As one way of promoting the broadcasting industry and ensuring quality programming MACRA has partnered with institutions of higher learning in the country to establish a content studio.
MACRA has so far signed an MoU with teh University of Malawi (CHANCO) and the Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS). The memorandum of understanding cements a working relationship that will see the construction of content studios which will be equipped with a state-of-the-art digital camera, multimedia editing suites, media storage servers, lighting, workstations and fiber optic Gigabit Ethernet Network Switches.
Speaking at the MoU signing ceremony MACRA’S acting director general Henry Silika stated that the studio will be a tool in which broadcasters in the county will achieve their license condition of airing 60% of local content in their programming.
“we noted that despite have the 60/40 license condition for content, most broadcasters air foreign content, because they lack the capacity in terms of training and resources mobilization for local content production. It is our hope that with the establishment of these studios broadcasters will gain access to the necessary training as well as resources for local content production” Silika said.
on their part MUBAS and CHANCO stated that the studios will equip students at the two institutions with practical skills on content production making better skilled graduates that will contribute positively to the growth of the broadcasting industry in the country.