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Agriculture Minister Dora Siliya
Information and Broadcasting Services Minister, Dora Siliya has encouraged local broadcasting stations to make use of opportunities that have been created following Zambia’s digital migration.
Speaking at the Digital Broadcasting Conference in Lusaka, Ms. Siliya says focus should now change from the digital migration policy to digital broadcasting policy and its subsequent laws to complete it.
Ms. Siliya says this is because the status of broadcasting has changed, hence the need for the local broadcasting industry to move with time as well as coming up with a new digital broadcasting regulatory framework which does not exist in Zambia.
She says government is concerned with the kind of regulation and legislation environment surrounding the digital broadcasting sector hence convening a conference to safeguard the interests of society and players in the sector.
And justice Minister Given Lubinda says there is need to formulate legislation that supports the growth of the digital broadcasting sector.
Mr. Lubinda says his ministry will ensure that the legislation that will be put in place encompasses views of all players in the digital broadcasting sector.
Meanwhile signal carriage fees for local television stations by top star and star times have continued to be a matter of concern among local television station owners.
They feel the fees demanded by the Topstar are not feasible in the current business environment.
They have since threatened to seek legal redress in an event that the issue is not resolved.
They have complained that they are losing out on business due to the uncertainty that has been created by Topstar and ZNBC who are demanding exorbitant fees.