Committee to address digital migration established – but radio and television applications not yet addressed

On 8 June 2010 Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Services (MIBS) said that government had appointed an inter-ministerial committee to spearhead the country’s migration from analogue to digital broadcasting by 2015. This is despite the fact that 120 application for both radio and television broadcasting licenses are still pending and are yet to be addressed.

MIBS Minister Lieutenant General Ronnie Shikapwasha said the committee had started working out measures at ensuring that the country migrates from analogue to digital broadcasting.
 
He was speaking to a reporter on 7 June 2010. Gen. Shikapwasha said that Zambia is one of the 12 Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) countries that had adopted a united approach to undertake digital broadcasting by 2013.
 
“This gives an 18-month period for them to sort out any policy, regulatory or operational challenges that the regional community may be faced with during the migration process,” he said.
 
Meanwhile, government says it has received 110 applications for new radio stations and 10 for new television stations. He said the government would review applications when the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) Board was appointed.
 
MISA-Zambia has been advocating for policy to address adequately the digital migration which internationally has been set for 2015. MISA-Zambia and the media have also been advocating for the implementation of the IBA Act of 2002 but government has to-date not been able to implement it. The Ministry of Information has been regulating the broadcast sector even though it is illegally doing so. //End//

Reagan Malumo
Programme Specialist: Media Freedom Monitoring and Research
Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Regional Secretariat
21 Johann Albrecht St
Private Bag 13386
Windhoek
Namibia
Phone: +264 61 232 975
Fax: +264 61 248 016
Mobile: +264 81 311 2626

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