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BAZ speaks on freeing the airwaves
MISA-Zimbabwe
November 02, 2005
The Broadcasting
Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ) says it is evaluating the country’s
licensing and content regulations to establish whether there are
restrictions that inhibit the entry of new players into the broadcasting
sector.
BAZ acting chairman
Pikirayi Deketeke, said the authority would, "if necessary",
forward its recommendations to the Ministry of Information and Publicity
and would thereafter, be in a position to invite fresh applications.
He said the
licensing authority recognises the need to licence private players
as part of efforts to develop a dynamic broadcasting industry.
Deketeke, however,
said no private players had been granted operating licences as all
the applications for local and national commercial radio stations
and commercial television services failed to meet the criteria in
terms of the Broadcasting Services Act (BSA) and the Broadcasting
Services (Licensing and Content) Regulations of 2004.
Munhumutapa
African Broadcasting Corporation was in September this year denied
a licence after the BAZ ruled that it had failed to demonstrate
that it had the financial muscle to run a commercial television
station.
Deketeke’s comments
come on the backdrop of reports that the BAZ would soon be summoned
to appear before a parliamentary committee to explain why it has
not invited applications for community radio stations three years
after the enabling legislation came into force.
The state-controlled
Zimbabwe Broadcasting Holdings enjoys monopoly of the country’s
airwaves as no private players have been licensed to enter the broadcasting
sector since the enactment of the Broadcasting Services Act (BSA).
The BSA, among
other restrictions, bans foreign funding and investment in the otherwise
capital-intensive broadcasting sector.
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