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Broadcasting rules announced
The Herald
September 06, 2004

http://www.herald.co.zw/index.php?id=35473&pubdate=2004-09-06

GOVERNMENT has announced regulations and fees for those intending to set up broadcasting services in the country.

In a statutory instrument published in a Government Gazette on Friday last week, the Minister of State for Information and Publicity in the Office of the President and Cabinet, Professor Jonathan Moyo, said the basic licence fee for a 10-year free-to-air commercial radio has been pegged at $672 million, with a non-refundable application fee of $5 million.

The frequency fee would cost $800 000 per frequency per month plus 0,5 percent of the audited annual gross turnover payable annually.

It would cost $840 million for a basic licence fee for a free-to-air National Commercial Television coupled with a $5 million application fee, which is non-refundable.

The frequency fee would be $1,6 million per frequency per month plus a broadcasting fund of 0,5 percent of the audited annual gross turnover payable annually.

To set up a Subscription Satellite or a Subscription Cable Broadcasting station, one would need to fork out the equivalent of US$400 000 at the prevailing auction rate for a basic licence fee valid for 10 years plus the equivalent of US$5 000 in application fees, which is non-refundable.

The monthly frequency fee would be two percent of monthly subscription turnover plus a 0,5 percent broadcasting fund of the audited annual subscription turnover payable annually in the currency the subscription is collected.

Those seeking a Commercial Satellite Uplink would require the equivalent of US$60 000 at the ruling auction rate for a basic licence fee for 10 years, in addition to the equivalent of US$2 000 at the prevailing auction rate.

There would be a two percent frequency fee of the annual gross turnover plus a contribution of 0,5 percent of the audited annual gross payable annually of the broadcasting fund.

A temporary Satellite Uplink licence fee would cost US$500 per day plus a US$250 non- refundable application fee, both to be paid in United States dollars.

A Subscription Narrow Casting service basic licence fee valid for 10 years would cost $97 million and $73 million for television and radio respectively while an application fee of $2,5 million would also be required.

A prospective broadcaster would pay a monthly frequency fee of $800 000 and $1,6 million per frequency per month for radio and television respectively.

The basic fee for a 10-year Open Narrow Casting licence would range from $28 million to $213 million, depending on the population served.

A basic licence fee for two years for Datacasting would cost $15 million and $20 million for radio and television bands respectively.

A basic licence fee valid for two years for Diffusion for hotels, lodges, the first 30 televisions sets would cost $24 000 each for the duration of the licence and $20 000 per set for any additional sets for the duration of licence.

The basic fee would vary from two percent to 15 percent depending on the hotel’s star rating.

A Roadcasting and Railcasting basic licence fee for two years for a transport operator would cost $20 000 per vehicle and $10 million respectively payable annually for the programme provider for both Roadcasting and Railcasting would cost $5 million.

The basic licence fee for two years for Webcasting for both content provider and Webcasting Server would cost $20 million plus a $2,5 million application fee.

It would require the equivalent of US$1 million at the ruling auction rate for a basic licence fee for 20 years for a Signal Carrier licence plus an application fee of $10 million.

A Regulator Administrator fee of $2 million per transmitter per annum would also be required on Signal Carrier Licence.

A Community Broadcasting Licence’s basic licence fee for 10 years would require $414 million plus a $500 000 application fee.

The minister stressed the need for successful applicants to stick to the provision of the Broadcasting Services Act lest the relevant authorities would charge them.

The Government in March invited applications for a second national television network and said prospective broadcasters should pay an application fee of $410 million while the basic licence fee was pegged at US$1 million or the local currency equivalent.

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