State-controlled broadcasters' merger threatens job cuts
Employees of the country’s state-broadcasters, the Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) and Television Malawi (TVM) are living in fear following news that the two broadcasters would soon be merged. This news has resulted in widespread speculation that some employees at the two stations would lose their jobs because of the merger.

But government through its spokesperson who is also the Information Minister, Leckford Thotho, has described the rumor as untrue. He was quoted by The Nation newspaper as saying: “in case of retrenchments, those employees will be absorbed in other government departments. This is being done in a way that nobody should lose their job.” 
 
The two state-controlled broadcasters have their headquarters in Blantyre in the southern part of Malawi with branches in the central and northern parts of the country. MBC and TVM will be in one building when the merger is finalized but the location is currently not known.
 
Both MBC and TVM have over 100 members of staff each, hence the fears expressed by the employees that some of them are likely to face the chop.
MBC was established under an Act of Parliament while TVM was established as a private company owned by various shareholders.
 
Meanwhile, reports indicate that a taskforce comprising officials from the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) and those from MBC and TVM will soon come up with a report on the merger; this is according to Willie Samute the Principal Secretary for Public Reforms at the OPC. //End//
 

Reagan Malumo
Programme Officer: Media Freedom Monitoring and Research
Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Regional Secretariat
21 Johann Albrecht St
Private Bag 13386
Windhoek
Namibia
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