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International Freedom of Expression eXchange Clearing House
________________________________________________________________
Date: 30 September 1996

NAMIBIA: KCR retains its frequency, Radio Energy given another
frequency

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

        **Updates IFEX alert dated 24 September 1996**

The Namibian Communications Commission (NCC) has ruled against
moving the Katutura Community Radio (KCR) to a new frequency. In a
press statement issued on 25 September 1996, the NCC said, "The
Commission decided that KCR will have the use of the original
frequency that was allocated and that there will be no change or
shifting of the KCR frequency." The NCC made the ruling at a
hearing on 25 September, following KCR's complaint against NCC's
order that KCR shift to another frequency (see IFEX alert).

The NCC further said it had "decided to allocate a new frequency
to Radio 100, broadcasting as Radio Energy." The NCC would not
disclose the new frequency allocated to new commercial broadcaster
Radio Energy, but said it was preparing an official statement
regarding the new frequency for the new station. Radio Energy
Director Rolf Lange, however, told MISA on 26 September that the
NCC has already allocated Radio Energy a new frequency at 100.0
MHz.

KCR, the community-based station which has been on air for more
than a year, was asked by the licensing authority, NCC, to move
frequencies or else close down, after Radio Energy, a new
commercial broadcaster targeting KCR's township audience, was
allocated a frequency just 0.3 MHz away from the community
broadcaster. KCR had since August of last year been broadcasting
at frequency 106.2 MHz. KCR serves the previously-segregated
communities of Khomasdal and Katutura townships (see IFEX alert).

The NCC said that at the time of discussions between Radio 100,
the KCR and the NBC, "the NCC Secretariat were ignored and were
never approached or requested to intervene to investigate and
recommend a solution to the problem." In explaining the position
surrounding the management of the broadcasting radio frequency
spectrum, the NCC stated that, since its creation in April 1992
until October 1995, the Commission did not have enough human
resources nor the software to be able to administer frequency
allocation. The NCC explained that, as the Namibian Broadcasting
Corporation (NBC) was in the past the only broadcaster, frequency
spectrum management was delegated to the NBC.

The NCC also announced that it was to meet on 25 September with
the ministers of Works, Transport and Communication, and
Information and Broadcasting to start a negotiation process to
help create "a fully independent, autonomous and transparent
regulatory authority, with the Secretariat directly under the
jurisdiction of the Commission...."

KCR Director Frederick Gawaseb said he was happy with the NCC's
ruling. "The NCC looked at the situation and acted like true
referees by taking a decision with a sober mind." However, the
NCC's Chairman, Barney Barnes, refused to comment on 26 September
on how the NCC had arrived at its earlier decision to move KCR to
another frequency. "I am afraid, I will not assist you there. The
Commission never discloses its deliberations about how it arrives
at a decision. We believe that the (subsequent) decision (not to
move KCR from its original frequency) was fair and just."

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

The information contained in this update is the sole
responsibility of its originator.
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* IFEX CLEARING HOUSE                                 *
* 490 Adelaide St. W. #205 Toronto ONT M5V 1T2 CANADA *
* tel: 416-703-1638 fax: 416-703-7034                 *
* e-mail: ifex@web.net                                *
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___________________________________________________
Bruce Girard
Pulsar - AMARC
Email: bgirard@pulsar.org.ec
http://www.web.net/amarc/pulsar.html
Tel: +593-2-525521    Fax: +593-542818
Av. America 3584, Casilla 17-08-8489, Quito, Ecuador