20100401
africagoodnews

Sierra Leone is doing away with its state broadcaster in a merger with United Nations radio which will establish an independent national radio and television service, UN officials said Wednesday.

"It would mean ending 75 years of broadcasting by the government-run Sierra Leone Broadcasting Service (SLBS) and the end of transmission of the local UN radio which has been running for the past nine years," said UN radio station manager Sputnik Kalambi.

The UN radio in Sierra Leone -- set up as part of all peace-keeping missions -- continued operating despite being slated to close down several years ago after the nation emerged from a bloody decade-long civil war in 2001.

The station will cease broadcasting at midnight Wednesday. Kalambi said Sierra Leone was a test case to see if other UN missions could transform broadcasting structures in other post-conflict situations.

The merger would make the new media body Africa's second independent broadcasting corporation after the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) -- which is still seen as government controlled.

The Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation will initially be funded by the UN, later earning money from advertising and receiving public funds from the government as well as revenue through fees and tariffs.

"A substantial chunk of money has been set aside for the SLBC which will take care of the first three months of operation," said Kalambi.

"From now on, there will be a fusion of programmes which will be broadcast on UN transmitters which have been turned over to the new corporation, said Kalambi"

Currently Sierra Leone has one private television station and one state-run, one private radio station and one state-run as well as the UN radio station.

Information Minister Ibrahim Kargbo, who steered the bill through parliament, said: "The corporation will be run by a board of trustees headed by a former information minister, professor Septimus Kaikai who is a leading member of the main opposition Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP)".

Board members will include a youth representative, and those from the inter-religious forum, women's forum, the Association of Journalists, the Chamber of Commerce, the Bar Association and the private broadcasting industry.

During the civil war, the state broadcaster was used by rebel leaders to disperse propaganda. In the past the government has been criticised for not giving opposition parties a platform.

"We have undertaken the merger in good faith so that we would have an effective broadcaster that will benefit everybody," said Kargbo.

"The government will make sure that it remains independent and caters for all shades of opinion. The government will have no say in how it is run," he added.