We won't be intimidated, declares Q-FM MD
By Chibaula Silwamba and Inonge Noyoo
Monday September 22, 2008 [04:00]
LUSAKA’s Radio Q-FM managing director Asan Nyama has declared that the station will not be intimidated by information and broadcasting services permanent secretary Emmanuel Nyirenda. And Nyama announced that the radio station will resume its phone-in Presidential By-election 2008 Talk Show programme at 18:30 hours this evening.
Reacting to Nyirenda's directive to Q-FM to buy equipment to screen telephone calls before they are broadcast during its phone-in programmes, Nyama hoped Nyirenda would allow the private radio station to contribute to Zambia's young democracy by allowing it to do its work without interference.
"This is not the first time that Mr Nyirenda has tried to gag us. During the 2006 presidential and parliamentary elections, we were visited by police for using our outside broadcast unit. Radio Q-FM like all media organisations is a partner and stakeholder in this political process although we are non-partisan," explained Nyama in a media statement issued in Lusaka yesterday. "We shall not be intimidated by permanent secretary Nyirenda as we believe we are allowing freedom of expression. Our presenters are trained to fade away a caller who starts attacking others who are not on the show to defend themselves."
He noted that since Q-FM started using its state-of-the-art outside broadcast unit, Nyirenda has been very uncomfortable with the radio station.
"But we can assure him that we are neutral in all our broadcasts and cover all stakeholders equitably. We believe the statement issued by Mr Nyirenda was targeted at us as he has been very personal with most of our issues relating to the station's coverage area and use of the outside broadcast platform," Nyama observed.
He said after extensive consultations with the technical department, it was concluded that there was no special equipment that radio or television stations could use to screen what a caller would say.
"Therefore, Radio Q-FM will on Monday September 22, 2008 at 18:30 hours resume its Presidential By-election 2008 Talk Show that was suspended last Friday September 19, 2008," he stated.
He assured Nyirenda that Q-FM would conduct the programme with impartiality, professionalism and in unbiased manner.
Nyama stated that Q-FM was amazed that whilst the world had advanced in use of broadcast technology, Nyirenda was antagonistic with such modern technological trends in Zambia.
"We wonder why it should take days to learn what is happening in rural Zambia relating to development especially when our own president travels there but when US President George Bush speaks in Washington the whole world listens within split of seconds," observed Nyama. "We have acquired modern equipment which can cover all developmental activities in far flung areas like Kaputa, Shang'ombo, Chipata and Kasempa in real time as events happen."
And regular callers to the suspended QFM live phone-in programme expressed displeasure with Nyirenda's directive to use special technology to screen calls before they are broadcast.
The callers, who stormed The Post offices yesterday, said the move to suspend the programme was retrogressive and aimed at muzzling the press.
Imbuwa Imbuwa said Nyirenda had clearly demonstrated that he was not adding value to the advancement of freedom of expression in the country.
"We call these radio stations using our money and there is no way a PS should suggest what we should be saying.
We are a population of 13 million plus and we must not be dictated to as what we should say. It is us to tell these people what we want and not the other way round," Imbuwa said. "The next thing we will hear is that we should stop writing letters to the editor. This is very annoying and he Nyirenda should resign, let him quit."
Another caller Konoso said it was sad that under the leadership of Vice-President Rupiah Banda, dictatorial trends were slowly emerging.
"It's very strange because our late president Levy Mwanawasa was usually attacked through phone-in programmes but never banned them.
Is it a mere coincidence that when Rupiah Banda who is coming from the dictatorial era of the UNIP days where dictatorship was practiced is Acting President and such statements are coming out? If this is the case, then what more if he becomes president?" he asked.
Konoso said he could foresee a situation where the private media would be totally muzzled.
"This is why I am opposed to the regulation of the media because it will bring infringement. This nonsense should not be allowed because the media can regulate itself, they are already rules in place," he said.
Another caller, Chanda Fambo, said in this day and age, broadcasting should be interactive.
"We were condemning Robert Mugabe that he is a dictator, this is how dictatorship starts. It starts by muzzling the press. There is no greater freedom than the freedom of expression," he said.
Fambo said Nyirenda should be concerned with providing more platforms for people to express themselves because that was the only way people's concerns would be noted.
McDavid Sianjunza, who said screening calls infringed on people's rights, wondered how the government would listen to people's concerns when they were not allowed to express themselves especially in an election period.
"We know that Mulongoti is Rupiah Banda's campaign manager. Should we take it that he is the one behind the directive?" asked Sianjunza.
Labels: ASAN NYAMA, EMMANUEL NYIRENDA, MEDIA, QFM
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QFM suspends live phone-in programme
By Chibaula Silwamba
Sunday September 21, 2008 [04:00]
LUSAKA'S Radio QFM has suspended its popular live phone-in programme following information and broadcasting services Permanent Secretary Emmanuel Nyirenda's directive to use special technology to screen calls before they are broadcast.
