Zambia marks World Radio Day

By XINHUA

Zambia on Saturday joined the rest of the world in commemorating the World Radio Day with the government reaffirming commitment to the growth of the media.

Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services Dora Siliya said the government has come up with various measures aimed at ensuring the growth of the media, including radio.

She said the government has come up with the Government Communication Strategy and the Government Communication and Media Development policies as part of efforts to the growth of the industry.

Zambia, she said, has one of the most liberalized broadcasting industry in the region which has seen the mushrooming of radio stations currently standing at 149.

The minister, who is also chief government spokesperson, said the growth of the broadcasting industry was in line with the government policies of promoting freedom of expression, which was fundamental for a thriving democracy.

The theme for this year’s commemoration is “New World, New Radio”.

The Zambian minister while appreciating radio as an important medium of communication, said the challenge was to maintain it as a messenger of trustworthiness in the advent of social media.

“The importance of radio as a tool of communication can never be overemphasized. Radio stands out as an essential and influential tool of all times. It has survived the invention of television, the internet, the iPod and now the smartphone,” she said.

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