Botswana / National Broadcasting Board Condemns The National Broadcaster

Botswana / National Broadcasting Board Condemns The National Broadcaster

GABORONE, September 29, 2009/African Press Organization (APO)/ --

The National Broadcasting Board (NBB) has found Botswana Television and Radio Botswana guilty of breaching the elections code of conduct by broadcasting a party statement before the election period. The Board explained that it is tasked with ensuring that there is a level playing field and that all players are accorded the same treatment in the media. In this particular case, NBB has noted that the Department failed to exercise its discretion on whether to broadcast the said statement, which it claimed was instructed to broadcast by the Office of the President.

The NBB further ordered that the same opportunity be given to other registered political parties and this should take place within 14 days and before any broadcast could be given to the ruling Botswana Democratic Party.

On 21 August 2009, Radio Botswana and Botswana Television broadcast a statement entitled ?Address and Press Release By His Excellency the President of the Republic of Botswana Seretse Khama Ian Khama on the Current Affairs of the Botswana Democratic Party ?.

The statement was read by the Director of Broadcasting Services Mr Mogomotsi Kaboyamodimo as a follow up to most of the bulletins on that day. The Botswana Congress Party reported the matter to NBB, while the Botswana National Front reported its matter relating to the general abuse of state media to SADC. In terms of Clause 5.1 of the NBB Elections Code, ?No Broadcaster shall permit party-political broadcasts under any circumstances except during an election period'. If such scenario occurs, the same should be applied to other parties.

Source: Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA)

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