But Nyirenda said he did not direct QFM to buy special equipment for monitoring calls, but offered management timely advice to refrain from using phone-ins over which they have no control on what the caller would say.
A QFM announcer on Friday evening announced: "We apologise, we are unable to conduct our usual interview. This is a directive by information and broadcasting services permanent secretary Mr Emmanuel Nyirenda to handle phone in programmes with the use of special technology to facilitate the screening of calls.
"Mr Nyirenda has observed that some radio stations have political programmes which provide unbalanced and in some cases unfair coverage to political parties.
Until some of the issues raised are addressed, the 18:30 live QFM programme will be suspended and the QFM management would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused."
But when contacted yesterday, Nyirenda said he did not call upon QFM to use any equipment.
"I have simply warned that in an election period, when you have these live programmes and people phone in, you stand a danger of people making insults and defamatory statements for which you have no means to get the other party to respond and I am advising them that it will be best for them in this period to refrain from using phone-ins which they have no control," Nyirenda explained.
"It's an appeal and not a directive. It's timely advice which goes to people operating radio stations. It does not side with anyone, whether ruling party or opposition; anybody can defame the other during phone-in programmes. But if they go ahead and end up in trouble over defamation, at least we will have warned them in advance."
He said he was not asking QFM to buy equipment to screen calls but only observed that with such equipment, it would be much easier to control phone calls.
Nyirenda said no one should perceive his advice to QFM as a directive meant to stifle the radio station from carrying out its operations independently.
"They want to make it look like...because it's an election, I am trying to prevent them. No!" said Nyirenda. "I am just advising them that these things they ought to be careful about and the need for them to be balanced because you know you have a situation where you are talking on an economic issue and then somebody phones in and starts attacking somebody else over a totally different subject. That person who is being attacked is not on the live programme and has no means to respond."
QFM's special evening interview, which has been running for about a week now, has featured several politicians such as Vernon Mwaanga, MMD spokesperson Benny Tetamashimba, MMD founding member Akashambatwa Mbikusita-Lewanika and UPND presidential candidate Hakainde Hichilema, who have been 'grilled' by callers.
The callers have been forthright in demanding honest answers from politicians ahead of the October 30 presidential elections, in which Hichilema, MMD's Rupiah Banda and Patriotic Front leader Michael Sata are contenders.
Labels: EMMANUEL NYIRENDA, QFM, RADIO
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Permsec explains wasteful expenditure
By Times Reporter
INFORMATION and Broadcasting Services Permanent Secretary, Emmanuel Nyirenda, yesterday told the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) that the wasteful expenditure in installation of local area network was as a result of the failure by the contractor to fulfill contractual obligations. Luena Member of Parliament, Charles Milupi (independent) is the chairperson of the committee.
Mr Nyirenda appeared before the committee in the company of Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) director general, Joseph Salasini and acting director of planning at the ministry, Gilbert Maimbo.
He was called before the committee to clarify some financial irregularities highlighted in the Auditor General’s report for the financial year ended December 31 2006.
Mr Nyirenda said the ministry engaged a company known as Evolution to install the local network but it was regrettable that the company failed to complete the works forcing the ministry to seek the services of another company.
The ministry paid K33,570,450 to Evolution but since it could not complete the works, the ministry paid K35,035,705 to the new firm.
As a result, the Auditor General regarded the K 33,570, 450 as wasteful expenditure.
But Siavonga MP Douglas Syakalima (UPND) queried Mr Nyirenda why he did not follow Evolution to the latter to ensure that it completed the works.
“I admit that we did not do a good job to ensure that Evolution finished the works. On unretired imprest quite a number of officers who are involved are now made to pay. I can say that recoveries have started,” Mr Nyirenda said.
He added that the other wasteful expenditure of K 302,264,000 was to a company that was contracted to supply digital cameras and card readers.
The wasteful expenditure was because the cards were not compatible with the cameras but Mr Nyirenda said that despite that, the ministry did not waste the resources per say as the cards were later used on other cameras.
He, however, regretted that most of the companies that bid for tenders in the ministry usually demanded 100 per cent payment.
Mr Nyirenda said this when he responded to a question from Mbabala MP, Emmanuel Hachipuka (UPND), who wanted to know why in most cases 100 per cent payments were made even before the contractor starts work.
And Mr Salasini said ZNBC would no longer give contracts to a company, once it was established that one of the directors was an employee of the corporation.
And Mr Nyirenda told PAC that the ministry did not interfere with editorial contents at public media institution.
He was compelled to say this after Mr Milupi wondered why the ZNBC camera was constantly zooming at the members of the executive each time they appeared before the committee.
Mr Salasini also said that it was an issue which management was also addressing.
Labels: CHARLES MILUPI, EMMANUEL NYIRENDA, PAC, PERMANENT SECRETARIES
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