Prime TV Licence Cancelled
The Independent Broadcasting Authority has announced the cancellation of Prime Television’s broadcasting licence.
The cancellation is with immediate effect.
According to the IBA the “cancellation is pursuant to Section 29 (1) (j) and (k) of the IBA (Amendment) Act of 2010 which provides that the Board may cancel a broadcasting licence if:
“The cancellation of the licence is necessary in the interest of public safety, security, peace, welfare and good order”.
“The Board considers it appropriate in the circumstances of the case to do so”.
Prime Television has thirty days in which to appeal the decision to the Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services.
Prime Television has previously indicated that it planned to take the government to court over its decision to sever business relations with the broadcaster for not airing coronavirus information on its network free of charge. The station’s owner, Gerald Shawa, has already written to the Ministry of Information and apologised publicly for refusing to air the government’s messages.
In charges filed with the High Court last month, Prime TV alleged that their press freedoms were infringed upon when the government began its boycott, contravening Article 20 of the Constitution.
In addition to ending the boycott, Prime TV is also seeking financial compensation for lost business during the period.
The government’s actions also caused TV network TopStar to stop carrying Prime TV’s channel on its platform.
This prompted the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA), a press freedom watchdog, to issue a statement condemning Topstar’s decision and calling on the government to reverse it.
Chairperson Hellen Male said “As MISA, we find this unfair and unacceptable and call upon the government to reverse the decision by Topstar, least they will be viewed as not being tolerant to divergent views and risk seeing Zambia downgraded in terms of press freedom.”
She continued that the removal of Prime TV would not only limit citizen’s access to information but also send the message that the government does not tolerate dissident views.
