|
|
|
Joy Radio Closure - Big Blow To Media Diversity
( )
Dec 11, 2008 (The Tribune/All Africa Global Media via COMTEX)
-- THE Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA-Malawi) has described
the revocation of Joy Radio broadcasting licence as a big blow
to media diversity. Commenting on the closure of the radio by
the authorities, MISA-Malawi Chairperson Brian Ligomeka said
while government had its own
good reasons for taking that action, the biggest losers are the
listeners.
|
"Government has its own good reasons for
closing down the radio station, and from what I have read in
the press the reason has to do with the ownership of the broadcaster.
My worry is that the victims of this wrangle are people who fell
in love with the radio and were avid listeners of the station," he
said.
Ligomeka said the continued wrangle between the Malawi Communications
Regulatory Authority (Macra) and Joy Radio was a threat to the
issue of media diversity.
"
I am not saying Macra is right, neither am I saying Joy Radio
is right, but some listeners have been deprived their right to
listen to their radio of their choice," he said explaining
that the courts were well placed to solve the misunderstanding
as it borders on legal issues.
Government through Macra closed the radio on the grounds that
the recent take-over by former president Bakili Muluzi breaches
the law which bars politicians from owning broadcasters.
Macra's James Chimera justifies the closure by saying: "Malawi
laws bar politicians or political parties from owning radio stations,
but Joy Radio Limited is wholly owned by the Muluzi family and
the former president himself chairs its board."
Many other observers however say the closure is politically motivated
as it has come after Macra and government has on several ocassions
accused Joy of running inflammatory programmes against the administration.
Presidential spokesman Chikumbutso Mtumodzi declared that Joy
Radio deserved to be shut down because in his words "it
had been on a disinformation crusade, airing libellous and slanderous
programmes, and playing derogatory songs against President Mutharika."
There are also allegations that the closure is a ploy by Democratic
Progressive Party (DPP) regime to silence the opposition voice
just months away before official campaign for next year presidential
and parliamentary elections begin.
It is alleged that former DPP Secretary General Hetherwick Ntaba
is the mastermind of the strategy of suppressing opposition voices
on the radio but Ntaba has rubbished such reports.
"
I am not part of DPP National Governing Council and I am not
aware if there is such kind of design by DPP," he said.
Ntaba said it was unfortunate that people wants to smear his
name with cheap politics. Renowned civil rights campaigner, Undule
Mwakasungura, has condemned the government action saying it is
tantamount to private media
harassment. He said freedom of information is a God given right.
"
No state has the authority to take away, alienate or diminish
under whatever circumstances especially in the democratic dispensation
that Malawians overwhelmingly chose in 1993 God given rights," said
Mwakasungura.
He observed that that the Malawi government has signed agreements
on press freedom but it is sad that the same government is not
enforcing such agreements; instead it is taking the lead in violating
them.
by Singayazi Kaminjolo
Copyright The Tribune. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media
(allAfrica.com).
Rashweat Mukundu
Programme Specialist: Media Freedom Monitoring
MISA Regional Secretariat
21 Johann Albrecht Street
Private Bag 13386
Windhoek, Namibia
Tel: + 264 61 232 975
Fax:+264 61 248016
Mobile: 00 264 813 675 362
E mail rashweat@misa.org, misaalerts@gmail.com
Back
|
 |
|
|
| |
|
