Africa-Press – Liberia. The House of Representatives has passed an act for the Ownership, Management, Licensing, and Operation of Community Radio Stations in Liberia.
The House decided on Thursday during its regular session following a comprehensive review by the Joint Committee on Information, Broadcasting, and Judiciary.
The bill, initially submitted by Rep. Nyahn G. Flomo on June 4, 2024, aims to establish a sustainable and transparent regulatory framework for the community radio sector, recognizing its critical role in Liberia’s peace-building efforts, national development, and the dissemination of public information.
According to Rule 31.4 of the House of Representatives Rules and Procedures, the bill underwent due diligence, including public hearings and extended stakeholder consultations.
On June 28, 2024, the Joint Committee, in partnership with Internews /USAID, convened a well-attended one-day public hearing at the Creed Lodge in Marshall, Margibi County. Participants included representatives from the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs, and Tourism (MICAT), the Press Union of Liberia (PUL), Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), and community radio practitioners across the country.
The report from the Joint Committee explains the participatory process and provides a matrix of key stakeholder concerns along with the Committee’s corresponding recommendations.
‘’A clear definition of a community in the context of community radio, Provisions to ensure genuine community ownership and management, a structured pathway to consolidate multiple stations into one per community after five years’’.
The committee recommendation stated that strengthened licensing procedures to curb fraud, including a requirement for a notarized Board Resolution and clarification of the regulatory roles of MICAT and the Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA) within the licensing framework.
Also, the establishment of a Community Radio National Budgetary Allocation Management Committee to administer an annual 0.25% allocation from the National Budget for the sustainability of the sector, and to enhance transparency and accountability measures governing political and personal donations to community radio stations.
Upon presenting its findings, the Joint Committee recommended that the proposed adjustments be formally incorporated into the bill and circulated to all House members. Following its third reading, Plenary voted overwhelmingly to pass the Act and forward it to the Liberian Senate for concurrence.
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