Radio Station Suspended For Violating Regulations

(MENAFN- The Post) A private radio station, People on the Move Radio, has been slapped with an indefinite suspension for violating Lesotho's broadcasting regulations.
The Lesotho Communications Authority (LCA) announced on Tuesday that it had suspended the radio station's licence with effect from December 1.

“This comes after PMR failed to comply with Regulation 26 which requires it to have in place a functioning recording device that can retain its programmes for at least three months,” the LCA statement reads.

It is a requirement under the regulations for every radio station in Lesotho to record its programmes. Such recordings often come in handy when there is a complainant about a particular programme.
The LCA says during its routine site visit on March 29 and April 3 this year“the authority found the PMR office and studio unlocked and unmanned with no one present in the studio”.

It says on March 30 the authority requested submission of the programme recording from March 13.

“This directive was disregarded despite numerous attempts to reach out to PMR,” the statement reads.

“Subsequently PMR was fined and directed to immediately stop broadcasting all current affairs and phone-in programmes,” it reads.

The statement says on August 29, the station wrote to the authority giving assurance that it now had a recording device.

On September 26 the authority carried another site inspection and the inspection found out that contrary to its claim PMR was still not recording programmes.
The authority, the statement reads,“is extremely concerned with the continuing flagrant non-compliance with the requirements”.

“The authority has learned with shock that PMR continues to broadcast current affairs and phone-in programmes despite being directed by the authority to suspend such programmes.”

The PMR station manager, Ben Mosala, said the closure“is going to hurt the business perspective of the station”.

“We are now working towards fixing our recording device,” Mosala said.

He said they have a recording device,“it's just that it was not working well”.

He said their hope is for the station to be opened soon so that it begins operations as normal.

MISA National Director Lekhetho Ntsukunyane said they are not happy with the closure of the station.
“But, we urge all the media houses to comply with the laws that govern them”.

Nkheli Liphoto

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