Should radio phone-ins be banned?

Authorities in Namibia and Zambia have recently raised concerns about phone-in programmes.😛

The Zambian government has banned one programme, calling it a "channel for misinformation", while the Namibian authorities have asked the public to "exercise restraint" when taking part in phone-ins.😉

Phone-in programmes have in the past have played controversial roles - in Rwanda the radio station Mille Collines was accused of getting Hutus to phone in and report the whereabouts of their Tutsi neighbours.


Should phone-in programmes be banned? Are they an important element of freedom of expression or merely a platform for bigots to rant?