Free Air-Waves: Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ)

Another serious call to the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ) to licence community radio initiatives was made at a community meeting held in Kariba recently, hosted by Patsaka Nyaminyami Community Radio Initiative and facilitated by Misa Zimbabwe (Koliwe Nyoni). The public meeting on broadcasting reforms came at a time  the newly established local commercial radio station in Kariba is trying to play community radio station's role, a move being seen as a way to block the efforts or the call for the setting up of the community radio stations. The members present were urged to support the National Broadcaster  ZBC by paying up license fees because that is what the laws of the country stipulates.
 
However the community present at the meeting noted with concern that the 94.5 radio (Nyaminyami FM) now operating under the Zimpapers stable though the licensee is Kingstons Holdings still lack content and needs to do much to correct that so as to meet the needs of the community. The current effort by the government of Zimbabwe to embrace digitalisation is seen as light to prepare for airwaves liberation although fear hangs on the selection criteria of the deserving players.
 
Community radio is seen as a tool for community development and Zimbabwe Association of Community Radio Stations ZACRAS has been in the forefront fighting for the licensing of community radio initiatives dotted across the country. Zimbabwe remains one of the countries known for not licensing community radios though there are more than twenty communities known to be having initiatives that are ready to be transformed to be fully fledged stations.