Trevor Ncube's Alpha Media cry tribalism over failed radio bid

Carryslot (Pvt) Ltd, trading as Skyz FM, which is linked to Alpha Media Holdings,  proprietors of NewsDay, The Standard and Zimbabwe Independent has accused the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ) of tribalism.

Carryslot (Pvt) Ltd had in 2014 sought a radio licence to operate in Bulawayo and Harare.

In Harare the station was to be called Capital FM and its programming was planned to be 70% music and 30% talk radio and  target audience was hoped to be  25 to 49-year age group

Interviews where held at Rainbow Hotel in Bulawayo over two days.

It however lost.

Now, almost two years later the form has approached the courts seeking redress.

According to NewsDay, through its lawyer, Advocate Thabani Mpofu, Carryslot said the criteria used by BAZ in awarding broadcasting licences to Fairtalk Communications (Private) Ltd and Kingstons (Private) Ltd were likely to starve Zimbabweans of balanced news because of their alleged links to the State.

"The effect of BAZ's decision is anti-competition. For example, if one radio station calls for a one-million-man march, nobody says 'no' simply because there is no competition in the editorial content. Besides, the awarding of the same licences is tribalistic. We have radio stations that are predominantly Shona; Ndebele speakers can't tune to their stations of choice, broadcasting in Zimbabwe is completely insular and undemocratic".

Presiding judge Justice Herbert Mandeya reserved his decision over the matter.