Presenter Queen Fire presenting a program on Ufulu FM before the station went off-air
Close to 40 employees of the privately owned Ufulu FM risk being jobless as the station has now gone off-air after the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority-MACRA revoked its operating content licence over unsettled fees arrears.
In July this year, MACRA indicated that the station had unsettled arrears amounting to at least K27 million.
Some workers at the institution reveal that currently they will only be serving their audience through live streaming and Facebook posts.
“Most of the workers have gone for annual leave, but the management is in talks with MACRA,” says one worker.
A few days ago, MACRA reopened Capital FM after settling its licence fees amounting to K14 million and reapplied for a new licence. The regulator had earlier revoked the licence.
MACRA has also revoked licenses for Galaxy Radio, Joy Radio, Sapitwa FM and Rainbow Television on similar grounds. Of course, Rainbow Television settled its K10.3 million it owed the regulator.
Previously, Misa Malawi questioned the rate at which MACRA was revoking the licenses and wondered if it was creating space for new entrants.
It feared that some media houses critical to the current regime would not stand the chance of having their licences back.
But MACRA Director General, Daud Suleman has insisted they are only following the law while calling on the broadcasters to adhere to such.
