Between July and October 2006, MISA Zambia monitored the content of ZNBC radio and television news to ascertain the organisation’s level of fairness, objectivity and impartiality in coverage in the run up to the tri-partite elections in September 2006. Results from a detailed content analysis of both ZNBC radio’s midday and evening news broadcasts revealed systematic bias in favour of the ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD), compared to the opposition parties. The study also found that during the post-election period, ZNBC continued to show bias towards the MMD. In this regard, more stories overall covered the MMD government leadership, while there were a greater number of stories critical of opposition parties than critical of the ruling party/government. On the eve of the 2006 general elections, MISA Zambia held a press conference in Lusaka to announce the preliminary findings of the study. The national chapter also participated in a round-table national preparedness discussion on the Eastern African Cable Submarine System (EASSY) project organised by One World Africa in May 2006. Zimbabwe Zimbabwe Broadcasting Holdings (ZBH) remains the sole broadcaster in the country despite the enactment of the Broadcasting Services Act five years ago. The act allows for private players to be licensed but nothing has happened in this regard despite parliamentary calls for new players to enter the arena, especially community broadcasters. MISA Zimbabwe is working on a campaign to transform the state broadcaster into a true and democratic public broadcaster. The national chapter also supported eight Community Radio Initiatives (CRIs), working to establish community radio stations. MISA Zimbabwe held 12 CRIs meetings, which comprised training and advocacy. As a result, Harare Community Radio and Masvingo Community Radio became independent trusts. Kwekwe Community Radio is now finalising this process. MISA Zimbabwe is also working with Radio Dialogue, which is based in Bulawayo and registered as a trust. MISA Zimbabwe supported this process with meetings with MPs as well as publicity materials that included posters and T-shirts. The Open the Airwaves Campaign is one of MISA Zimbabwe’s major programme areas that has received support from sources beyond the Strategic Partnership Programme (SPP) funding. As a result of the support to CRIs, communities are becoming involved in the fight for the liberalisation of the broadcasting industry. The meetings held, including those with legislative bodies, as well as the publicity materials produced by the national chapter, have resulted in parliamentary reports and debates that have focused on the need to reform the broadcasting law as well as license new players in the industry. This might take time, but MISA Zimbabwe believes that pressure has to be maintained to realise an independent broadcasting industry. As part of this campaign, MISA Zimbabwe, working with the Uhuru Youth Network Trust, held a community theatre festival at Zimbabwe Hall in Highfield in March 2006. Over a hundred youths from Highfield, Glen View and Glen Norah attended the event. During the same month, a Community Media Football match was held in Mutare. MISA Zimbabwe held five meetings with CRIs, civil society as well as human rights lawyers and media workers where a draft Broadcasting and Telecommunications Bill was discussed. The draft bill takes into account the convergence of the telecommunications and broadcasting sectors and the need to reform broadcasting laws. It is now Annual Report 2007 35