Radio Licences bring hope for Media practitioners.

BAZ Chairman Tafataona Mahos (File image)

Scores of media practitioners around Zimbabwe have breathed a sigh of relief after the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ) has named five companies that won local commercial radio licences to broadcast in eight selected urban centres following interviews conducted last year.

These are AB Communications which won two licences (Gogogoi FM and Faya FM in Masvingo and Gweru respectively), Kingstons (Nyaminyami FM and KE100.4 FM in Kariba and Harare respectively), Fairtalk Communications (Skyz Metro FM and Breeze FM in Bulawayo and Victoria Falls), Zimpapers (Diamond FM in Mutare) and Ray of Hope trading as YA FM in Zvishavane

The opening of airways comes at a time when graduates from the communication institutes such as the National University ofScience and Technology and Harare Polytechnic college were skeptical about their trading environment as the broadcast industry was only open to only six stations all believed to be under Zanu pf rule.

In an interview students from Nust said “This is time for us with the relevant degrees to finally find employment as we had already lost hope and were contemplating join the bandwagon down south,” said Thubelihle Mafu. 

Michelle Mulingo said the opening of airwaves is a welcome  effort inline with the governments empowerment drive and fulfillment to the 2013 election manifesto. It is also important to note that Zimbabwe’s unemployment rate is currently at 92.5% hence the few jobs that come with the opening of airwaves will be greatly appreciated

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However, Nhlanhla Ngwenya, the MISA director, said the allocation of the licences showed the Zanu (PF) government’s growing strategy to create a media monopoly, as most the of the beneficiaries are directly or indirectly linked to the ruling party.

“This is a non-event as it is an attempt to eclipse private players under the guise of freeing the airwaves. The state already has a monopoly of the airwaves through ZBC and a close analysis of the new licence allocation indicates that government will directly or indirectly have a bigger share,” Ngwenya.