The Independent Media Commission (Amendment) Act, 2007.

Short title. No. 19 2007 Sierra Leone The Independent Media Commission (Amendment) Act, 2007. Being an Act to amend the Independent Media Commission Act, 2000. [ ] E NACTED by the President and Members of Parliament in this present Parliament assembled. Date of commencement. ACTS Supplement to the Sierra Leone Gazette Vol. CXXXVIII, No. 48 dated 13th September, 2007 S IGNED this 26th day of July, 2007 ALHAJI AHMAD TEJAN KABBAH, President. LS No. 19 Independent Media Commission (Amendment) Act 2007No. 19 Independent Media Commission (Amendment) Act 2007

Section 1 of the Independent Media Commission Act 2000is amended as follows:– (a) by the insertion of the following definitions:– “DTH” means Direct to Home; “DSTV” means Direct Satellite Television; (b) by the repeal and replacement of the definition of “media institution” by the following definition:– “media institution” means an institution engaged in the provision of print or electronic media facilities including newspapers, magazines, radio, television, DTH and DSTV satellite broadcasting, public relations, advertising, media production and similar other services;

The principal Act is amended by the insertion immediatelyafter section 1 of the following new section:– 1A. Any reference in this Act– (a) to a radio or television shall include reference to DTH and DSTV; and (b) to the application for, granting, renewal, nontransferability, suspension, or cancellation of a radio or television broadcasting licence shall include a reference to the application for, granting, renewal, non-transferability, suspension or cancellation of a DTH or DSTV broadcasting licence”.

The principal Act is amended by the repeal and replacementof subsection (1) of section 7 by the following subsection:–

(1) The Commission shall ordinarilymeet for dispatch of business at such times and places as the Chairman may determine, but shall meet at least once every month”. 4. The principal Act is amended by the repeal and replacement of subsection (3) of section 10 by the following subsection:– “(3) The Executive Secretary shall be a person with wide experience in media or administrative matters and shall be responsible to the Commission for– (a) the day-to-day administration of the affairs of the Commission; (b) the supervision and discipline of the staff of the Commission; (c) the recording and keeping of minutes of the meetings of the Commission; and (d) the performance of such other functions as the Commission may determine.” 5. The principal Act is amended by the insertion immediately after paragraph (d) of subsection (1) of section 12 of the following new paragraph:– “(e) interest from investments made by the Commission.” 2 3 of section 1 of Act No.12 Insertion of section 1A. “Reference to radio and television. of section 7 of Act No.12 “Meetings of Commission. of section 10 of section 12 of Act No.12 No. 19 Independent Media Commission (Amendment) Act 2007No. 19 Independent Media Commission (Amendment) Act 2007 6. The principal Act is amended by the repeal and replacement of section 15 by the following section:– 15. A radio and television broadcasting licence shall be granted to– (a) a citizen of Sierra Leone; (b) a body corporate established by an Act of Parliament or registered under the Companies Act; (c ) a partnership registered under the Business Registration Act, 1983; and (d) an international radio relay station.” 7. The principal Act is amended by the repeal and replacement of section 23 by the following section:– 23. The Commission may determine such standards of over-all performance or specific standards of performance in relation to the provision of radio, television, DTH, DSTV, public relations or advertising services by a media institution, as in the opinion of the Commission ought to be achieved by that media institution.”

The principal Act is amended by the repeal andreplacement of subsection (2) of section 25 by the following subsection:– “(2) An application under subsection (1) shall be made to the Commission and shall state the name of the newspaper or magazine and the permanent business address of the proprietor of the newspaper or magazine and shall be accompanied with the prescribed non-refundable processing fee.”

The principal Act is amended by the substitution for thefine “Le100,000” appearing in section 30 of “Le5,000,000”.

The principal Act is amended by the substitution for theamount “Le1,000” appearing in subsection (2) of section 31 of “Le5,000”.

The principal Act is amended by the substitution for thefine Le50,000 appearing in subsection (2) of section 32 of “Le5,000,000”.

The principal Act is amended by the substitution for thefine Le50,000 appearing in subsection (3) of section 33 of “Le5,000,000”.

The principal Act is amended by the substitution for thefine Le500,000 appearing in subsection (3) of section 36 of “Le5,000,000”.

The principal Act is amended by the substitution for thefine “Le1 million” appearing in section 40 of “Le5,000,000”. 4 5 of section 15 “Qualification for radio and television broadcasting licence. Cap. 249. Act No. 13 of 1983. of section 23 “Standards of performance of section 25 of section 30 of section 31of Act No. 12 of 2000. of section 32 of section 33 of section 36 of Act No. 12 of 2000. of section 40 No. 19 Independent Media Commission (Amendment) Act 2007No. 19 Independent Media Commission (Amendment) Act 20076 7 Passed in Parliament this 13th day of June, in the year of our Lord two thousand and seven. A. A. KEMOKAI, Clerk of Parliament. T HIS P RINTED IMPRESSION has been carefully compared by me with the Bill which has passed Parliament and found by me to be a true and correct printed copy of the said Bill. A. A. KEMOKAI, Clerk of Parliament.