topics related to television broadcasting in Niger were examined: (1) economic, political, social, and cultural factors; (2) communications policy and planning; and (3) viewpoints of officials responsible for broadcasting. A content analysis was performed on programs in a random sample of 32 weeks in the period from April 1979 to July 1984. These programs were identified as either imported or locally produced and as nationally or rurally oriented. The programs were then further broken down by language and by content specific to rural development. It was found that, while efforts are being made to orient programing to Nigeriens in terms of locally produced programs, that many of these programs are not in a language understandable to the majority of Nigeriens. It is concluded that, even with Niger's extensive television broadcasting system with receivers placed in even remote villages, the use of locally produced programs to facilitate rural development needs has not been particularly effective. A list of interviewees and the interview questionnaire are appended, and an 89-item bibliography cites a number of reports written in French as well as English sources. (MES)