Director of the institution's human rights arm, Church and Society Programme (CSP), Moses Mkandawire said the church applied for a radio operating licence three years ago and MACRA is not doing anything towards issuing them an operating licence.
"This is bordering on their using bureaucracy to deny the people freedom of expression and even press freedom," he said.
MACRA PR manager Zadziko Mankhambo has said they work within the framework of the law and therefore they cannot be faulted on the matter.
"The Communications Act does not give a specified period for assessing and issuing of broadcasting licences," he said.
Radio broadcasting expert Vilunji Mwaunguru has said delay or deliberate actions by MACRA not to issue out operating licences besides bordering on the infringement of media freedom would also bring adverse effects to the regulating body.
"One such danger is the mushrooming of illegal radio operators which to an extent can be traced back to their appalling actions when it comes to issuing out licences," Mwaunguru told Bizcommunity in an exclusive interview.
In a period of eight months since January 2010, MACRA has closed illegal radio stations one each in Mchinji, Mulanje, Kasungu and Dowa while four were closed in Machinga.
All culprits were arrested and charged accordingly and managed to pay fines.
Mankhambo, however, thinks that the problem is to do with public ignorance on the dangers of illegally running radio stations. He recently told local media that MACRA has embarked on a countrywide sensitisation campaign to inform the public the dangers that running illegal radio stations pose in the country.
"We will introduce radio magazine programmes and television infomercials to ensure that the country is aware of illegal radio broadcasting," he said.
He said such illegal broadcasting interferes with emergency services like those of hospitals, first aid and intelligence services of the police and the army as they are prescribed specific wavebands to operate on.
"They also cause interference with aeronautical communication which can cause accidents to flights on landing and taking off," he said.
