MISA petitions for transformation of ZBC into a public service broadcaster

MISA petitions for transformation of ZBC into a public service broadcaster

WINDHOEK, Namibia, 26 June 2015 / PRN Africa / -- MISA-Zimbabwe on 24 June, 2015, commissioned its petition for the transformation of the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) into a truly representative and independent public service broadcaster as part of its broadcasting diversity campaign.




The petition will be administered over four months online through a link available on the MISA-Zimbabwe Facebook page and website. Visit MISA-Zimbabwe facebook: Misa Zimbabwe and website: www.misazim.com for details of the petition.




It will also be available in hard copy format for signing through MISA-Zimbabwe's provincial structures.




The call for the transformation of ZBC is in line with the African Charter on Broadcasting's three-tier broadcasting system which mandates member states to establish public, commercial and community broadcasting in their respective countries.




The petition is even more relevant in the context of ZBC's unprofessional and partisan coverage of national events such as the just ended parliamentary by-elections during which they allocated excessive airtime to Zanu PF while ignoring other candidates.




Although Zimbabwe is still to license community radio stations and transform ZBC, it has since embraced the Charter's principles in its 2013 Constitution more-so at it pertains to freedom of establishment of broadcasting and other electronic media of communication.




The petition is thus guided and informed by Section 61 on freedom of expression and freedom of the media which stresses the need for independence of control by government of broadcasting and other electronic media of communication.




Section 61 (4) further states that all State-owned media of communication should be free to determine independently the editorial content of their broadcasts, be impartial and afford fair opportunity for the presentation of divergent views and dissenting opinions.


SOURCE Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA)

Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA)


-------
Profile: intent