SECTOR 1 Furthermore, the policy paves the way for the transformation of the Lesotho National Broadcasting Service (LNBS) “into a public service broadcaster” through the “corporatizing” of the LNBS. The new, “corporatized” broadcaster will be “accountable to an independent board with the goal of serving the public interest.” A Broadcasting Corporation Bill, which provided for the “liberalisation” of staterun broadcasters, was tabled in Parliament in 2004, but was not passed. At the time, MISA-Lesotho was critical of the bill as it did not take into account the views of the media3. In the meantime, broadcasters continue to be licensed in terms of regulations drawn up by the LCA, in terms of the LCA Act of 2000. The Communications Policy also provides for the set-up of a Universal Access Fund to help ensure that “all Basotho have access to basic domestic and international telephony services and Internet access.” The policy states that telecommunications operators will contribute up to 2 percent of their revenue to the fund. It goes on to say that government “will also explore the feasibility” of having broadcasters and postal service providers contribute to the Fund “in return for qualifying to receive funds to help to promote access.” Consequently, panellists expressed the view that no new media legislation has been passed since Lesotho’s return to constitutional democracy in 1993. Throughout discussions, panellists often returned to the saga of the “media policy”, with some suggesting that the 1997 version should, in fact, be taken as the country’s de facto media policy, as it was adopted by all stakeholders at the time. “I was shocked when I heard there was a media policy (the 1997 version),” said one panellist. What have we been doing for the last 10 years when we already have a media policy?” Said another: “If we keep saying that we don’t have a media policy, we are helping government in its stalling. The media policy needs legitimacy and needs to be acknowledged by all media.” “The media policy needs legitimacy and needs to be acknowledged by all media.” Another panellist added: “Some of us didn’t know about the 1997 version adopted by stakeholders, so when we started with the (latest) media policy we thought we were starting something new. We need to recognise that we have a media policy.” 3 http://afrol.com/articles/14532 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER LESOTHO 2010 25