The Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) has revoked content licences for Malawi’s first private radio station, Power FM 101, and Dziko FM.
This is according to MACRA Director General Daud Suleman who through a press statement dated 19th October, said the two radio stations got their licences revoked for failure to pay annual licence fees.
Suleman said Power FM 101 was by Tuesday October 19 supposed to make a payment of K31.745,201 and so too Dziko Fm which was supposed to make a payment of K37.640,466 in outstanding fees.
The Director General continued to say the revocation of the licences will be effective 30 days from October 19, 2022, the date of receipt by Power FM 101 and Dziko FM, of the notification from MACRA revoking their licences.
“The Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) wishes to inform the general public that it has revoked Content Licences for Power Fm 101 and Dziko Fm for failure to pay annual licence fees which is a substantial breach of their licences,” reads part of Suleman’s statement.
The communications regulator further indicated that these two radio stations are free to apply for a content licence in future if they will not be having outstanding regulatory issues with MACRA.
Power Fm 101 hit the airwaves in October 1998 and was the first private owned national radio station with a roster that had a blend of Malawian, British and Jamaican deejays and its ebullient format rotated around hip-hop and reggae music and deeply endeared itself to a youthful audience.
Through the same press statement, Suleman reports that several other radio stations including MIJ Fm, Angaliba Radio and TV, Ndirande FM, Voice of Livingstonia and Chisomo FM whose licences were on the verge of being revoked months ago, have fully paid their outstanding fees.
Meanwhile, MACRA has reminded all licences in the country to always make sure that they pay annual licence fees, claiming failure to do so, is a breach of their licences and risks their licences being revoked.
In August this year, the regulatory authority revoked content licences for Ufulu FM, Ufulu Television and Galaxy FM because they owe the regulatory body a total of K74 million in licence fees.
Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) said recently that over 200 full-time and part-time media practitioners and support staff lost jobs at the stations whose licences were revoked; including 70 at Rainbow Television, Ufulu FM (34) and Joy Radio (40).
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