Zimbabwe Association of Community Radio Stations (Zacras) will use next week’s World Radio Day commemorations to further push the government to open up community radio licensing as it has done for commercial stations in the past two years.
BY PAIDAMOYO MUZULU
Zacras programmes officer Kudzai Kwangari said the organisation will use the commemorations next week Thursday to lobby Information minister Jonathan Moyo to speed up the process of licensing community radios.
This year’s World Radio Day in Zimbabwe will be held under theme Broadcasting Diversity and Pluralism — Beyond 2015, while internationally it will be under the theme Youth & Radio.
“We have invited Minister Moyo to be the guest speaker and speak on the topic The Future of Community Broadcasting in Zimbabwe at our commemorations at the Book Café in Harare,” Kwangwari said.
“As we commemorate this day, we seek to encourage our government to continue developing the broadcasting sector by now licensing community radios scattered around the country.”
Two national free-to-air commercial radio licences were awarded to Zimpapers’ StarFM and Supa Mandiwanzira’s ABC ZiFM Stereo. The Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe is currently adjudicating applications for local commercial radio licences that were opened last year.
Kwangari said community radio stations stood ready to broadcast within their communities once the ministry calls for applications and finalise the process.
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The World Radio Day commemorations will be also held in Harare’s First Street on Friday while simultaneously there will be other national celebrations in Gweru.
