Suleman
Calvary Family Church Radio is at risk of being closed as the Lazarus Chakwera administration through Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) continues its crackdown on radio and television stations.
MACRA Director General, Daud Suleman, says Calvary Family Church Radio is yet to settle its annual content license fees amounting to K11.5 million. The radio station was given six months to settle the outstanding balance and now it has until 21 November, 2022 to pay or its licence will be revoked.
Meanwhile, six radio stations which were given a deadline of November 13 to pay the outstanding fees have managed to pay.
The six are Radio Alinafe (K10 million), Radio Maria (K15 million), Pentecostal Life FM (K8.3 million), Radio Tigabane (K13 million), Living Waters Radio (K15 million) and Blantyre Synod Radio (K7 million).
This year MACRA has revoked licenses for Ufulu FM, Ufulu Television, Galaxy FM, Power FM 101 and Rainbow Television for failure to pay their license fees.
Some media houses including MIJ FM, Angaliba Radio and TV, Ndirande FM, Voice of Livingstonia and Chisomo FM whose licences were on the verge of being revoked were spared after managing to pay their outstanding fees.
In August, Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) condemned the closure of the media houses saying broadcasters had already raised concerns that annual fees to MACRA are pegged in US dollars and are exorbitant.
MISA noted that business has generally not been smooth in the last few years due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the general poor performance of the economy.
The media body said the revocation of the licences under the Chakwera administration is washing away the media and democratic gains of the past 29 years.
“The issues that are leading to the revocation of licences are not new. Past administrations did not close down stations for delaying to pay license fees. We believe the decision not to close down stations was due to respect for fundamental rights including media freedom, access to information and economic rights of hundreds of Malawians employed by the affected media outlets,” MISA said in its statement.
However, MACRA Director General, Daud Suleman has always insisted that the regulatory body is only following the law.
