by Taurai Mazwi
Deadline for the submission of licence applications for the provision of Digital Television and Community Broadcasting Services has been extended by two months, a Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ) official has said.
BAZ Chief Executive Officer Obert Muganyura, made the revelations in a press statement yesterday, saying the extension was necessitated by requests and representations made to BAZ by prospective applicants.
“BAZ wishes to advice members of the public that the deadline for submission of licence applications for the provision of Digital Television and Community Broadcasting Services has been extended from the 20th of March 2020 to the 29th of May 2020.
“This extension is due to requests and representations that have been made to the Authority by prospective applicants and stakeholders for an extension. The Authority has duly considered the requests and granted this extension,” said Mr Muganyura.
This comes after Government had invited applications for broadcasting service licences in February this year, as it is gradually liberalising the media space by opening up the airwaves.
Since independence in 1980 Zimbabwe's broadcasting sector has been largely dominated by state-owned television and radio. There had been growing calls from stakeholders for the media sector to be opened up further, to which the new dispensation has taken heed.
The applications for the Digital Television and Community Broadcasting Services licenses are in three categories, which are, free-to-air national commercial television broadcasting service, free-to-air community radio broadcasting service and campus radio station.
In an effort to align with the media reforms, Government resolved to repeal the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA), which will give rise to three legal instruments, the Access to Information Bill, the Zimbabwe Media Commission Bill and the Protection of Personal Information or Data Protection Bill.
Parliament recently went through the third and final stages of putting the final touches to one of the three legal instruments which are to replace AIPPA, being the Freedom of Information Bill. The Bill now awaits President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s approval for it to become law.
Government is also working on the Broadcasting Services Amendment Bill
