Maravi

Closing Sky FM Radio will be suicidal

Closing Sky FM Radio will be suicidal
Written by Editor

Running a private radio or television station in this country is not an easy undertaking. Those who operate radio or television channels in Zambia face the risk of having their stations closed at any time. This makes investing in a radio or television station very risky.

It also makes employment in a private radio or television station unattractive. Those who operate private radio and television stations in this country live in perpetual fear of being closed. It seems to be so easy for the Minister of Information to order the closure of a private radio or television station. This is not an acceptable environment for our private radio and television stations to operate under.

And if this environment is not changed, we will not see much quality growth and investment in this sector. And if this continues, the electronic media will continue to be dominated by government and very fragile private institutions. With limited investment, the quality of journalism will stagnate, will not improve. We say this because it costs a lot of money to achieve high levels of excellence in journalism.
There is urgent need to free our private radio and television stations from the fear of being closed anytime they broadcast something that those in power are not pleased with.

The threats being issued by Ronnie Shikapwasha against Monze’s Sky FM Radio are real. Shikapwasha and his friends become so displeased or annoyed every time they are criticised on the radio or television. They are so used to ZNBC radio and television where no words of criticism are ever uttered against them. They are so used to hearing only praises about themselves on radio and television. The only time they are criticised is when The Post is printed.

In the state-owned and government-controlled media, they are never criticised. Throughout the 10 years of Frederick Chiluba’s government, ZNBC radio and television hardly broadcast anything that was critical of Chiluba; he was a saint. Equally, the state-owned and government-controlled Times of Zambia and Daily Mail never carried a story, an editorial comment or letter to the editor that was critical of Chiluba.

It was the same for Levy Mwanawasa. And we have no doubt it will be the same for Rupiah Banda. Probably this is why they can’t believe it or stand it when The Post exposes and denounces the crimes of their league through stories, editorial comments, columns and letters to the editor. The Post has stood its ground on this score. It has never hesitated to criticise any president of this country – from Dr Kenneth Kaunda through Chiluba and Levy to Rupiah – and their ministers and other politicians.

It is difficult for anyone to make us believe that our presidents and ministers, and ruling MMD politicians, are not criticised in the state-owned and government-controlled media because they don’t do any wrong things, they don’t make any wrong decisions; they are saints. And the only time they cease to be saints is only when they leave office or have joined the opposition.

We don’t know how many private radio or television stations we are going to remain with if every time something unacceptable to those in power is aired, that station should be closed. They have tried to extend this type of thinking even to newspapers. Rupiah and his friends have openly threatened to close The Post because they don’t like its criticism of them. If it was totally left to them to do as they please, The Post wouldn’t be here today. The Post is here today simply because it knows how to legally, politically, financially and otherwise fight for its continued existence.

This should not be accepted as the way to run our country’s media, especially our private radio and television stations. Yes some callers might have said something unacceptable on Sky FM radio. But surely should that be used to close down the entire radio station? If this should be allowed to be so, then one would only need angels for the management of radio and television stations. We will also need saints to be the listeners or audience of these radio stations; every caller to these radio or television station programmes would have to be an angel or a saint. But is this possible? The answer is a categorical no. Not even Rupiah or his ministers are anywhere near being angels or saints; they are nothing but sinful little ogres. Imagine if Rupiah’s government had to be disbanded for any wrong word that is uttered by himself, his ministers, cadres and other supporters! Imagine if all radio and television stations were determined not to broadcast anything until they are sure it would offend nobody – there would be very little, if not nothing, broadcast.

We hold that the greatest right in the world is the right to be wrong, that in the exercise thereof, people have an inviolable right to express their unbridled thoughts on all topics and personalities, being liable only for the abuse of that right. It is said that every man or woman should have an undoubted right to lay what sentiments he or she pleases before the public; to forbid this, is to destroy the freedom of the media; if he or she broadcasts or airs or indeed publishes what is improper, mischievous, or illegal, he or she must take the consequences of his or her own temerity. Of course, it must be appreciated that the right to be heard does not include the right to be taken seriously. As a corollary, it can also be said that the mere fact that speech is accompanied by conduct does not mean that speech should be suppressed or a radio or television station should be closed under the guise of prohibiting the conduct.

Clearly, the solution to this problem is not to close radio or television stations, but to broaden the level of public discourse so that erroneous words and other unacceptable utterances can be corrected.

We therefore urge the Zambian people to come to the defence of Sky FM Radio in the same way they defended Kitwe’s Radio Icengelo when it was under attack from some foolish and narrow-minded people. Whatever their displeasures, Shikapwasha and his friends should be made to realise that closing Sky FM or any other radio or television station will be political suicide for themselves. Sky FM radio does not only belong to Geoffrey Hambulo; it belongs to all of us who listen to it and use it. And as such, we all have a duty to defend this radio station whenever it comes under attack.

We also plead with our fellow listeners of Sky FM radio to be civil in their discussions when they participate on phone-in programmes. They should not hide under anonymity. They should only say things that they would be able to say if their identities were in the open; they should only say things they are able to defend and prove. The nation does not benefit anything from lies. It is truthful discussions that are going to push this country forward. Radio programmes are not there for people to deliberately peddle lies and justifiably injure the reputation of others. Liars and cynics have never built any strong community.

To Shikapwasha and his friends, and indeed all others who are offended on radio or television stations, we refer them to a saying of Nelson Mandela: “None of our irritations with the perceived inadequacies of the media should ever allow us to even suggest faintly that the independence of the media should be compromised or coerced.” And they should not forget that it is said that a bad free media is preferable to a technically good but subservient media.

We would hope that the media in Zambia is given enough space to develop a greater professional integrity and responsibility so that it truly becomes the guardian of democracy and freedom in our country. And this can only be truly achieved with respect for its audience, the targets of its criticism and reporting, and above all else, through its own integrity as a social institution.

Labels: MONZE, RADIO SKY FM, RONNIE SHIKAPWASHA

posted by MrK @ 4:31 PM