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Zim rejects applications for new radio, TV licences

Zim rejects applications for new radio, TV licences
By Kingsley Kaswende in Harare
Thursday September 20, 2007 [04:00]

THE Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ) has rejected applications for new radio and television licences because applicants failed to meet the stringent requirements of the country’s media laws. A Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Transport and Communications has heard that not even the licensed operators, including the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Holdings (ZBH), were fully complying with the law.

ZANU-PF member of parliament for Makonde, Leo Mugabe, who is chairman of the Portfolio Committee on Monday questioned BAZ chief executive Obert Muganyura on why the authority had not licensed new players as tasked by the committee at a previous hearing.

Muganyura said the authority was failing to register new players in the radio and telecommunications sector owing to the restrictive legislation.

He said the authority had invited applications for licences but all the applicants failed to meet the stringent requirements, which he described as “problematic”.

Muganyura said the inconsistencies and barriers included the shareholding structure required as well as prohibition of foreign funding and donations to licences by the Broadcasting Services Act.
Zimbabwe has arguably some of the most stringent media laws in the Broadcasting Services Act, Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act and the Public Order and Security Act.

“We have extended invitations to all interested applicants but not a single applicant has managed to meet the required licencing criteria,” Muganyura said, adding that the Broadcasting Act had several inconsistencies.

However, former information minister Jonathan Moyo who was the grand architect of the stringent laws before he fell out of favour with President Robert Mugabe, dismissed Muganyura’s explanation as “disingenuous.”

Moyo, who is now an independent member of parliament for Tsholotsho Constituency near the second largest city of Bulawayo, said the authority ought to have continued inviting people and that those interested could strive to fulfil the licencing criteria.

“If there was evidence that you spent the whole year inviting people and got no response then there is a case. However, since 2004 you have never invited people,” Moyo said.

The committee also questioned why BAZ was silent on the ZBH’s failure to meet the 75 per cent local content and 25 per cent independent producers programming as required by law.

“On transmission aspects, we have not heard any censure from BAZ where the required 75 per cent local content and independent producers programming quota is not met. Do we have an authoritative regulator or you are just sitting there?” asked Mugabe.

Zimbabwe has a rich cache of local music and the legislators were concerned that a lot of disc jockeys were playing foreign music, especially on Spot FM and Power FM.

Labels: MEDIA, THE HERALD, ZIMBABWE

posted by MrK @ 5:23 AM