SECTOR 3 3.3 The body regulates broadcasting services and licences in the public interest and ensures fairness and a diversity of views broadly representing society at large. It is premature to determine how CRAN regulates broadcasting, as the board has only just been appointed, and the regulator’s secretariat is not yet up and running. Under the old regulator, the Namibian Communications Commission, applying for a license was “not a bureaucratic process”. If the current broadcasting environment is anything to go by, the regulator does accommodate diversity of views, although some panellists felt that “it is possible that certain groups might not be granted a license”. 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: 2.8 (2005: 2.0; 2007: 1.8; 2009: 1.8) 3.4 The state/public broadcaster is accountable to the public through a board representative of society at large and selected in an independent, open and transparent manner. The information minister appoints the board of the NBC and there is public involvement in the appointment process. There is limited representation of civil society on the current board, and current members were selected based on their business acumen in order to position the corporation to run in a more businesslike manner. A number of board members have ties with the ruling Swapo party. 44 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER NAMIBIA 2011