Sector 2: The media landscape is characterised by diversity, independence and sustainability. 2.1 A wide range of sources of information (print, broadcasting, internet) is available and affordable to citizens. ANALYSIS: A wide range of sources of information - print, broadcast, and internet - is available, but there are problems over distribution and affordability. Major strides have been and continue to be made in the area of broadcasting which has seen considerable growth in the number of radio stations in recent years. Radio is by far the most widespread medium in the country, with commercial stations spreading to rural areas. All the country’s nine provinces now have at least one or two commercial or community radio stations. Most community stations are in the rural districts. Presently, a total of 30 radio stations are licensed. Community radio stations broadcast mainly in local languages, affording rural audiences access to information in their mother tongues. The state broadcaster’s radio signal covers all parts of Zambia with the ZNBC claiming that radio now reaches 6 million people (the overall population is 10.5 million). Television is still predominantly an urban medium, although the signal of state-owned ZNBC-TV now extends to all parts of the country. Two new private television stations have been established during the last few years, the Movie channel and Copperbelt Television (CBTV). Internet is readily available in Internet cafés in the urban areas and is relatively affordable at a cost of between 50 and 100 Kwacha per minute. It is increasingly available in many rural parts of the country at between 400 and 500 Kwacha per minute. There are three daily (The Post, Zambia Daily Mail, Times of Zambia) and a variety of weekly and fortnightly newspapers (e.g. Sunday Times of Zambia, Sunday Mail, The Guardian Weekly). However, their combined total circulation is less than 70,000 with the readership per copy estimated at 10 - 20 persons. This number may increase thanks to a recent practice by newspaper vendors to “lease” newspapers for a few minutes. - One reason for the low print-runs is certainly the prohibitive price of K3,000 ($0.65) per copy. With the price of a loaf of bread at between K2,500 and K3,500 and (officially) 67 % of the population living on less than one US$ a day, newspapers are far beyond the reach of the great majority of citizens. SCORES: Individual scores: Average score: 2.2 3, 2, 3, 3, 4, 4, 3, 3, 3, 2 3.0 (2005 = 2.6) Citizens’ access to domestic and international media sources is not restricted by state authorities. ANALYSIS: Citizens’ access to international media is unfettered, although direct relaying of foreign television programmes is generally prohibited in accordance with limitations imposed in the licence conditions (with the exception of ZNBC which carries BBC World Service at certain times). BBC radio has an FM licence for Lusaka and the Copperbelt. The relatively affluent can access international television channels via pay television providers, such as M-Net and DSTV. The import of “pornographic” material - largely undefined in nature - is prohibited. So This Is Democracy? 2007 -256- Media Institute of Southern Africa