Community Radio Stations in Malawi Undergo Training for Enhanced Broadcasting in the Digital Age
The primary objective of this workshop, hosted in Lilongwe, is to equip broadcasters with the essential skills required for ethical and professional broadcasting in the contemporary digital landscape.
Lilongwe, Malawi - The Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA), in collaboration with MISA Malawi, is currently conducting a comprehensive capacity-building workshop designed to empower community radio broadcasters across the country.
The primary objective of this workshop, hosted in Lilongwe, is to equip broadcasters with the essential skills required for ethical and professional broadcasting in the contemporary digital landscape.
At the commencement of the workshop, Stella Chuthi, a distinguished Board member representing MACRA, underscored the regulator's unwavering commitment to fostering growth within the broadcasting sector.
She emphasized that their overarching goal was to facilitate citizen empowerment and grant access to information through the cultivation of professional and sustainable community radio stations.
Chuthi stated, "Our ultimate goal is to promote citizen empowerment and access to information through professional and viable community radios. These are essential elements in our pursuit of creating community radios that serve as trusted sources of relevant development information."
Representing the Director-General of MACRA, Zadziko Mankhambo, the Director of Broadcasting, highlighted the paramount role that good governance plays in ensuring the delivery of high-quality broadcasting services.
Mankhambo acknowledged several challenges faced by community broadcasters, ranging from governance deficits to ethical and professional broadcasting standards, content monetization hurdles, and the imperative need for active governing boards.
He expressed unwavering optimism that the workshop would diligently address these pressing concerns: "We have noted the lack of good governance, ethical and professional broadcasting, content monetization, and having an active board as some of the challenges faced by community broadcasters, which we believe this workshop will tackle."
In her remarks, the Vice Chairperson of MISA Malawi, Chisomo Ngulube, explained that the function will bring about change through the skills and knowledge gained from the meeting in various dimensions of the community radio.
She went on to thank MACRA for its commitment to ensuring a vibrant broadcasting sector: "This workshop aims to bring about positive change by equipping participants with multifaceted skills and knowledge applicable to the realm of community radio. We are grateful to MACRA for its unwavering commitment to nurturing a vibrant and dynamic broadcasting sector within Malawi."