In terms of the diversity of ownership, Malawi would seem to favour faith-based community
broadcasters ahead of secular licensees — and perhaps this implies that it is more inclined
towards superstition than empiricism?
There was very little diverse ownership in print media, apart from the establishment of the
Democratus whose ownership is still a mystery although it is evidently pro-government.

LESOTHO

Community Broadcasters
• Radio Maria (Mangochi)
• Radio Alinafe (Lilongwe)
• ACB Radio (Lilongwe)
• Transworld Radio
(Blantyre)
• Radio Islam (Blantyre)
• Calvary Family Church
(CFC) Radio (Blantyre)
• Channel For All Nations
(CFAN) Radio (Lilongwe)
• MIJ Radio (Blantyre)
• Dzimwe Radio
(Mangochi)
• Joy Radio (Blantyre)

MALAWI

Private Broadcasters
• Capital 102.5FM (Blantyre)
• Power 101FM(Blantyre)

MOZAMBIQUE

Table 2
Public Broadcasting Licensees
• TVM (Blantyre)
• MBC (Blantyre)

NAMIBIA

Patterns of Ownership

BOTSWANA

ANGOLA

State of the media in Southern Africa - 2004

In terms of facilities, Minister Lipenga conceded that the government’s own news agency,
Malawi News Agency (MANA), had inadequate facilities and was poorly staffed. This meant
it could not effectively rise to the challenge of gathering information for the country’s
development needs. He stopped short of suggesting whether privatisation of the state-run
media could be a long-term solution. These pronouncements are more significant in analysing
media-state relations because the assurance of an elected State President or cabinet minister
will not free the media.
So This Is Democracy? 2004

60

Media Institute of Southern Africa

SWAZILAND

The impression created towards the end of the year was that the adversarial relationship between
the two estates was on the mend following a call by the Minister of Information and Tourism
Ken Lipenga to public broadcasters MBC and TVM to open up to the opposition. At a luncheon
in December, State President Mutharika hosted the media at his new State House in the capital
city. He repeated the call for free media although the ruling United Democratic Front, (UDF)
party cried foul and complained that it was being left out.

TANZANIA

Government-Media Relationships

ZIMBABWE ZAMBIA

Whilst the print media is concentrated in urban areas, most broadcast licensees, including
community broadcasters, reveal a similar pattern as they are urban-based rather than in particular
communities that would be accessible to the local people. Access to participation is also
economically inhibitive as phone-ins are the most popular way of participating in the new
broadcast media. Thus the democratisation effect of the broadcast media is very much an ideal
which has yet to be realised in Malawi because participation is geographically discriminate
and economically elitist.

SOUTH AFRICA

Public Participation

Select target paragraph3