Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation
legislation. Following the lobbying that
took place in June 2009, the Ministry
requested media bodies to choose a
representative to sit on the committee
tasked with recommending appointments
for the IBA Board. Selected names have
since been submitted to the Ministry. In
addition, the Government also announced
that it would consider change of ownership
of some of the state owned media.

community radio. Furthermore, four
community radio initiatives held road
shows that attracted an average 300
people in the four localities resulting in
increased awareness of community radio
issues. Parliament was briefed on issues
bedevilling the broadcasting sector during
a workshop held in August 2009.
Various activities were also carried out
by MISA to promote public broadcasting.
The Regional Secretariat developed and
distributed to MISA Chapters a policy paper
on Public Broadcasting in order to improve
the technical capacity of staff on public
broadcasting and to create a common
understanding and harmonise advocacy
activities. In South Africa, a civil society
coalition named SOS: Supporting Public
Broadcasting whose members include
MISA South Africa, continues to lobby for
conducive laws and policies as well as the
restoration of public broadcasting at the
SABC.

To increase public awareness and pressure
on government to act on the two pieces of
legislation, MISA Zambia also used various
media through interviews, phone-in
programmes and the World Press Freedom
Day to advocate for their implementation.
MISA Mozambique lobbied for broadcasting
legislation that recognises the threetier system of public, community and
commercial broadcasting, independent
regulatory mechanisms as well as
management and funding modalities for
public broadcasters.

The Zambia chapter held meetings with
the Minister of Information to lobby
for implementation of the amended
Independent Broadcasting Authority and

MISA advocated for these provisions

52

from its vantage point as member of the
Broadcasting Bill Working Group that
is drafting the country’s Broadcasting
legislation. A draft of the Broadcasting
Legislation is in place and will be released
for public debate in May 2010 before
being sent to government for approval.
MISA Namibia actively participated in the
monitoring of the new Communications
Act. Activities included making written
and oral submissions to Parliament and
the Communications Ministry, and issuing
statements and alerts.
In Swaziland, due to persistent
lobbying by MISA, there were positive
developments with regards to some
aspects of media law reform. In November
2009, the government came up with the
Swaziland Communications Commission
Draft Bill and published it for public
scrutiny.
The Bill seeks to liberalise the airwaves
and regulate the broadcasting sector in
the country. It also facilitates the issuing
of TV and radio broadcast licences through
a government-appointed commission. The

Bill is expected to be sent to parliament
for debate later in 2010. Although MISASwaziland is unhappy with licensing by
a government-appointed commission
as opposed to an in independent one,
it regards the bill as a significant start
towards freeing the airwaves. The Chapter
is analyzing the entire bill in order to
make inputs into the final document.

Influencing Digital
Policy Processes

Migration

MISA carried out advocacy activities to
influence the development of policies and
setting of standards which will promote
a smooth transition from analogue to
digital broadcasting. The MISA Regional
Secretariat developed and distributed
a position paper on ICTs and digital
migration to capacitate MISA staff and to
harmonise advocacy campaigns.
MISA South Africa submitted a position
paper to the regulator on Digital Terrestrial
Television focusing on the multiplex issue
for community broadcasters.

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Select target paragraph3