Legal Aspect of Public Media

 Laws that Establish Public Media in Zanzibar as follows:  The Newspaper Act NO.5 of 1988; also apply to establishment of Information Service  Law that establish Zanzibar Broadcasting Commission (ZBC), Act NO 7 of 1997  Law that establish Zanzibar Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC), Act No.of 2013 which applies to public radio and television – ZBC TV and ZBC Radio  Basically, the government’s media was meant to be public media to serve the people.  The perception that public media is for the government should change and practiced.

 Zanzibar has positioned itself to introduction of daily Kiswahili Newspaper called Zanzibar Leo, established earlier as Nuru Newspaper in January  Nuru Newspaper was published weekly and it operated under Act No.5 of 1988; amended in 2008 under Act NO.11 to establish daily Zanzibar Leo.  The Newspaper has a capacity to publish at least 3000 copies, with redundant advertisement revenues largely from government institutions

 The newspaper is publisher in Dar Es Salaam  Its readership is sizeable with daily subscription to government institutions.  The newspaper remains as a sole government mouthpiece for print media in Zanzibar; meaning that it’s the only written channel of communication between government and citizens  It habours views favourable to the government as the nature of public media; but also shift where needs be to serve general public interests – voice of voiceless is also heard

 Zanzibar has a long history of having unique public radio with versatile announcers. The radio was established in early 50’s called ‘Sauti ya Unguja’ transmitted on hourly basis but was famous in the entire coastline of Indian Ocean, eg Mombasa  There is one public radio in Zanzibar, called ZBC radio established under the Act No.of  Radio commands 80% of listeners in Zanzibar, according to survey, and research conducted by different research agencies  The general public relies on public radio to listen news, information, death announcement etc  Also, public radio remains as a only government channel of communication between government-public. It proves to be the most effective  Zanzibar remains as the most accessible media in Zanzibar; plus invention and innovation of new tech make it easy and cheap to have simple radio gadgets (mobile phones)

 The potential for radio stations to reach out to a large audience across the country is real.  Eight radio stations broadcast 24 hours a day on the main island of Zanzibar, Unguja.  Three of these stations are also able to cover Dar Es-Salaam and Zanzibar’s second island  Pemba.  The Zanzibar media assessment conducted in 2010 concluded that there were 23  operating radio stations which include STZ, Spice FM, Maria FM, Radio Al Noor, Zenj FM,  Hits FM, Coconut FM, Chuchu FM, Adhana FM, and the Micheweni Community Radio in Pemba

 Zanzibar has one public Television, Zanzibar Broadcasting Corp (ZBC TV). It’s a government (public owned) according to the set up and of course the law that establish it. Act No. of 2013  The Act allows the merge of radio and TV to be one entity as ‘public media’, but remains to be controlled under government arms

 Two theories:  Is a different form of state-owned media. Public media is for the public and cater for public interest – it’s people’s taxes that runs it  Normally, after the establishment of Act and then law of public media, it should have Charter clearly says ‘not to have gov’t hands.  However, it seems to be very hard to remove gov’t hands since it dishes out money to run the media  There’s a political will – information to be released are for the public  There’s editorial independence though the DG is appointment by the President but DG doesn’t interfere with it 

 Even in the media competitive environment, Zanzibar state radio and television are still mouthpieces of the government  Research shows that to-date, Zanzibar Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) is not a public broadcaster per se, even with the coming of competition, it remains the mouthpiece of the government in the age of stiff competition  However, both ZBC TV and Radio often are better off in terms of impartiality, editorial independence on political coverage and criticism over the establishment

 ZBC’s performance seem to have been improved with competition from mushrooming FM radios in the country and International radios mainly BBC and DW.  It did quick adjustment as a ‘quick win’ strategy to tap more audience; or rather not ‘loose old audience’