SLAJ Urges media owners not to increase advertising rates yet

Freetown: SLAJ has noticed that certain media houses have started announcing increments in the cost of advertising in their individual media organs without the consent and expressed approval of other media owners and stakeholders including SLAJ, as it is normally the case.

The association wishes to urge these and other media houses including national newspapers and magazines; community, commercial and state radio; and national TV stations to unconditionally desist forthwith from effecting any increase yet as it explores a reasonable way out of the situation.

While, SLAJ is aware and sympathetic of the current constraints facing media owners in running their businesses and the clear need for increase in the cost of advertising due to high cost of production brought about by the hike in foreign exchange rate to the Leone, the association wishes to appeal to them in the interest of fair competition to demonstrate some level of understanding and restraint.

It is worth noting that at a National Media Stakeholders’ Meeting held in Freetown in May this year, a consensus was reached to increase advertising rate effective January 2010 as a means of helping media owners meet the high cost of production, their tax obligations and the general welfare of their staff.

The meeting also agreed on clear guidelines on employee employer relationship and a minimum wage for journalists/broadcasters, but to be approved at the forth coming SLAJ Annual General Meeting in Makeni this November before being effected. It is therefore hoped that the current cost will be maintained until after the AGM.

Any inconvenience caused is deeply regretted.

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