Beverly Bizeki
Great Zimbabwe University (GZU) is set to introduce a campus television station following the success of the campus radio that was established three years ago.
This was revealed by GZU Campus Radio Director Golden Maunganidze at the Radio Festival launch at the Herbert Chitepo Law School where he said the campus tv station will be part of a National Centre of Excellence in Journalism and Broadcasting that the university envisages having.
The campus tv station is likely to see the light of day after getting a nod from the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services.
“With the achievements we have made within the three years we have been existing, I have confidence that what the acting vice chancellor has said can surely be achieved. I do not see anything that stops us from running a Centre of Excellence in Journalism and Broadcasting.
“A concept note on how we would like this national centre to look like is already there. We would like to have a Campus TV, Radio Station, Broadcasting Academy and student run newspaper all under the centre,” said Maunganidze.
Maunganidze said the centre is set to provide refresher courses for topical issues in the industry in compliance with education 5.0.
“The centre will be running refresher courses on all topical issues in the media industry as well as leading in research on models of sustainability to be adopted by our media in Zimbabwe,” he said.
Information Ministry Permanent Secretary Nick Mangwana who was representing Minister Janfan Muswere said he was pleased with the institution’s flexibility that has enabled it to cope with the new trends and said the ministry was being pushed to consider supporting the centre due to the passion and dedication of the university.
“This is the kind of flexibility and reflectivity that we long to see prevailing in our academic institutions, your passion and zeal has motivated us as a ministry to consider supporting the university’s vision of having a National Centre of Excellence in Journalism. If it is in the national interest we will support it,” said Mangwana.
Mangwana also promised the licensing of more community radio stations in the coming years.
“In the coming five years, the country is going to witness the licensing of more community stations including communities of interest and religious communities,” said Mangwana.
Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Ezra Chadzamira gave a nod to the initiative and said universities were doing a good job in running community media and said it was a good idea for them to have campus television stations as is in other countries.
“I am convinced that universities are better placed to run community media than any other entity and I am sure Great Zimbabwe has what it takes to run a Campus TV. I am hoping that one day we shall witness our government officials speaking to the nation through Great Zimbabwe University TV.
“I am aware that in other countries universities run television stations and surely why can we not afford GZU an opportunity to lead in that area?” said Chadzamira.
23 community broadcasters from all over the country graduated at the institution after going through a community broadcasting short course training programme with GZU.
