CSOs want MBC taken off-air over obscene words on Chilima

Some civil society organisations in Malawi have sought legal redress and are demanding the suspension of broadcasting services for Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) following the broadcasting station’s beaming of obscenities on Monday during the 7pm Chichewa news bulletin.

Nicely Msowoya, the Youth and Society, Human Rights Defenders Coalition and Church and Society of the CCAP Livingstonia Synod through their lawyer George Kadzipatike, demand that all broadcasting services by MBC be suspended by Friday May 15, 2020 following the unprofessional conduct.

They have since warned that if MBCtv and radio are not taken off air by the stated date, they will obtain a High Court order to compel Macra to close MBC until unprofessional personnel at the institution are dully flushed out and replaced accordingly.

“We are aware that MBC is a creature of Parliament and that its broadcasting license is statutory, per section 108 of the Communications Act. Although MBC is a statutory licensee under the Communications Act, this statutory license is revocable by MACRA under section 43 of the Communications Act in circumstances, like the one in question herein, where MBC has breached its obligations.

“Our clients have noted that MBC has gone overboard in contravening its statutory duties under the Communications Act. MBC is perpetually in breach of its public service obligations under the Act and the broadcaster has clearly shown the whole world that its has no respect for human rights, rule of law and the Constitution, as required of it under section 109 of the Communications Act

“MBC is denying our clients and the nation at large their right to credible information and it is leading the country astray, yet MACRA does not appear to take any efforts to enforce the Communications Act against MBC,” reads the letter addressed to the MACRA chairperson.

Meanwhile MBC has apologized over the unprofessional conduct.