The Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ) has instructed banks, hotels and transport operators and providers of content which falls under broadcasting services to submit applications for licensing. Senior Reporter
The licence applications fees, which range from $300 to $10 000 are categorised under diffusion services, open narrow casting, rail casting, roadcasting and webcasting. In a notice, BAZ said the licences were “not subject to a public inquiry”.
“The Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe wishes to advise the public that the law defines a broadcasting service in Section 2 (1) of the Broadcasting Services Act (Chapter 12:06) as ‘any service which delivers television or radio programmes to persons having equipment appropriate for receiving that service’,” reads part of the notice.
On diffusion services whose licence lasts a year, banks, fivestar hotels and other business entities, are expected to pay $10 000 per year, four-star hotels $6 000, three-star hotels $4 000, two-star hotels $2 000 and other hotels, lodges are required to pay $1 000.
BAZ pegged application fees for open narrow casting (electronic billboard) at $250 and basic licence fee at $1 000 per billboard. Operators for rail casting are to pay a basic fee valid for three years at $3 000 for transport operators while programme providers will pay $300.
On road casting, luxury bus operators are to pay $100 per vehicle per year.
Webcasters — those broadcasting live audio and video in real-time to audiences all over the world via the Internet — are to pay $2 500 non-refundable fee and webcasting server facility is charged at $6 000 per year.
The regulatory body said it would be receiving applications throughout the year.
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