The authorities also regulate dissent through traditional power structures that have an influence over everyone, no matter where they live. Everyone falls under a chief, who can threaten the families of perceived troublemakers with eviction or the withholding of benefits controlled by traditional authorities: scholarships, promotions, tenders. All this leads to all-pervasive self-censorship in the media: editors are called to the King’s court to explain their coverage; politicians and political appointees have a hotline to editors; media are afraid of losing government advertising. “Selfcensorship is a fact of life.” There are two daily newspapers in Swaziland, both published in English. The privately owned Times of Swaziland has a readership of 150 000 and the Swazi Observer, owned by a company controlled by the royal family, reaches 70 000 readers. Coverage of politics is largely a “no-go area”. Therefore newspapers concentrate more on stories about individuals and scandals which – as editors themselves admit – do not contribute to national development, but help to sell copies, often at the expense of professional standards of accuracy and balance. Tabloid-style weeklies that started publishing in recent years are said to be pushing personal agendas and disregarding basic journalistic values. Radio is the most accessible and affordable source of information for most people in Swaziland. There are two radio broadcasters – the government-run Swaziland Broadcasting and Information Services (SBIS) with two radio channels and Voice of the Church (VOC), a private Christian radio station. State-controlled Swazi TV is still the country’s only free-to-air television channel. The SBIS is a department of the information ministry, while Swazi TV is governed by a board made up of representatives of government, together with people appointed by the minister responsible for television. State radio and television only air official political views. Government officials dominate the news bulletins. The regulation of broadcasting is under strict government control and several community and commercial radio stations have been waiting for licences for many years. Most recently, government invited applications for four community radio licences in 2009, one for each region of the country. However, the process stalled once again. In 2009 the government published a Communications Bill. It provides for the establishment of a single regulator for all sectors of the communications industry. The bill envisages that the minister will appoint the board of the commission. Once established, the commission would then apply separate laws governing broadcasting, telecommunications and postal services. Two separate bills are meant to govern the broadcasting sector. The Broadcasting Bill deals with commercial and community broadcasting, while the Public Broadcasting Bill would pave the way for the merger of the SBIS and Swazi TV into one state broadcaster. Neither has been tabled in parliament. 6 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER SWAZILAND 2011