Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (Macra) has announced the completion of a sensitisation campaign on the newly gazetted broadcasting regulations which, among others, require all broadcasters to use a profanity delay machine during live programs.

The campaign follows a recently lifted live phone-in programming ban, which was in action citing the “careless and unethical coverage of post elections events” by broadcasters. Macra communications manager Clara Ngwira revealed that the regulations provide minimum standards of obligations to be met by the broadcasters and we believe that if they can abide by what has been laid down in the document, there will be great improvement in the sector

In response to the directive for a delay machine, Media Institute of Southern Africa (Misa) Malawi Chapter chairperson Teresa Ndanga asked Macra to give broadcasters some time to purchase the delay machines.