Media bodies protest licence revocations

Media Council of Malawi and Media Institute for Southern Africa (Misa) Malawi Chapter have called for suspension of revocation of broadcasting licences by Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (Macra).

The two media institutions said the exercise is too drastic and can be construed as a systematic violation of freedom of expression in the country.

Representatives of the two media organisations said this when they appeared before the Parliamentary Committee on Media, Information and Communications at Parliament Building in Lilongwe yesterday.

Misa Malawi Chapter chairperson Teresa Ndanga highlighted that the economic crisis the country is experiencing has not spared the media sector as advertising, the main source of revenue for most media businesses, is dwindling.

She said: “Broadcasters, as Malawians in other businesses, have an obligation to pay the licence and other business fees. However, instead of shutting down stations, there is a need for Macra to engage the stations for a win-win agreement”.

Ndanga also cited the license fees in other sectors such as tourism where the biggest hotels pay about K500 000 and the same applies to the biggest private hospitals in the health sector.

“Yet in the broadcasting sector, the fees are pegged in US dollars and are 10 times higher than the cited sectors at $5 000 [about K5 million].”

Media Council chairperson Wisdom Chimgwede said they do not support non-compliance in payment of licences fees by broadcasters, but that there is need to find an amicable way of having the media houses settle the debts.

He said: “We are shrinking the media space and that subjects Malawians to more fake news. This does not mean MCM subscribes to non-compliance. 

“We want to make it very clear, that that does not mean we do subscribe to broadcasters not complying with what they signed for.”

Chimgwede said revoking licences is not doing justice to the public as there is need to ensure that the media industry thrives to give a service to the nation.

He, therefore, appealed to the committee to help in having Macra restructure the licence fees so that they are affordable.

Both Chimgwede and Ndanga feared that 250 full time jobs will be lost if the revocation of licences continues.

“Already at Rainbow television, we have lost 70 jobs, Ufulu FM 34 and Joy Radio 40. Capital Radio, if nothing changes 45, and others are coming from Sapitwa, Galaxy and Angaliba,” said Ndanga.

Committee vice-chairperson Susan Dossi, who chaired the meeting, said they will engage Macra on the issues raised.

She said: “As a committee we are equally concerned that media houses are closing down thereby depriving people of access to information. The people we represent in our constituencies rely on media to get information and to make informed decisions.”

Macra spokesperson Zadziko Mankhambo asked for a questionnaire to respond, but had not responded by the time we went to press.

However, in recent interview with our sister newspaper Weekend Nation,  he said Macra cannot forgive or cancel debts unless the law changes as the payment of licence fees are not only a statutory obligation but also condition on entry, as well as during the operation of the business.

“As of now, the authority is only implementing the laws stipulated in the Communications Act of 2016,” he said.