Botswana: Licensing for state broadcasters disingenuous

The National Broadcasting Board (NBB) announced on January 26, 2010 the issuance of another public broadcasting license, and this time to RB2. This follows 5 years of Radio Botswana (RB1) being awarded the same license in December 2005. The two stations had since their inception been operating without licenses.

 

While licensing is a move in the right direction, MISA Botswana does not see any reason to celebrate in this case. Firstly, because a precedent has been set where Radio Botswana (RB1) was licensed but is yet to operate like a true public broadcaster. There has not been any change to suggest that RB1 is a public broadcaster as would be generally expected.

 

Secondly the commercial aspect hanging on the RB2 licence needs to be either removed or be set stringent conditions.

 

While we commend the NBB for calling for separate accounts to monitor RB2’s advertising revenue, we feel it should go further and explicitly stipulate that the station’s advertising charges should not render the business of private commercial radios unviable.

 

As much as there are similar arrangements elsewhere like at the South African Broadcasting Corporation, we must appreciate the size of our private sector which usually supports the industry and the fact that in Botswana private radio is still young and needs all the necessary support. We believe that the current funding status of the public broadcasters is sufficient without commercialization.

 

MISA Botswana is concerned that the licensing of RB2 as a public/commercial entity will not bring a positive change in the industry but could completely kill the existing private/commercial broadcasting industry. This licensing means that RB2 as a public broadcaster will be funded wholly by government and yet continue competing for advertising with the existing 3 private radio stations. MISA Botswana views this as unfair competition.

 

NBB is right to say the definition of a public Service Broadcaster in the Act does not specify its characteristics and also provides for state funding.

However MISA Botswana maintains that the definition of a public broadcasting service in the act does not conform to international best practice as it only limits itself to funding.

 

MISA Botswana calls for an amendment of the Act to allow for conversion to true public broadcasting, as espoused by among others the Southern African Broadcasting Association (SABA), of which Botswana’s national broadcasters are a member. Some characteristics of a public broadcasting service are that employees of these public broadcasters are not government employees, programmes should be independently produced and not influenced by the government in power, and independent boards should be chosen transparently to run the stations.

 

The status quo in which RB2, RB1 and Btv are regarded as part of the government service governed by the Public Service Act but also subject to regulation under the Broadcasting Act is an anomaly.

 

As the NBB rightly notes, there will be conflicts in the interplay between the two sets of legal authorities. The only way to ameliorate the situation is to bring all broadcasters under the ambit of an independent broadcasting regulator and remove all government influence and interference.

 

Contact person:

National Director, Thapelo Ndlovu

 

-February 2, 2010 by Thapelo Ndlovu

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Source: www.misa.org (received via e-mail alert on 02.02.10)