Back to Index

Model public broadcasting charter
MISA-Zimbabwe
May 11, 2012

1. Purpose of a public broadcaster

The public broadcaster shall

(a) be an independent body corporate established to serve the overall public interest without interference from any quarter and be accountable to all strata of society as represented by an independent board;

(b) provide broadcasting services which are made for the public, whether by analogue or digital means, via radio, television, internet platforms and any other electronic media;

(c) ensure full respect for freedom of expression, promote the free flow of information and ideas, assist people to make informed decisions and facilitate and strengthen democracy.

2. Mandate of a public broadcaster

The public broadcaster shall

(a) provide access to a wide range of information and ideas from the various sectors of society;

(b) report on news and current affairs in a way which is not influenced by political, commercial or other special interests and therefore comprehensive, fair and balanced;

(c) contribute to economic, social and cultural development in the country by providing a credible forum for democratic debate on how to meet common challenges;

(d) hold those in power in every sector of society accountable;

(e) empower and inspire citizens, especially the poor and

marginalised, in their quest to improve the quality of their lives;

(f) provide credible, quality and varied programming for all interests, those of the general public as well as minority audiences, children, women,the youth and the disabled, irrespective of religious beliefs, political persuasion, culture, race and gender;

(g) reflect, as comprehensively as possible, the range of opinions on matters of public interest and of social, political, philosophical, religious, scientific and artistic trends;

(h) include significant amounts of educational programming, and programmes dealing with political and economic issues, including, but not limited to, human rights, health, sports, early childhood development, agriculture, culture, justice and commerce, and thus contribute to a shared consciousness and identity for the nation;

(i) promote and develop local content;

(j) provide universal access to its services with its signal seeking to reach all corners of the country and ensuring and making services available in all the official languages of the country.

3. Independence of a public broadcaster

3.1 The public broadcaster shall be independent in all matters concerning the content of its output, its editorial policy, the times and manner in which its output is supplied and in the management of all of its other affairs.

3.2. The public broadcaster shall have in place policies to ensure its protection from any form of outside interference or attempts to compromise its independence.

4. Governance structure of a public broadcaster

4.1 The governance of the public broadcaster shall be vested in a board of governors accountable to the public through parliament. The appointment process for the governors must ensure

(a) participation by the public in the nomination of candidates and

(b) transparency and openness.

4.2 The members of the board, when viewed collectively, should be persons who:

(a) represent a broad cross-section of the population of the country;

(b) are suited to serve on the board by virtue of their qualifications, expertise and experience in the fields of broadcasting policy and technology, broadcasting regulation, media law, business practice and finance, marketing, journalism, entertainment and education, social and labour issues;

(c) are committed to fairness, freedom of expression, the right of the public to be informed, and openness and accountability on the part of those holding public office;

(d) are committed to the objectives and principles of the public broadcaster.

4.3. Persons who are office bearers with the state or political parties or have business interests in the media industry should not be eligible for board membership.

4.4. To ensure participation of the public and transparency in the appointment process

(a) the parliamentary committee responsible for broadcasting policy shall advertise the posts, call upon all relevant groups in society as well as individuals to nominate candidates, shortlist nominees and invite them for interviews in public hearings;

(b) an appointment panel of public as well as civil society representatives shall assist in the process of selecting members of the board;

(c) parliament should strive to reach consensus in order to appoint a board that is not partisan and avoid abuse of majority of one party.

5. Funding of a public broadcaster

The public broadcaster shall draw revenues from the following sources:

(a) the public broadcasting fee;

(b) the production and broadcasting of advertisements;

(c) sponsorship of programmes,

(d) Donations as well as funds allocated through parliament.

6. Public Complaints Commission

The public broadcaster shall have in place a code of conduct which has to be a public document. On the basis of this code, a public complaints commission, set up by the broadcaster, will consider and resolve any complaints against the broadcaster by members of the public.

Visit the MISA-Zimbabwe fact sheet

Please credit www.kubatana.net if you make use of material from this website. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License unless stated otherwise.

TOP