Media assets

Television: ZNBC TV1, ZNBC TV2, ZNBC TV3, ZNBC TV4

Radio: ZNBC Radio1, ZNBC Radio2, ZNBC Radio4

State Media Matrix Typology

State-Controlled (SC)

Ownership and governance

ZNBC is a state-owned statutory body established under the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation Act. The Ministry of Information and Media—renamed from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Services following the August 2021 general elections—exercises direct oversight over the broadcaster. The ministry holds the power to appoint and dismiss members of ZNBC’s board.

In February 2022, a new board was appointed in accordance with legal provisions, marking an attempt by the incoming administration to breathe new life into the institution and address longstanding concerns around governance and editorial independence. Berry Lwando serves as the Director General (CEO) of the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation. He was appointed to this position by the ZNBC board.

Source of funding and budget

ZNBC’s financial architecture rests largely on state subsidies, complemented in theory by revenue from public license fees and commercial advertising. In practice, however, the broadcaster remains heavily dependent on government bailouts to stay afloat.

Transparent data on ZNBC’s financial flows is notably absent, with successive audits failing to shed light on the corporation’s exact income and expenditure. With Zambia grappling with persistent budget deficits, the government has struggled to keep the broadcaster’s operations solvent. ZNBC has, for several years, failed to generate meaningful revenue streams from advertising or other commercial activities.

In November 2021, a senior government official admitted that ZNBC had not turned a profit “for many years.” Mounting debts—owed to both domestic suppliers and foreign partners—have pushed the broadcaster to the brink. At times, the organization has even been unable to meet basic obligations such as staff salaries.

ZNBC’s operations have been underpinned by a web of foreign loans and grants, most prominently from China. The Exim Bank of China extended a controversial loan for infrastructure development, which the Zambian government has reportedly been repaying through taxpayer-funded license fees—a move that sparked criticism from civil society groups and transparency advocates.

ZNBC’s 2024 approved budget was ZMW 43.7 million (US$ 1.67 million). The treasury released ZMW 31.1 million, which indicates a shortfall of 29%, according to data provided by the Zambian government.

As of mid-2025, ZNBC is mired in a deep financial crisis, with its continued operation hinging almost entirely on government disbursements.

Editorial independence

Although there are no explicit legal mandates requiring ZNBC to broadcast pro-government content, the broadcaster has long been criticized for toeing the ruling party’s line—particularly during the Patriotic Front (PF) administration. This lack of independence has undermined public trust in the institution.

In the aftermath of the 2021 elections, the newly elected United Party for National Development (UPND) government launched a reform initiative to reposition ZNBC as a genuine public service broadcaster. Minister of Information and Media Chushi Kasanda enlisted the support of BBC Media Action to spearhead the reform process, promising a future where editorial independence would be protected.

Nonetheless, tangible progress remains slow. While ZNBC introduced editorial guidelines in 2014 intended to insulate content from political interference, in practice, these rules have not curbed governmental overreach. The current administration has pledged to reinforce and operationalize these safeguards as part of the ongoing reforms.

Though ZNBC maintains a public relations office to receive complaints from audiences, there is still no independent oversight mechanism to monitor or guarantee editorial independence—leaving the broadcaster vulnerable to political pressure.

June 2025

Media assets

Publishing: Zambia Daily Mail, Times of Zambia

State Media Matrix Typology

Captured Public/State-Managed (CaPu)

Ownership and governance

Established in January 2014, IDC is fully owned by the Government of the Republic of Zambia through the Ministry of Finance and National Planning. As an investment holding company for state-owned enterprises (SOEs), IDC plays a strategic role in managing and growing Zambia’s parastatal assets.

The IDC board is chaired by the President of the Republic, a structure that reflects the corporation’s high-level political alignment. This board has the authority to appoint the boards of subsidiary companies, including the Zambia Daily Mail and Times of Zambia, as well as their managing directors and editorial management teams. Consequently, these newspapers remain tightly tethered to state structures despite claims of operational autonomy.

Although editorial oversight formally falls under the Ministry of Information and Media—renamed from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Services in September 2021—the functional control lies squarely with IDC’s executive leadership.

In January 2022, plans were announced for a merger of the two newspapers into a single consolidated media entity under IDC’s wing, aimed at streamlining operations and reducing redundancies. However, no substantive updates on the merger’s progress have emerged since that announcement, and the plan appears to be stalled or quietly shelved.

Source of funding and budget

The Zambia Daily Mail and Times of Zambia are primarily sustained by commercial revenue streams, such as advertising, print sales, and government procurement contracts. However, financial transparency has been virtually nonexistent in recent years.

Given the country’s macroeconomic challenges, media analysts suggest that both newspapers are likely struggling to remain solvent without hidden state subsidies or cross-subsidization from IDC’s more profitable ventures.

Editorial independence

While there are no statutory mandates requiring Zambia Daily Mail or Times of Zambia to adopt a pro-government stance, their editorial lines consistently reflect the interests of the ruling party. Journalists and media experts cite pervasive political bias, attributing it to the government’s direct hand in appointing editorial leadership.

Frequent board dismissals—often without explanation—underscore the newspapers’ vulnerability to political pressure. This instability reinforces perceptions that editorial control remains an instrument of the state rather than an independent journalistic process.

As of June 2025, no regulatory statute nor independent oversight mechanism exists to safeguard the editorial autonomy of these IDC-owned publications. Content analyses conducted by local experts for this project continue to reflect a clear editorial tilt favoring the executive branch and the ruling United Party for National Development (UPND), following a similar pattern seen under previous administrations.

June 2025

Media assets

News agency: ZANIS

State Media Matrix Typology

State-Controlled (SC)

Ownership and governance

ZANIS operates directly under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Information and Media, to which it is fully subordinated. The agency is headed by a director drawn from the civil service, appointed and remunerated by the ministry. This governance structure underscores ZANIS’s role as an institutional extension of the government rather than an independent news body.

Source of funding and budget

ZANIS is entirely financed through public funds allocated in the national budget. In 2019, it received a budget of ZMW 18.8 million (approx. USD 800,000). By 2022, this allocation had been significantly reduced to ZMW 4.9 million (approx. USD 227,000), according to government budget documents.

No public figures have been released for 2024 or 2025, but recent fiscal constraints suggest that ZANIS continues to operate on a limited budget. The lack of transparency in its financial reporting raises questions about the sustainability and scope of its activities.

Editorial independence

ZANIS has a clearly defined mandate: to promote government policies and cultivate public support for state initiatives. In practice, it functions more as a mouthpiece for the administration than as an impartial news agency.

Although there is no statute explicitly enforcing government-aligned content, the institutional design of ZANIS makes editorial independence virtually impossible. Its close integration into the civil service and direct accountability to the Ministry of Information and Media leave little room for dissenting or critical coverage.

As of June 2025, no independent oversight mechanism, editorial board, or external accountability framework has been established to safeguard or assess editorial standards at ZANIS.

June 2025