The Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) in Zambia has warned it will begin to regulate the content of online broadcasting stations.

The IBA said broadcasters need to be registered and regulated, adding that any person wishing to operate or provide broadcasting services in Zambia - regardless of whether the broadcasting service is conveyed through radio frequency spectrum or any electronic communication networks such as the internet - is required to obtain a broadcasting licence.

The Authority said operating without a licence is punishable in accordance with the IBA Act.

IBA Director General Josephine Mapoma said like other broadcasting stations, online broadcasters should behave and conduct their businesses in line with the ethics of broadcasting.

“In regulating content, we are not saying we are regulating you on what to do. You will have your own editorial policy but you have to be registered with us so that you conduct your business within the broadcasting guidelines and ethics,” said Mapoma.

There has been confusion between the IBA and the telecommunications regulator ZICTA (Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority) as to who is responsible for regulating online broadcasting stations.

The IBA had previously claimed that it did not have the power or mandate to regulate these stations because they were not licensees.

According to latest statistics from ZICTA, there are 10, 219, 976 mobile internet users in Zambia, representing 57.14% penetration rate and 83, 317 fixed internet subscriptions, representing 0.46% penetration rate.