Broadcast Speech and the State of Broadcasting with Reference to Ethiopia: A Review

Abstract

The issue of this reviewed is the issue of broadcast speech and the state of broadcasting in general and the Ethiopian reference in particular. It is also the issue of the right to freedom of expression, media diversity and pluralism since the one cannot be isolated from the other in the principles of freedom of expression to secure and guaranteed and to be applied the right given by the international, regional conventions ratified by the member states and the national constitutions. This review found that unlike its history the spectrum showed poor development both in terms of diversity and pluralism due to the unjustified reasons of controlling methods done by governments and other loyalties by the name of nation building, national development, security and profit maximizing purposes. That is why; this review argued that the broadcast media should not be treated differently from the other media in regulation except for the convincing reasons such as the issues of scarcity and economic efficiency as well as the technical matters of the frequency. The very reason of the argument is that broadcast media is the main source of information and entertainment especially in countries with high level of illiteracy and poor economic capability. Thus, this review found that controlling the broadcasting spectrum is another means of limiting the right to freedom of expression and even denying the role that the broadcast media plays in the activities of a country’s overall development processes as well as nation building affairs. This review, therefore, recommends that all stakeholders concerned with this issue should lobby the government as well as the policy formulators to reread and amend the existing proclamations with the highest responsibility and accountability to secure the use of the broadcast spectrum for the better exercising the emerging democracies and the overall development activities of the developing nations. And it further recommends that government must participates concerned stakeholders on the issues of nation building and national development and security by maximizing the use of the spectrum since all this issues cannot be achieved without the participation of all concerned stakeholders. Keywords: Broadcast Speech, Freedom of Expression, Media Diversity, Media Pluralism, Broadcast Proclamation