gramming, local content remains inadequate. Television fares the worst, with high production costs being cited as the reason for the airing of foreign content that has little or no local value. Interventions MISA made varying advocacy interventions during this period to address these challenges. Various activities were carried out to highlight the need for transforming broadcasters. Activities were also carried out to raise awareness on public and community broadcasting. MISA chapters issued timely alerts and statements to publicise transgressions on broadcasting and communication. In Zambia, five radio programmes brought into the public arena the stalled implementation of the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) Amendment Act and Independent Broadcasting Authority Act of 2002. This elicited more public pronouncements by the Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services on government‘s commitment to reform. Largely as a result of MISA’s advocacy efforts, other stakeholders such as the Zambia Competition Commission and Catholic Media Services joined the campaign calling for the establishment of the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) and a new ZNBC board. Lesotho, Malawi and Swaziland chapters hosted national conferences to sensitise government officials, members of parliament, the media, regulators, civil society and other stakeholders on public broadcasting and its role in a democracy, as well as independent broadcasting regulations. MISA Mozambique is on the technical committee tasked with drafting a new broadcasting law for that country. The chapter has also carried out a series of radio debates to sensitise the public on broadcasting policy and regulation. MISA Zimbabwe continued with community media activism and set up blog sites for community radio and community news. It also hosted strategic planning workshops for community radio initiatives. Milestones Influencing policy The campaign by MISA for broadcasting reform bore fruit in some countries in terms of influencing government policy. In light of the generally slow progress coupled with outright hostility to broadcasting reform in many countries, the following positive developments were most welcome by MISA. In Zambia, the president announced in January 2008 his government’s commitment to implement boards of the ZNBC and the IBA. The functioning of the ZNBC and IBA boards will be a giant step towards the realisation of public broadcasting and independent broadcasting regulation in Zambia. In Swaziland, the government in early 2008 announced that four broadcasting licenses will be allocated. It is MISA’s fervent hope that allocations will be made to community radio, which is non-existent in the country. In Zimbabwe, operating in the most difficult environment in the region where people are driven by fear to inaction, the MISA chapter facilitated the first meeting of the Zimbabwe Association of Community Radio Stations. This means that the country’s community radio initiatives have a national public platform that will enhance community media activism and provide a united voice for lobbying in parliament. 26 Annual Report 2008