MBC gets injunction over broadcasts row
Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) obtained a court order restraining Football Association of Malawi and their television broadcasting content producer, Mibawa Television from producing football matches for Zuku TV and FAM’s Mpira Channel.
A Football Association of Malawi (FAM) statement, released on Saturday said fans would not watch any games until the issue is resolved.
The injunction affected the broadcast of Airtel Top 8 quarter-finals first leg match between Silver and TN Stars at Dwangwa Stadium in Nkhotakota as well as the Malawi against Cameroon game in the World Cup qualifier played at Orlando Stadium in South Africa.
“The Football Association of Malawi (FAM) would like to inform all football fans and stakeholders that we will not be able to televise today’s and tomorrow’s Airtel Top 8 matches,” reads the statement.
But FAM has assured the football fraternity that they are working hard to ensure that they resolve this as soon possible to allow fans watch the games.
MBC’s director general George Kasakula made it clear that they will challenge FAM’s decision of awarding Mibawa Television the rights to produce content with Zuku TV as host content broadcaster as they feel that they are the right broadcaster to do that.
He claimed that FAM’s move was suspicious as MBC won the bid to become host content providers for Mpira TV and discussions were in progress.
Kasakula also said limiting television coverage of local games to one TV station is retrogressive and MBC as a public service broadcaster will not allow FAM to go ahead with its new venture
In a related development the awarding of the rights for Zuku to broadcast on its channel drew mixed reaction as fans feel this would deny most soccer fans an opportunity to watch the games since it is not popular.
