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| Monica Mutsvangwa |
…new TV stations on airwaves by August?
Ratidzo Munembi
The Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ)’s call for television
licences application lapsed today, June 30, with bids expected to be processed
in the next few weeks, TellZim News can report.
The Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Monica
Mutsvangwa yesterday released a media briefing after a meeting of the national
Covid-19 taskforce in which she wishes the new applicants well.
“Government has embarked on a media
reform programme. This includes legislative reforms, media cultural reform and
registering new players in television.
“I wish to inform the nation that the
deadline for applicants to lodge their applications for television players is
tomorrow, 30 June 2020. We take this opportunity to wish applicants all the
best. The Second Republic means what it says on the media landscape reform,”
she said.
In February, the Broadcasting
Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ) made a call for interested parties to make
applications. This was after government promised that the country will have 12 new
national free-to-air television channels by August this year.
A total of six of these channels will
be owned by the state-controlled broadcaster ZBC while the remaining six will
be run by private enterprise.
The application fee stood at a
non-refundable $42 500, with the licence valid for a total of 10 years at a
cost of $306 000 per year.
Meanwhile, government has also called
for application for 10 language-based community radio stations which are
expected to be based in areas perceived to be culturally marginalised.
Great Zimbabwe University (GZU) made history
on June 07 when it because the first university to be awarded a campus radio
licence.
With only one TV station, Zimbabwe’s
broadcasting space is tightly controlled by BAZ which is a statutory body
appointed by government in terms of the Broadcasting Services Act (BSA). This
has seen the country’s broadcasting industry lagging behind its regional peers
despite being one of only two African countries to have a TV station by 1958.
Provisions of the BSA allow
interested players to apply only if and when BAZ has called for applications at
moments it deems necessary.
Government has been accused of
manipulating the authoritarian licensing regime to benefit only private players with deep
political connections to the ruling Zanu PF party.
