16 April 2008
Ndola — The Government has said that politicians should not be on the board of directors for community radio stations to avoid political interference in the editorial content of such institutions.
Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Services Permanent Secretary, Emmanuel Nyirenda yesterday told the Parliamentary Watchdog Committee chaired by Namwala member of Parliament (MP) Robbie Chizhyuka (UPND).
Mr Nyirenda appeared before the Committee on Information and Broadcasting Services to explain the role of community radio stations in the promotion of governance and national programmes.
He said community radio stations were cardinal to the country's democracy and should therefore be supported. Mr Nyirenda said that the Government through his ministry was planning to establish a Media Development Fund. The goal of the fund was to enable community media houses become sustainable and operate without any hindrances. Mr Nyirenda said even if politicians were stopped from sitting on community radio boards, they could still be allowed to participate in their formation and contribute financially.
On the establishment of the Media Development Fund, he said the decision was arrived at after the realisation that the Media Trust Fund (MTF), some donor institutions and religious organisations only supported most community stations. The Media Development Fund would focus on resource mobilisation, funding and supporting both existing and new media organisations and funding capacity building for such organisations.
He said that the funds would ensure the establishment of community radio stations in far flung areas as opposed to them being situated on the line of rail. Mr Nyirenda said this when he addressed concerns raised by Mpika Central MP, Mwansa Kapeya (PF) who wanted to know whether there were any plans to ensure that community radio stations were not only located on the line of rail.
He however, said there was a danger with community radio stations broadcasting news gotten from ZNBC particularly if an item was libelous in nature. In such an event, the community radio station as well as ZNBC would be liable in the court of law. Mr Nyirenda said this when he addressed concerns raised by Sinazongwe MP Raphael Muyanda (UPND) who wanted to know whether ZNBC has any arrangement with community radio stations to transmit important news items like parliamentary debates.
He was in the company of Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) director general Joseph Salasini, acting director of progammes Maxwell Ng'andu and acting Zambia News and Information Services (ZANIS) director general Augustine Phiri. Mr Salasini said last year ZNBC entered into an agreement with radio stations to air the news items in the way that suit the editorial policy of such organisations.
And Zambia Institute of Mass Communication (ZAMCOM) director general Daniel Nkalamo said community radio stations were important in disseminating cardinal information to their local communities.
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