Zambia media regulator summons five broadcast stations over election coverage

Zambia’s Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) has summoned five broadcasting stations for compliance hearings following a monitoring exercise into their coverage of the 2026 general election.

The assessment was conducted under Section 5(2)(h) of the Independent Broadcasting Authority Act of 2002, the 2026 IBA Election Coverage Guidelines issued in May and other applicable broadcasting standards, the regulator said.

In a statement issued in Lusaka on Monday, IBA Director General, Webster Malido, said the monitoring exercise had identified instances of non-compliance during the election period.

The violations included the broadcasting of unsubstantiated allegations and unverified or potentially misleading information, as well as hate speech and tribal content, he said.

The regulator also cited inadequate editorial challenge of allegations and claims made by guests and members of the public.

“The affected stations have been called for compliance hearings scheduled for Wednesday, 16th September 2026 at the IBA,” Malido stated.

Malido said the hearings would give the affected stations an opportunity to respond to the findings before the Authority determines the appropriate course of action.

“The Authority reaffirms its commitment to promoting responsible broadcasting while upholding the principles of media freedom and the right to freedom of expression, in accordance with the law and applicable broadcasting standards,” Malido said.

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