malawi: Community radio stations told to stop airing news reports

IFEX - News from the international freedom of expression community
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ALERT - MALAWI

4 June 2003

Community radio stations told to stop airing news reports

SOURCE: Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA), Windhoek

(MISA/IFEX) - On 2 June 2003, the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority
(Macra) ordered community radio stations to stop airing news bulletins,
saying the Communications Act forbade such stations from running news
programmes.

Macra Director General Evans Namanja spoke at a two-day international
workshop on the promotion of community radio stations. "News is supposed to
be for the general public and not a particular community. By broadcasting
news, the community radio stations are hijacking the role of public
broadcasters, such as the Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) and
Television Malawi (TVM)," said Namanja.

Macra's statement is based on Section 51(3) c, which bars community radio
stations from "broadcasting news services and factual programmes." However,
Sections 35 and 36 of the Malawi Constitution provide for freedom of
expression and the press.

MISA's Malawi chapter (Namisa) is leading community radio stations in
condemning Macra's action. Namisa described the statement as
unconstitutional and further called for an immediate repeal of the section
to bring the Act in line with constitutional provisions.

BACKGROUND:
This is not first time that Macra has told community radio stations,
especially the Malawi Institute of Journalism (MIJ 90.3 FM Radio), to stop
airing news bulletins. On 13 June 2002, Namanja wrote to MIJ 90.3 FM Radio,
warning that it risked losing its licence if it continued airing editorial
comments and newscasts on its frequency, which he said were inconsistent
with its broadcasting licence.

An outcry from the media in Malawi forced Macra to back-pedal on its
statement within a few days (see IFEX alerts of 5 July and 25 June 2002).

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 is the sole responsibility of MISA.
In citing this material for broadcast or publication, please credit MISA.
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