Kiss-FM, one of the companies that were denied commercial broadcasting licences by the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ) last month, is challenging the controversial selection process at the Administrative Court.
BAZ brewed a shocker when it issued the two licences on offer to the government-owned Zimpapers and former ZBC journalist Supa Mandiwanzira’s AB Communications.
The board claimed the two had been preferred over two other shortlisted companies, a decision that has torched allegations of bias.
Sharon Mugabe, a co-director and spokesperson for Kiss-FM, which is linked to music superstar Oiver Mtukudzi, said they had filed a notice of appeal because they believed BAZ erred in its adjudication process.
“Kiss-FM is convinced that, among other factors, the authority failed to take into account a number of material considerations, which led to their decision to deny KISS-FM a radio licence,” she said in a statement.
The company’s lawyer Sternford Moyo of Scanlen and Holderness said BAZ had “erred and misdirected itself in failing to take into account or in giving insufficient weight to a number of material considerations or in giving weight or excessive weight to considerations which were immaterial”.
Mugabe said Kiss-FM believed that it submitted a compelling proposal in the hope of bringing diversity to Zimbabwe’s airwaves.
Besides Mtukudzi and Mugabe, other Kiss–FM directors are renowned banker Douglas Munatsi and veteran broadcaster and CEO-designate Musi Khumalo.
