MALAWI: Regulatory authority back-pedals on threat to radio station

IFEX - News from the international freedom of expression community
> _________________________________________________________________
>
> ALERT UPDATE - MALAWI
>
> 5 July 2002
>
> Regulatory authority back-pedals on threat to radio station
>
> SOURCE: Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA), Windhoek
>
> **Updates IFEX alert of 25 June 2002**
>
> (MISA/IFEX) - The Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) has
> back-pedalled on its recently issued threat that the Malawi Institute of
> Journalism radio station (MIJ FM) risked losing its broadcasting licence
for
> what MACRA described as anomalies and bias in its reporting.
>
> MACRA general counsel David Kadwa told the press on Thursday 27 June 2002
that
> the problem was not only the radio station's content but was also
"technical in
> nature."
>
> Kadwa added that MIJ FM was broadcasting beyond its licensed 35-kilometre
radius
> and moreover was airing "news bulletins instead of news updates" for
which the
> station was licensed. "The violations are technical in nature. We are not
> against the content of news but we are concerned that instead of updates
or
> briefs stipulated in the licence MIJ is giving listeners bulletins," Kadwa
> stated.
>
> However, MIJ Executive Director James Ng'ombe described MACRA's arguments
on the
> radius as not being "scientifically practical." "Scientifically you can
not put
> a ruler and demarcate that radio
> waves should not go beyond this point because they go with the terrain.
Where
> the terrain is even the coverage is wider, while where there are mountains
there
> is poor or no coverage. So I can say on paper we are covering the 35
kilometre
> radius," Ng'ombe argued.
>
> On the subject of airing news bulletins instead of "news updates", Ng'ombe
said
> his radio licence permitted the station to carry bulletins. He explained
that an
> update or news brief suggested by MACRA comes from a bulletin. "What they
> (MACRA) are saying is a jargon that does not
> exist (in journalism)," Ng'ombe stated.
>
> BACKGROUND:
> MACRA wrote to the radio station on 13 June threatening to withdraw its
licence
> if the station did not change its content, which MACRA described as
inconsistent
> with the station's broadcasting licence.
>
> MIJ FM took to the airwaves in 2001 and is fully dependent on donor
funding,
> especially from Denmark, a country that controversially cut its diplomatic
ties
> with Malawi a few months ago.
>
> For further information, contact Zoe Titus or Kaitira Kandjii, Regional
> Information Coordinator, MISA, Street Address: 21 Johann Albrecht Street,
> Mailing Address; Private Bag 13386 Windhoek, Namibia, tel: +264 61 232975,
fax:
> +264 61 248016, e-mail: [email protected] or [email protected],
Internet:
> http://www.misa.org/
>
> The information contained in this alert update is the sole responsibility
of
> MISA. In citing this material for broadcast or publication, please credit
MISA.
> _________________________________________________________________
> DISTRIBUTED BY THE INTERNATIONAL FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
> EXCHANGE (IFEX) CLEARING HOUSE
> 489 College Street, Suite 403, Toronto (ON) M6G 1A5 CANADA
> tel: +1 416 515 9622 fax: +1 416 515 7879
> alerts e-mail: [email protected] general e-mail: [email protected]
> Internet site: http://www.ifex.org/
> _________________________________________________________________