Communications regulator appeals for license obligation adherence

Broadcasters are being prompted to adhere to their licence obligations including ensuring that their content is 60 % local.

Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority – MACRA officials made the call in Blantyre yesterday during a content development curriculum validation meeting with the broadcasters.

The engagement exposed the fact that many broadcasters air more foreign than local content in contravention of the licence provision that stipulates transmission of 60 % local and 40 percent foreign content.

According to MACRA’s acting director of broadcasting, Matilda Kanjeri, the current ratio of local to foreign content on most broadcast service providers is 20 to 80.

The content validation exercise follows MACRA recent efforts including a local content production project with the University of Malawi – UNIMA and the Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences – MUBAS.

UNIMA’s Sydney Kamkuzi reveals that 11 short courses have since been developed and will be rolled out once all processes are done.