IBA Summons Five Stations Over Election Coverage Compliance

The Independent Broadcasting Authority -IBA- has called five broadcasting stations for compliance hearings following its monitoring and regulatory assessment of the coverage of the 2026 General Election. The assessment was conducted pursuant to Section 5(2) (h) of the Independent Broadcasting Authority Act of 2002 and in accordance with the 2026 IBA Election Coverage Guidelines issued in May 2026 and other applicable broadcasting standards. IBA Director General WEBSTER MALIDO says the authority identified instances of non-compliance involving, among others, broadcasting of unsubstantiated allegations and broadcasting of unverified or potentially misleading information. Mr MALIDO says other non-compliance involved hate speech and tribal content, as well as inadequate editorial challenge of allegations and claims made by guests and members of the public. In a statement issued to ZNBC News today, Mr MALIDO said the affected stations have been called for compliance hearings scheduled for Wednesday, 16th September 2026 at the IBA. Mr MALIDO said the hearings will provide the stations with an opportunity to respond to the findings before the Authority determines the appropriate course of action.