An agreement establishing The Voice of America (VOA) relay station in Botswana stipulates that it would not air programmes that are detrimental to the countrys interests. Speaking at the 21st anniversary celebration of the setting up of the facility in Selibe-Phikwe, Minister for Communications, Science and Technology, Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi said the agreement also stipulated that relayed programmes would be the sole responsibility of the government of the United States of America. Further, the US was to ensure that broadcasts from the radio station would not cause interference with the country’s scheduled internal and external broadcasts. Interference levels were not to exceed internationally accepted specifications, Venson Moitoi said.
The VOA radio relay facility in Botswana consists of up to six high-power short wave transmitters, two high-power medium-wave transmitters, related antennae, associated receiving and communication equipment and auxiliary power generating plant. Venson-Moitoi said its establishment in Botswana was in consideration of the two countries’ mutual interests in furthering international understanding and cooperation by promoting the exchange and dissemination of information. She said Botswana has used its best efforts to assist the government of the USA in establishing programme-grade feeds into the facility via satellite.
The signing and sustenance of the agreement is a test case for the excellent relations subsisting between the two countries because it came into effect before Botswana promulgated its own laws in broadcasting, including the Broadcasting Act No.6 of 1999. Under this Act, she said, all broadcasting facilities, operations, organisations and institutions operating in Botswana fall under the jurisdiction of the autonomous regulatory body, the National Broadcasting Board which operates under the auspices of the Broadcasting Telecommunications Authority.
In spite of the being implemented as a bilateral agreement outside the framework of the Broadcasting Act, she said, the agreement between the two governments has served well. Agreement between great friends must provide such visionary provisions in order to take into account changing circumstances and scenarios in the domestic or national laws of the respective countries, Venson-Moitoi said.
(Source: Botswana Press Agency)
Andy Sennitt comments: It’s interesting to note that no mention was made of the VOA’s “Studio 7″ broadcasts to Zimbabwe, which are carried by the Botswana relay. This has been the subject of complaints by the Zimbabwe government, the latest one only a week or so ago. Zimbabwe started jamming this service in June 2006.
