Written by Richard Kayenda
The Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) is a public broadcaster whose life and existence directly depend on Malawians’ taxes. That MBC is a mother of all broadcasters in the country is common knowledge.
All radio stations, television stations and the other media outlets came after MBC had already made its name. Even some of the media practitioners who have a name in the country today, are a product of MBC. Factually, MBC has been a household name since time immemorial.
If it were a child in the family of Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (Macra), MBC would obviously be the the oldest of all the children, who by now look at him as a role model in term of behaviour (professionalism).
However, the behaviour of this Macra’s first born, smacks of a child whose parents have raised in a very ‘bad’ way that has potential to negatively influence the rest of the children. No wonder, the parents seem not willing to let the rest of the children model on the first born, for they know that his undesirable behaviour is their own bad parenting style.
Well, on Monday 11 May, 2020, MBC was at it again. Beaming on its television bulletin very unpalatable and media sensitive contents, against the second citizen of the country, at a prime time when almost everyone was at home relaxing and updating themselves with current affairs. As if that was not shameful enough, the bulletin was in Chichewa, a nation language, which virtually every Malawian understands.
Nevertheless, this was not the first time MBC made such a deliberate public blunder. On several occasions in the memorable past, the public broadcaster has had a fair share of its unpardonable trespasses against innocent personalities whom its parents, Macra and the ruling party, would deem blacklisted.
A couple of weeks ago, when Dr Saulos Chilima was addressing the nation in his capacity as the Vice President of Malawi, we all saw MBC television cutting its coverage of him before he finished his show. Painstakingly, no explanation was made! This might not be MBC’s own making, but it is a combination of poor parentage and gross incompetence that is being tolerated at Macra.
The unprofessionalism at both MBC and Macra has reached very sickening levels. But this is not any surprising. After all, the saying goes: every child takes after his parents! How individuals conduct themselves professionally at MBC clearly manifests how Macra treats the former. MBC is an unruly untamed first born child of Macra. But this is the case because of the political environment in which the poor parentage is sprouting
Following MBC fiasco, a number of media players have come on board demonizing the professional malaise. Some human rights activists have called upon Macra to squeeze this unruly behaviour out of MBC.
But truth be told here, Macra will not do anything tangible about it. Surely, the unsigned written assurance that it has given to the general public about dealing with MBC is enough action in itself. Look, even the aggrieved personality has not been mentioned anywhere in that public notice. But were it other media house than MBC, that one would immediately be off air and the presenter of the bulletin would be personally be held accountable for it. The MBC’s subsequent notice of apology is but just mere window dressing. Koma poti Khoswe akakhala pa mkhate, sapheka!
