Overall, the legal environment in the quarter under review was stable. There were no adverse actions noted as well as application of various laws inimical against media houses. The reinstatement of Prime TV’s license in the quarter marked the end of a year of continued advocacy on the arbitrary action that led to the station’s closure. Resumption of discussions on media regulation legislation was equally positive. Similarly, promises to prioritise the ATI Bill by the newly appointed Minister of Information and Media also resuscitates hope for enactment of the law, which has stalled for two decades. Finally, on a negative note, challenges regarding unfair allocation of airtime on the National Broadcaster continued during the quarter, particular in a build up to the general elections. 3.3 Economic Environment The economic environment in the quarter under review posted significant positive gains in certain economic variables, a break from the unfavourable and gloomy picture observed in the previous State of the Media reports from second quarter, 2020 to the second quarter, 2021. For example, the Kwacha posted a significant gain against major convertible currencies like the US Dollar, selling at an average of K22.6 and K16.4 for one dollar on 1st July and 17th September respectively14, representing a twenty-seven per cent appreciation as indicated in the chart below: 14 As extracted from the Bank of Zambia historical series of daily exchange rates. See https://www.boz.zm/historical-series-of-daily-zmw-usd-exchange-rates-zmw.htm 25