Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) has revoked the television licence for Rainbow Television, a privately owned media house which airs programmes critical of the Lazarus Chakwera administration.
MACRA has said in a statement that the revocation of the television content licence is due to the media house’s failure to pay annual licence fees.
“The revocation of Rainbow Television’s licence will be effective 30 days from the 9th of June, 2022, the date Rainbow Television received notification from MACRA revoking the licence,” reads part of the statement posted on the MACRA Facebook page.
The regulatory body has since warned licensees that failure to pay annual licence fees is a serious breach of their licences.
However, some Malawians have argued that MACRA is targeting the television station because it carries content criticizing the Lazarus Chakwera administration.
Journalist Kondwani Munthali argued that MACRA should have just fined the television station as it does with telecommunications companies.
“With the Tonse Economy we will all be listening to MBC as nobody can pay the escalated US dollar quoted fees while collecting adverts in Kwacha.
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