PUTRAJAYA: The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has denied claims that Malaysia is required to abolish the broadcasting licence condition mandating 80 per cent local content following a trade agreement with the United States.
In a statement on Saturday (Nov 1), MCMC stressed that the allegation made by a former editor-in-chief is false and misleading, and does not reflect the current broadcasting licensing framework in Malaysia.
According to MCMC, under the Content Applications Service Provider Individual (CASP) licence - or individual broadcasting licence - issued pursuant to the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 (CMA 1998), there is no 80 per cent local content quota requirement imposed on private broadcasters in the country.
"The current licensing framework provides broadcasters the freedom to determine their own content, subject to the guidelines and content standards set by MCMC,” the statement said.
MCMC also clarified that broadcasting licences under the CMA 1998 do not restrict the airing of international content during prime time, with scheduling decisions left to broadcasters based on market demand and in line with existing content regulations.
Meanwhile, it said the government is developing the National Broadcasting Policy (DPN) aimed at ensuring a sustainable broadcasting ecosystem, strengthening the production of quality local content, and promoting transparent and equitable governance across public, private and international broadcasting platforms. - Bernama
