Prime TV back on air
By Staff Reporter
Lusaka-based private channel, Prime Television is back on air after having been switched off for over a day under suspicious circumstances.
From about 08:00 hours on Tuesday, the channel has been off air on both Dstv and GOtv platforms where it has always been carried.
The station was only accessed but with a very weak signal on Top star, the Chinesse company that has been running the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation.
And the Prime Television signal was only restored after 14:00hours on Wednesday.
“We would like to inform all our esteemed viewers on Dstv and GOtv platform that we are now back on air. We would like to thank our partners Multichoice Zambia for assistance rendered in restoring our signal,” read the statement from Prime Television acting station manager Makokwa Kozi.
The unexplained blackout annoyed most viewers who suspected that the station had been closed by the government after threats from lands minister Jean Kapata two weeks ago.
Others suspected that it was because the station aired a controversial live phone-in programme, Oxygen of Democracy,where People’s Party leader Mike Mulongoti and a Lusaka resident, Fresher Siwale featured and explained about President Edgar Lungu’s alleged questionable identity.
Earlier in the day, Committee of Citizens executive director Gregory Chifire challenged the two responsible regulatory bodies to explain the blackout.
“We wish to ask the Zambia Information Communication Technology Authority (ZICTA) and the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) to give their position on the black out of Prime Tv on the GoTv and DStv platforms, but showing on the Topstar and Zuku platforms albeit with intermittent interruptions. Both ZICTA and IBA are aware that citizens pay to access these channels, and the prolonged blackout entails that Citizens are being deprived value for their money. If a service provider, licensed by the two Authorities encounters challengers and is not able to deliver to the general citizenry as obligated, the two bodies have a right to seek clarification from such a service provider and in turn report to the consumers on the cause for such challenges,” stated Chifire.
“The black out of Prime TV has coincided with the station’s airing of a controversial Citizenship debate of President Edgar Lungu. Further we are also aware that a few weeks ago, a Senior Government Minister, Honorable Jean Kapata threatened to clause the station. These coincidences are too glaring to just wish away. …We have a right to speculate that the hasty decision to completely shut analogue for digital was done to give Topstar undue advantage.”
