SECTOR 3 3.3 The body regulating broadcasting services and licensing, does so in the public interest and ensures fairness and a diversity of views broadly representing society at large The IBA does not operate in the public interest but in a sectoral interest with a regulatory mandate. “Many stations have broken regulations and never been closed, but when a private station does it, it is closed down.” The issue of Covid meant that media was supposed to run free advertising in the public interest, but other stations were paid to broadcast such announcements. The closure of Prime TV was raised as a case in point. The station allegedly refused to provide pro bono messages about Covid in an open forum, and the Managing Director was outspoken on this refusal. A short while later, their licence was revoked. The station was closed due to ‘misconduct on national security reasons’, but no specific particulars were given. However, the state paid a minimal fee to broadcast media houses across the country for assisting in airing the Covid-19 messages through the IBA. Scores: Individual scores: 1 Country does not meet indicator 2 Country meets only a few aspects of indicator 3 Country meets some aspects of indicator 4 Country meets most aspects of indicator 5 Country meets all aspects of the indicator Average score: Score of previous years: ✓ ✓✓✓ ✓ ✓ ✓✓✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ 1 .7 2017 = 2.0 3.4 The state/public broadcaster is accountable to the public through an independent board which is representative of society at large and selected in an independent, open and transparent manner The appointment of the ZNBC board is similar to the process for the appointment of the IBA board. At one stage, the entire board was dissolved. Then, the Permanent Secretary of the line ministry and the Director-General made up the board for two years. The Auditor General’s report on public institutions then raised the issue of loans. Both TopStar and ZNBC were involved. Later the decisions of this ‘two-man 34 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER ZAMBIA 2021