It is About TCRA and MOAT

Steve Dii

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Jun 25, 2007
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Govt pledges more support to MOAT and TCRA

2007-12-07 08:34:23
By Bilham Kimati, Bagamoyo


The Vice President, Dr Ali Mohamed Shein, has pledged the government`s support towards bolstering relations between the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) and the Media Owners` Association of Tanzania (MOAT).

Addressing participants of the Seventh Annual Broadcasters` Conference in Bagamoyo yesterday, Dr. Shein said the cooperation between the two bodies would promote professional excellence, as well as the spirit of nationalism.

I want to assure you that the government will pay due attention to the deliberations of this meeting and give every necessary support,said the Vice President.

Referring to this year`s conference theme, The Changing Broadcasting Landscape: Challenges and Opportunities, Dr Shein said the digital technology has brought about changes in the broadcasting media and it`s potentials to impact on the way it operates.

He said TCRA and MOAT must be prepared to face challenges of the digital technology to enable them share knowledge and experience from other countries for the convenience of listeners and viewers.

However, the Vice President was resolute on the role of the media to yield to the audience accordingly.

The media should meet expectations of the audience specifically in three major aspects. These are informing, educating and entertaining. If a broadcaster is focused on say, entertainment alone then something is definitely wrong with the broadcaster he clarified.

Commenting on the urge to cherish the national language, Kiswahili, the Vice President said there are currently over 118 million Kiswahili speakers around the world.

He said Kiswahili originates in East Africa, adding that its residents should be proud of it and feel obliged to promote it as the most effective means of communication.

``In the 1960s BBC introduced Kiswahili programmes and Radio Cairo started Kiswahili transmission around that time.

If foreign countries can embrace the use of Kiswahili, why should we be proud of other people`s languages when communicating among ourselves?

The British, Chinese, Japanese, Germans, French and others speak their own language throughout, why not us,`` Dr. Shein challenged the participants.

He recalled a famous adage by the founding President of Zanzibar, the late Abeid Amani Karume who once said: You should cherish what is yours to the extent of forgetting what belongs to others.

He commended efforts by local broadcasters to widen the horizon of the media.

Currently there are 42 radio stations; 25 TV stations and more than 20 newspapers.

The Vice President however, underscored the need to foster patriotism, unity and development for the country.

For his part, the Director General of TCRA, Prof. John Nkoma said the authority would prepare a public consultation document on the code of ethics for advertisement and sponsorship for the broadcasting media.

This will provide guidelines on ways to organise and regulate advertisements and sponsorship. Stakeholders will have to deliberate on it. We also want to share experience from others who already use digital system instead of trying to invent the wheel, Prof. Nkoma said.

Deputy Minister for Information, Culture and Sports Daniel Nsanzugwanko spoke of the need to share information with legislators and their counterparts in Zanzibar on the changing broadcasting landscape from analog to digital technology for effective communication.

The Board Chairman of TCRA, Ambassador Richard Mariki and MOAT chairman Reginald Mengi expressed gratitudes to the government for its recognition of contribution by the media to the society in terms of educating, informing and entertaining.

MOAT appreciates the support of the government as we all provide service to our country, attach importance to unity, peace, partisanship and development,` said Mengi when giving the vote of thanks on behalf of MOAT.

He also thanked the TCRA for incorporating MOAT in the transition period from analog to digital technology, adding that the remaining eight years to the time-frame slated for 2015 would enable stakeholders to make suitable preparations.

The day-long conference brought together stakeholders from Italy, South Africa, Kenya, Mauritius, Uganda and the host Tanzania.

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Source link: Ipp Media.

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