. MALAMA

By JAMES KUNDA-
INFORMATION and Broadcasting Services Permanent Secretary Godfrey Malama says Zambia’s three public media institutions are all free of Government interference.
Mr Malama said the Times of Zambia, Zambia Daily Mail and Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) were operating independently contrary to assertions in some sections of the public.
“There is a fallacious belief that the State-run media is under the control of the Executive. The truth is that these institutions are being run by professionals with the requisite skills to maintain impartiality.
“It is, therefore, patently false to suggest that everything that appears in the Times, Daily Mail and on ZNBC has an official seal from the Executive on it,” Mr Malama said.
He said this at Parliament buildings in Lusaka yesterday when he appeared before the Parliamentary Committee on Information and Broadcasting Services.
His remarks came after the committee, chaired by Kasempa MMD Member of Parliament (MP) Kabinga Pande, unilaterally raised concerns about the content of the three institutions.
He said the three institutions were operating as media for the people to air divergent views on matters of national interest.
Mr Malama, who was in the company of the ministry’s director for Press and media development Isaac Chipampe, among other officials, reiterated the Government’s commitment to enacting the Access to Information Bill (ATI).
This was because, Mr Malama said, the enactment of the ATI would not only favour journalists but other members of the public seeking information from any wing of the Government.
He said while other countries declined to even consider ATI Bills in their parliaments, Zambia would promote the enactment of legislation which increased peoples’ access to information.
Meanwhile, the Government has implored broadcast media institutions to diversify content in order to draw wider audiences and enhance information dissemination.
Mr Malama said broadcast media should always strive to air a variety of content which would be refreshing to viewers and listeners.
Mr Malama said this in an interview yesterday after witnessing the launch of the third ZNBC channel dubbed TV3.
The channel is a 24-hour faith-based conduit, which will televise Christian content of all genres and for all ages.
ZNBC TV3 is among several channels being opened up under phase one of the digital migration project in which the Government has pumped US$9.5 million.
ZNBC Board chairperson John Mulwila also said the national broadcaster was executing its mandate of improving content in line with the expectations of the public.
Dr Mulwila said the new Christian channel would provide content produced locally and internationally.