By JAMES KUNDA –
THE Government has placed high premium on supporting the operations of community radio stations due to the significant role that the media plays in public access to information.
Information and Broadcasting Services Permanent Secretary Godfrey Malama said community radio stations played a key role in enhancing public access to information to enable the citizenry make informed decisions.
“The Government has placed high premium on supporting the operations of community radio stations which play a critical role in informing, educating and entertaining the public.
“Community radio stations are critical in bridging the information gap particularly in rural areas, hence the Government is delighted to note that there are 95 licensed community radio stations operating in Zambia,” he said.
Mr Malama said this in Lusaka yesterday during a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) workshop on community radio broadcasting.
The event was held to deliberate, among other issues, the achievements of the three-year UNESCO capacity building programme for five radio stations in the country.
UNESCO invested US$500,000 in capacity building programmes for Breeze FM in Chipata, Radio Lyambai in Mongu, ISO FM in Isoka, Zambezi FM (Livingstone) and Mkushi Radio.
Mr Malama commended the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) for explicitly executing its role of ensuring that community radio station operators were given rights to broadcast from a region of choice.
He said the work of UNESCO with the five radio stations was commendable and should be emulated by other cooperating partners.
Mr Malama used the event to implore journalists to appraise themselves with the content of the new Constitution in order to inform citizens on the document accurately.
“Journalists should also remain professional and desist from reporting trivial matters as the country goes for elections next month,” he said.
UNESCO programmes specialist Ezekiel Dlamini said his orgnaisation would continue supporting the growth of community-based media in the country.
“Let me take this opportunity to urge radio stations to exploit the opportunities of contributing more to the regional and national development agenda,” Mr Dlamini, who is based in Zimbabwe, said.