IBA suspends KBN TV’s licence for 30 days over breaches of 2026 election coverage rules

# What happened Authority (IBA) suspended KBN TV's broadcasting licence for 30 days with immediate effect after its board met in a 56th special session. The action responds to breaches of the 2026 Election Coverage Guidelines identified in the IBA's assessment of election coverage.

# What the IBA found

The authority said it considered KBN TV's compliance history when deciding to suspend the licence. Between 2023 and 2026 the station had appeared before the board four times and received six written cautions for similar breaches.

# Requirements during the suspension The IBA ordered KBN TV to use the 30-day suspension to:

• Conduct in-house training for staff on programme moderation and ethical broadcasting.
• Review and strengthen its editorial policy to clearly define acceptable language and on-air etiquette.

The suspension must run for the full 30 days. KBN TV has the right to appeal to the Minister of Information and Media under Section 31(1) of the IBA Amendment Act within 30 days.

# Wider enforcement at the same meeting The IBA also suspended three other stations—3FM Radio (Chipata), Mungu FM (Mongu) and Healing TV (Lusaka)—for 30 days for nonpayment of 2026 annual operating fees. Separately, the board cautioned 16 stations for breaches including content that could incite panic or violence, hate speech and tribalism, and misinformation.

The IBA said 17 stations in total were cited for breaching the election coverage guidelines after assessing coverage of the 2026 general election. Five stations had severe breaches and were called for compliance hearings, while 12 had minor infringements. The suspensions were imposed under Section 29(1)(i) of the IBA Amendment Act.

# Why this matters to viewers and broadcasters For viewers: the suspension removes KBN TV's service for at least 30 days, affecting audiences who rely on the channel for news and election-related information.

For broadcasters: the decision signals enforcement of the Election Coverage Guidelines and shows regulators can and will use licence suspension when breaches recur or are judged severe. Stations with prior cautions face higher scrutiny.

# Immediate next steps to watch

• Whether KBN TV appeals to the Minister of Information and Media within the 30-day window.
• How KBN TV implements the ordered staff training and editorial-policy changes during the suspension.
• Outcomes of compliance hearings for the five stations identified with severe breaches.

# Bottom line The IBA imposed a full 30-day suspension on KBN TV for six election-coverage breaches, citing repeated noncompliance. The regulator also suspended other outlets for unpaid fees and cautioned multiple stations for content-related violations. The decision requires KBN TV to retrain staff and update editorial policy and preserves a formal appeals path to the minister.