🚀 go-pugleaf

IFEX- News from the international freedom of expression community
_________________________________________________________________

ACTION ALERT - MALAWI

18 November 1997

MISA protests irregularities in the granting of broadcasting
licences by the government

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

(MISA/IFEX) - It has been reported that the government of Malawi
is to issue a broadcasting licence to presidential press officer
Alaudin Osman to operate a private radio station. However, MISA
points out that this announcement is being made at a time when
the country has not established an independent regulatory
mechanism that should oversee and regulate broadcasting
operations and the granting of licences.

During the last three years, several private individuals applied
for broadcast licences but have been turned down without
explanation. In 1995, Eddy Manda and Oscar Johnson "illegally"
operated radio stations after having failed to obtain broadcast
licences. Their radio equipment was confiscated by police and the
two men have since not been allowed to operate a station.

MISA observes a trend in southern Africa of governments issuing
permits to their "friends" before transparent liberalisation of
licensing procedures are in place in order to give them an unfair
advantage and to fill valuable frequencies with non-dissenting
voices. MISA's findings on Malawi are that the licences, for now,
are being issued directly by the minister of information and
broadcasting, a practice MISA finds unacceptable and undemocratic
in a new dispensation. Furthermore, the Malawi government has
resisted a review of the Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC)
Act, 1991, in order to guarantee the independence of public
broadcasting. Also, no move has been made to introduce a
legislation that can guarantee fair allocation of frequencies to
applicants in the country.

The first-ever station in private hands went to the United States
of America-backed African Bible College, which runs an FM radio
station based in Lilongwe, the capital. However, the station is
only allowed to broadcast religious-related messages, and not
news.

Osman's new radio station, to be based in the commercial capital,
Blantyre, will be the fourth broadcaster in Malawi since
independence from Britain 31 years ago. The other two are the
state-owned Radio One and Radio Two of the Malawi Broadcasting
Corporation (MBC). Radio Two began broadcasting in July 1997.

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Send appeals to authorities:
-urging them to put in place an independent regulatory mechanism
before issuing licences
-calling on them to embark on and support a sound Malawi
Broadcasting Corporation Act and a regulatory authority Act that
should guarantee the independence of broadcasting in Malawi and
ensure fair distribution of frequencies to applicants

APPEALS TO:

His Excellence President Bakili Muluzi
Office of the President
Sanjika Palace
Private Bag 300
Blantyre, Malawi
Tel: +265 621 855 / 634 320  / 634 566
Fax: +265 635 644 / 634 681

His Excellence President Bakili Muluzi
Office of the President
State House
P.O. Box 40
Zomba, Malawi
Tel: +265 621 855 / 634 320  / 634 566
Fax: +265 635 644 / 634 681

Rt. Hon. Minister Sam Mpasu
Ministry of Information and Broadcasting
P.O. Box 494
Blantyre, Malawi
Tel: +265 620 266 / 620 170 / 651 275
Fax: +265 620 807 / 620 039

Director-General Sam Gunde
Malawi Broadcasting Corporation
P.O. Box 30133
Chichiri
Blantyre 3, Malawi
Tel: +265 671 222
Fax: +265 671 257 / 670 280

Please copy appeals to the source if possible.

For further information, contact David Nthengwe at MISA, Private
Bag 13386, Windhoek, Namibia, tel: +264 61 232975, fax: +264 61
248016, e-mail: research@ingrid.misa.org.na.

The information contained in this action alert 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
 490 Adelaide St.W., suite 205, Toronto (ON) M5V 2T1 CANADA
 tel: +1 416 703 1638, fax: +1 416 703 7034
 e-mail: ifex@web.net, Internet site: http://www.ifex.org/
_________________________________________________________________


___________________________________________________
Bruce Girard             Agencia Informativa Pulsar
Email: bgirard@pulsar.org.ec
http://www.web.net/amarc/pulsar.html
Fono/Fax: +593-2-501 180 o 551 674
Fax en Montreal, Canada: +1-514-221-2009
Av. Atahualpa 333, Casilla 17-08-8489, Quito, Ecuador