during the signing ceremony between Zambia Music copyrights Protection Authority and independent Broadcasting Authority(IBA)
The Independent Broadcasting Authority has lifted the suspension of Prime Television with immediate effect, following a successful appeal the station made to the Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services Dora Siliya.
The lifting of Prime TV’s broadcasting Licence has been done six days ahead of the expiry of the 30 day suspension.
On 4th March, 2019, the Board of the Independent broadcasting Authority suspended Prime Television for 30 days after routine monitoring of the Station’s content revealed that the Station had breached IBA Act and the Standard Operating Procedure through unbalanced coverage, broadcasting of opinionated news, airing of content/ material likely to incite violence and use of derogatory language.
During the suspension period, the Authority directed the Station to undertake training of their reporters in basic journalism, ethics and news script writing.
IBA Secretary Josephine Mapoma said the Authority is pleased to note that Prime television conducted the training and in addition the Station invited the Authority to train the reporters on its mandate and other relevant sections of the IBA Act.
Ms. Mapoma said in lifting the suspension, Prime Television has been tasked to engage experts as news analysts and ensure that analysis is based on objectivity, facts and use of appropriate language.
She said the station has also been tasked to avoid all non-compliance issues raised by the Authority in the compliance charge sent to the Station, ensure that individuals and institutions that are subjects of any topic of discussion or news are given an opportunity to respond by making attempts to invite or contact them and adhere to all broadcasting laws, regulations and guidelines.
Ms. Mapoma however expressed disappointment with Prime Television management in the manner they conducted themselves following the suspension of the Station as they continued to broadcast for a further five hours after receiving and acknowledging the letter of suspension.
She directed the Station to execute its important role responsibly to avoid breaching the IBA Act and other regulations.
Ms. Mapoma has reminded the public that the IBA open-door policy and they are free to make any enquiries or seek clarity whenever in doubt.
She said the IBA was dismayed by certain sectors of society that criticised its decision to suspend Prime television, without reaching out to them to fully understand the breaches of the law that led to the suspension of the Station.
Ms. Mapoma said the Board remains committed to applying the IBA Act fairly to all licensees, in line with their Vision, which is to be an effective and efficient Regulator.
Freedom and strategy
WELCOME ABOARD NORMAL BROADCASTING PRIME TV. WE MISSED YOU. I HOPE YOU HAVE PICKED UP ONE OR TWO THINGS ON MEDIA ETHICS AND BUSINESS.
It’s good to have back but kindly watch the wolves that surround you.
“Prime Television has been tasked to engage experts as news analysts and ensure that analysis is based on objectivity, facts and use of appropriate language”
Great!!! Now that they have pledged to uphold professionalism, let’s see how they behave going forward. If they misbehave we just suspend them indefinitely.
That’s how we run this country … let’s roll.
Mapoma & IBA should desist being used by politicians like Davis Mwila to fight his personal battles. They’ll only end up cutting their careers short. Serve tax payers who are paying your salary NOT styopet politicians.
I have never watched or I don’t think I will ever watch Prime TV, don’t know why you guyz are so crazy about Prime TV who don’t cover Davies Mwila.
Welcome back. While you were gone they even managed to win an election
Brother B R Mumba, Sr;
I doubt if anything will change. I look at Prime TV just like the way CNN behaves against US President Elect Donald Trump. ALWAYS THEIR BREAKING NEWS IS “SOMETHING AGAINST TRUMP”. If something is good for Trump then they mention as a byway news still with their negativity – ALL THIS IS BECAUSE THEIR SPONSOR IS ANTI-TRUMP.
The sponsors of Prime TV are anti-LUNGU; and all the training they have undergone for them it will be polishing the phrasing of their insults. They will start using smart language that is not insulting in nature but in sense.
Just like Julius Malema – he insults BOERS but they can’t find a case against him because of his good phraseology.
I agree with Celebrity101 on the Kafue Council chairmanship win for PF!
If PF also wins Roan and Bahati seats in April, chances are that the liquidation of the Post Newspapers Ltd. will be reversed …
Josephine Mapoma, please do the same at ZNBC because surely what is good for the goose must be good for the gander!
@1.6 … You are spot on, CNN is the most S**THOLE news media i have ever come across. By the time Trump leaves office, there will be nothing left of CNN. Right now it is the most discredited and disgraceful news media.
Wonder why MultiChoice Zambia subjets our hard earned subscription to such dung from CNN
So they sent letter of appeal to Ministry of Information it just shows who is really pulling the strings…already time and money has been wasted on their part why did Prime TV not just serve the pointless one month PF ban.
What of the letter than went missing?
Clearly the appeal was inconsequential prime TV having already served more than three weeks of a 4 week suspension. Yes appealing to government is such a warping of justice that you wonder if any lawyers participated in the formulation of the IBA statutes
Government is very much an interested party. It directly owns DeadNBC a business competitor to Prime Tv so why have it chairing the IBA and also as the higher office for appeal? It will definitely serve its vested interests
Hope and pray the station has learnt some lessons from its suspension.Please avoid emotions and mob psychology!BaChurch must also be sober minded and support situations objectively!
