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. 53