Demand by IBA for broadcast media to submit programming dictatorial – Chingola SP
By Staff Reporter
OPPOSITION Socialist Party in Chingola says the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) directive to all media houses to submit recordings including news bulletins every two weeks is repressive and dictatorial.
In a statement to newsdayzambia.com Socialist Party Chingola district coordinator Joseph Kangwa said it was one way of trying to intimidate and annihilate media houses that stand for the truth in very hostile political environment.
Kangwa said this is also advantaging the ruling party to control the information that should be given to the public like they have done to Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation and other radio stations which operate under government.
“The move by the IBA is an affront to media freedom and speech aimed at changing democratic media institutions with dictatorial tendencies. Therefore, it must be out-rightly rejected by all well-meaning Zambians who believe in free press for we all know very well that the decision which has been taken by IBA exits only in dictatorial countries,” Kangwa said.
He has appealed to IBA to reconsider the decision and instead encourage media houses to be pioneers of democracy and free press and also to conduct educative programmes with the interest of developing the country.
“I believe that without freedom of speech, free press and freedom of independent media institutions, people cannot have an opportunity to bring up ideas and solutions that can save the nation from degeneration,” he said.
