I 15

In order to foster the development of the broadcasting sector, the Government will take the
following actions.
•

The Government will establish a clear legal framework for the sector in the Communications
Act.

•

The Government will corporatize the Lesotho National Broadcasting Service.

•

The Government will facilitate deployment of transmission infrastructure throughout the
country.

•

The Government will adopt a transparent, non-discriminatory regime for the regulation of
content.

•

The Government will promote the provision of Internet-based "New Media" services. .

Regulatory Reforms
The Government will take several actions to reform the existing regulatory regime.
•

Broadcast Classifications. While convergence is erasing distinctions between services, there is
a fundamental difference between broadcasting and telecommunications that will be accounted
for in the Communications Act. Telecommunications involves the carriage of the user's
choice of content between two points specified by the user, while broadcasting involves the
carriage of content, provided by the broadcaster, to multiple points. While many regulatory
requirements are appropriate for all three ICT sectors, certain policies are not. For example,
rules governing rate regulation have no applicability to free over-the-air broadcast services
Within broadcasting, the Communication Act will establish four categories of broadcasters:
public service broadcasting, community broadcasting, private broadcasting, and commercial
broadcasting. Each category will differ by ownership, purpose, and coverage requirements.

•

Public Service Broadcaster.
The Lesotho National Broadcasting Service (LNBS) will be
transformed from a state broadcaster into a public service broadcaster. This will entail
corporatizing the LNBS and making it accountable to an independent board with the goal of
serving the public interest. The public service broadcaster will have editorial independence
and any content restrictions or requirements will be contained in its charter, along with a clear
source of funding for operations and expansion.

•

Content Regulation. The new law will seek to strike a careful balance. The law will seek to
promote freedom of expression, diversity, and the free flow of information and ideas. At the
same time, however, the law will recognize that - in certain, narrow, clearly defined
circumstances - the Government will have authority to impose content restrictions. The law
will make clear the specific circumstances in which content restrictions are justified, and will

Select target paragraph3