Zimpapers' Star FM a product of rape

Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Media, Communication and Information Technology chairperson Settlement Chikwinya has described Star FM as a "child of rape", saying the issuance of a broadcasting licence to Zimpapers could not be celebrated as there was immense government influence in programming.

Speaking after the tour of the station in Harare on Thursday, Chikwinya said he still felt the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe should have awarded licences to new players as enshrined in Article 19 of the Global Political Agreement.

The committee had visited Star FM to see how it had established itself and if there was diversity in programming content.

"Whilst I celebrate the birth of the new baby (Star FM), I do not celebrate the process in which that baby was born because it is a product of rape - I do not celebrate the issuance of a licence to the Zimpapers stable, which is purely government-controlled, and would have loved licences to be issued to independent broadcasters that are independent from government influence," Chikwinya said.

He, however, praised the station's diversity. "During our tour, we noted they had diversified in terms of entertainment programmes and other cross-cultural sectors, but they have not done so much on public issues with a political bearing and those are fundamental at this stage when the nation faces elections," he said.