GOVERNMENT says it will not allow the three public media institutions to collapse as they are viable entities.
Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Services Permanent Secretary, Amos Malupenga, said Government was working out lasting solutions to end financial woes at the Times of Zambia, Zambia Daily Mail and the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC).
Mr Malupenga said Government was aware that the three institutions were facing financial challenges but that these were not insurmountable.
“The public may wish to know that the Government is the sole shareholder of these institutions we are talking about. Government cannot allow its institutions to collapse unless the Government wants to collapse itself,” he said.
Mr Malupenga was speaking during a meeting with a delegation of National Executive Committee members from the Zambia Union of Journalists (ZUJ) at his office to seek clarification on the current financial position of the three public media.
The delegation comprised ZUJ president, Anthony Mulowa, General Secretary, Angela Chishimba, vice-president, Nkweto Mfula and national treasurer, Ackim Nyangu.
The union wanted to know the future of the Times of Zambia owing to a statement attributed to the former Information, Broadcasting and Labour Minister, Fackson Shamenda that the company was going through financial difficulties and owed huge sums of money in unremitted statutory obligations.
Mr Malupenga said the intention to privatise one of the two public print media institutions was not as result of the financial problems the organisations were facing.
He reiterated Vice-President Guy Scott’s announcement that Government intended to offload 35 per cent shares in the public media.
He said a reputable media organisation in the region had expressed interest in obtaining the shares from one of the print media houses.
He disclosed that the said organisation expressed its intention in a letter dated April 24, 2012 to the Ministry of Information, Broadcasting and Labour.
He said interest was particularly made in purchasing shares in the Times of Zambia.
Mr Malupenga said the minister was yet to present the proposal to Cabinet. He said as late as yesterday, the same media institution through one of its directors had called his office requesting for a meeting with the new minister to discuss the same matter.
Mr Mulowa called for dialogue at all levels so that there was no misunderstanding among all parties involved.
[Times of Zambia]
“Government says it will not allow the three public media institutions [Times of Zambia, Zambia Daily Mail and ZNBC] to collapse as they are viable entities.” Can people with analytical minds step in.
well spoted man!
just sell those entities and remain with DEAD-BC..
If our public media can work on profitability issues things can change there. If they keep coming to work only to spend money without looking at how to raise money then they will be presenting a begging hand every time. Mindsets must change. You pay yourselves heft salaries and conditions of service but you keep looking to someone to fund you is not a worthy course. Generate what you forecast and actually spend. All vehicles, all travelling all infrastructure, all seminars, name it, everything for expenditure but no sense of wealth generation. what mindsets? What does the Post Newspapers do which you have no notion of? The Post is moneyed through hard work and a sense of profit generation. Its simple, Sales less costs equal profit. When are you going to learn the basics?
the collaspe of public media will have not effect on the government stability. indeed this is the sort of rubbish we need to move away from. taking our money to be consumed by failing businesses. our money needs to go to construction of hydroelectric stations, roads and dams and railway lines. the ministered has fear of the unknown.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE IN TIMES OF ZAMBIA, DAILY MAIL,THE POST AND ZNBC TODAY ? WE JUST NEED ONE PAPER AND ONE ZNBC.
IT IS SHOCKING THAT DESPITE ZNBC COLLECTING TV LEVY IS STILL PART OF FINANCIAL PROBLEMS EVEN WHEN THEY DEMAND SPONSORSHIP FOR PROGRAMS DEMANDED BY THE PUBLIC SUCH AS SOCCER.
How does Zambian Institutions come to find themselves with financial problems? African governments are always begging. When are we ever going to stop begging?
Daily Mail and Times are very similar, they both write government propaganda in exactly the same fashion.
Would it NOT be a good idea then to just close one of them or merge them to save on costs of paying them………taxpayers must be etremely tired pf paying these foools for years on end just in order for them to write rubbish,.
If they close, gov would equally collapse as it would lack the propaganda machinery to keep citizens fooled.
So its actually in the interest of citizens to close these so called companies……if you ask me , they are actually ‘agencies’ as they never make any profit and dont bother to do so as they are on gov payroll every year.
Meant to say “HOW DO ZAMBIAN GOVERN…..”
What happened to vernacular newspapers? we need them back……………!
Instead of spending time and money bailing out these institutions, let them ask Isaac Chipampe, Chibamba Kanyama and I forget the boss at Times to revamp these parasite entities. Kanyama can’t even justify the license fees and where they go!!
The two papers need to revamp their entire content, have a more targeted circulation and generate revenue through advertising and sponsorship. A bold move would be to reduce the Daily Mail from being a broadsheet to a tabloid size paper with sections such as Women, Music, Arts, Travel, Health, Motoring, Property, Finance, Business, Sport, Retirement and so on. People will not only pick up the paper to wrap vitumbuwa but use as a source of information, news and entertainment.
But who am I to be listened to? My name precedes me!!