Who pays the piper calls the tune. ..
If the TV stops fabricating news is the funder going to continue pouring his money?
This station will never be the same, this is what happened to Muvi TV.
Otherwise Zambian government is fair and good for PRIME TV.In other country just after Sesheke sagacity,the TV STATION could have been banned for good.
Gerald you are still young and vibrant try to LEARN one OR two things from this ban .
Good luck To Gerard and his media business.
Why won’t it the same?MUVI TV lost many talented and down to earth presenters, hence it down fall.In addition, viewers discovered that programs were not in the interest of National Development.So if Prime TV won’t change, yes, it won’t the same.
So what’s the point of your post…you think Zambian viewers watch DSTV because it’s in the interest of national development? You think that reporting Lazy Lungu jogging is in the interest of national development and not reporting about workers not paid is not.
IBA has a mandate to fullfill,that is to interpret the IBA guidelines, which any radio and TV stations must follow to the ltter and the owners signed in consent , hence granted the operating licence.Even football has its rules,verbalwarning, yellow card, if foul is repeated by the same player, red card.This station was given just a yellow card, so must behave!!
Is Prime TV on DSTV?
Dora seems to understand these things. If it were CK ni kayakaya. Well done boss lets roll.
Finally we have TV back – Great. I missed Mark Simuwe with his indepth analysis of the news, very objective guy
If there is any broadcaster that need reprimanding its ZNBC as its funded by all viewers hence should give equal coverage when it comes to political news, if you are going to report govt policy also give the view of the opposition on that policy that’s what BBC. Tune into ZNBC you wont hear anything to do with unpaid workers.
Prime TV never committed any law.Open your eye’s and see. Anyone who who defend criminals is also a criminal. weather a judge or IBA,the fact is they are sinners.Remember God is not a respecter of a position you will be judged.
It is very sad that some church organisations, NGOs and many other countries including some diplomats condemned IBA for the suspension without first understanding how IBA operates (regulating )broadcasting houses. They shoud have been objective and wait for the appeal to be heard and considered which has been done proffessionaly and not followed the condemnation they received. What makes it sad is none of the said organisations and individuals or the UPND who cartigorically demanded for immediate lifting of the suspension is commending IBA for handling of the suspension proffesionally. On the other social media platforms, if the appeal letter was rejected it was going to be piblished on social media, but because Prime tv was guilty on a number of things, nothing was published on the…
Dont you see that IBA was created to muzzle the private media …IBA has zero constitutional powers as at now to ban ZNBC for even 2 mins. You see nothing wrong with a handpicked PF cadre also acting as PS and Chairman of IBA? You want to be objective address such issues of governance …surely how can you support Davis Mwila who is a Grade 9 what objectivity can he bring to the day.
Wako in wako!!!!!! Our thinking directs our comments. Only God knows the truth. Let what’s wrong be wrong and what’s right be as such. Public broadcasting????????? Don’t we also need IBA to do something surely??????? KAYA!!!!!!!!
Don’t say anything negative about PF and their small god then you will be fine….thats what IBA is hoping for
The renouncing PF violence by lungu comes only after PTV plastered pictures around the world of gun wielding PF caders beating opposition and PF Police with PF caders attacking UPND …..
Thank you PTV , your suspension was not in vein
We salute you.
Lungu has been rattled that his image of a democratically elected leader is under threat on his globe trotting.
YES PRIME TV IS ON DSTV CHANNEL 273. Prime has actually reported the hacking and beating up of DP officials and Harry Kalaba in Kasempa by suspected PF cadres. Pictures do not tell lies. Welcome back
PF in North Western Province? I wonder.
Bitterness has made many comrades not to distinguish bias from inflammatory reporting. Prime TV can cover HH 365x24hours if they want. That’s their business. What’s wrong is to broadcast misinformation that has the potential to bring despondency in the country. As for the so called DeadZnbc it’s there to promote government programs. MMD promised that they would change this but once in the seat, this was not even mentioned.
Ndanje is right. DeadNBC promised to be objective during Chiluba s rule. The journalists were cowardly they gave in to authorities and the opposition and society in general did not help them. Now we are reaping what we sowed. A lapdog DeadNBC is what we have
The lighting of suspension to prime TV is just a rubber stamp.It is like fooling the people when you know that there is no case.An appeal just for a single case taking almost a month,shame,shame to a country like Zambia where imposed leaders are living in sin and the result is the nation is affected.Shame to pf,shame to the un educated IBA board.Prime TV are more advanced than the board.I personally suggest that the board is dissolved because they’re not righteous.
Learn a lesson and change for better
If they can’t ban them for misconduct: Stop watching them. Ban their station from your living room.