Radio, TV Stations In Zambia To Go Off-Air Overnight Every Day Due To Load Shedding

Zambian radio and television stations have received approval from the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) Board to temporarily suspend broadcasts from midnight to 6:00 AM to help lower operational costs amid ongoing load shedding.

In a statement released on Wednesday, October 2, the IBA Board announced that this arrangement will be effective for the next three months. Reads the statement in part:

The Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) Board has, with immediate effect, granted all radio and television stations a “cooling off” window to help mitigate operational costs caused by challenges due to the current load management.

This respite has been granted to all licensed broadcasting stations across the country, to temporarily go off-air from midnight to 06:00 hours and will remain in force for three months.

The Board made this decision following extensive consultations with various stakeholders and after assessing the impact of load shedding on the operations of broadcasting stations.

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The findings revealed that stations are struggling to maintain 24-hour operations, particularly due to the increased costs of keeping their equipment running during periods of power outages.

Zambia is facing prolonged power outages, with some areas experiencing up to 20 hours of load shedding each day.

This situation is mainly attributed to a combination of factors, including drought conditions that impact hydroelectric power generation and ongoing maintenance work on power plants.

As a consequence, businesses are compelled to rely on diesel generators for extended periods, resulting in higher operational costs.

More: Pindula News