BRENNA MATENDERE
MEDIA experts have challenged government to free the airwaves and put in place modalities to ensure easy and affordable registration of more radio stations saying the status quo in which the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) is the dominant broadcaster is retrogressive.
The stakeholders made the remarks at a round table discussion on radio diversity and opportunities in the industry in Gweru yesterday ahead of the national radio day commemorations to be held today.
Zimbabwe Media Commission chief executive officer, Tafataona Mahoso said the current trend of radio programming which focuses on smart phones to generate SMSes had shrunken media diversity in the country.
“We don’t hear voices from Muzarabani, we don’t get voices from Chipinge and other such discussions which might be critical to enhance development,” he said.
Pelagia Kapuya, the Zimbabwe Association of Community Radio Stations (ZACRAS) chairperson weighed in saying the availability of many radio stations does not translate to diversity.
“We are saying we need diverse genres in radio services from community radio stations, commercial and national. Community radio stations are particularly handy in times of disaster preparedness through awareness and if we had a radio station during the cyclone Idai, we could be talking something different in terms of the effects,” Kapuya said.
Director of Media Services in the Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services ministry, Anywhere Mutambudzi said President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government was doing everything in its powers to promote media diversity.
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“We have proved beyond reasonable doubt that we are ready to free the airwaves as government. However in doing this, we need to be cognisant of the fact that we are dealing with a finite resource which is airwaves,” Mutambudzi said.
“As such we need to be responsible in our allocation of licences. We also need to note that there is an issue of national security. Radio is a weapon which can be misused to achieve certain agendas like what happened in Rwanda and we need to be careful about this. Issues of national security play a role in granting such licences.”
ZBC director of radio services Robson Mhandu said the national broadcaster besides being the dominant force is playing its part to promote diversity through churning out people-oriented programming at its various stations.
