broadcast predominantly in the languages of the communities they serve. Community radio stations play a key role in ensuring access to information and freedom of expression, particularly for those communities with limited access to the mainstream media. To succeed, radio stations need to assess their own media environments and operating contexts and incorporate that knowledge into their strategic thinking. There are challenges that threaten the very existence of community radio stations. The fact that community radio stations subsist on voluntary energy from community members, most of whom are not adequately trained in broadcasting and in management. Some challenges include: Weak financial base and fundraising ability by community radio personnel: Community radio stations in Zambia struggle with a weak financial base, which compromises their capacity to hire and retain qualified staff, and manage and maintain equipment These factors inhibit their ability to produce high quality programming, thereby weakening their potential to attract sponsored programmes, which can in turn contribute to strengthening their financial base Limited skills in analysing economies of scale: While struggling with a weak financial base, in some instances, community radio stations are unable to read where their economies of scale exist and where diseconomies of scale are. For instance, a frequently asked question has been: why do some community radio stations operate 24 hours in a situation where the cost of running the station between 11pm and 5am costs more than the station can generate during that time and the listenership is very minimal? Who pays for those costs? The costs include electricity, personnel and other overhead costs. Some experts argue that while we say community radio stations face sustainability challenges, Zambia still boasts over 150 radio stations. However, the state of some of these radio stations speaks volumes about the challenges that this sector faces. If unaddressed, the vibrant community radio sector of Zambia may become a thing of the past Therefore, there is need to continuously address these challenges facing community radio. These include capacity development (in programming and content generation as well as business management skills), as well as governance and management of community radio stations as part of sustainability), among others. References ZAMBIA: IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION BUT MORE NEEDS TO BE DONE (1) Shrinking space in Zambia: Time for action https://actionaid.org/sites/default/files/publications/Zambia%20actionnow%202.pdf (2) HH CHALLENGES MEDIA TO BE PROFESSIONAL https://www.znbc.co.zm/news/hh-challenges-media-to-be-professional/ (3) HH Announces the abolition of the death penalty and defamation of the president crime, https://www.lusakatimes.com/2022/12/24/hh-announces-the-abolition-ofthe-death-penalty-and-defamation-of-the-president-crime/ (4) Why Zambia’s president is adored abroad but a disappointment at home https://africanarguments.org/2022/12/why-is-zambia-president-hichile- ma-adored-abroad-but-disappointment-at-home/ (5) Implications of Zambia’s Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Act 2021 on Digital Rights, https://cipesa.org/wp-content/files/briefs/Implications-of-Zambias-Cyber-Security-and-Cyber-Crimes-Act_on-Digital-Rights_2021.pdf (6) Available at http://www.parliament.gov.zm/node/8832. Shortly after its enactment, the Act was challenged by five Civil Society Organisations in a High Court petition for a declaration that various provisions of the Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Act be declared unconstitutional and struck off the statute books. The five organisations include Alliance for Community Action, Bloggers of Zambia, Chapter One Foundation, GEARS Initiative Zambia and Peoples’ Action for Accountability and Good Governance in Zambia. The matter remains active. (7) Civil Society Organisations Urge Zambian Government to Enact Access to Information Law Before Upcoming Summit for Democracy, https://www.lusakatimes. com/2023/02/11/civil-society-organisations-urge-zambian-government-to-enact-access-to-information-law-before-upcoming-summit-for-democracy/ (8) Information ministry speaks on move to establish self-regulation in media industry https://www.zambiamonitor.com/information-ministry-speaks-on-move-to-establish-self-regulation-in-media-industry/ (9) Statica, 2023, Price for 1gb mobile in Zambia as of 2022, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1272752/price-for-mobile-data-in-zambia/ (10) DIGITAL 2022: ZAMBIA https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2022-zambia 65