BAZ calls on communities to apply for licences

Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, Gwanda Correspondent
THE Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ) has called on communities to submit applications for radio and television licences that meet set standards.

The deadline to submit the applications is July 31.

BAZ intends to license six national commercial television stations, 10 community radio stations and 19 campus radio stations for a 10-year period.

Community radio licences that are up for grabs are for Hwange and Victoria Falls, Beitbridge and Shashi, Mbembesi, Manama and Legion, Empandeni, Maphosa, Ndolwane and Plumtree, Binga, Kamativi, Kariba, Mapengolo and Siabuwa, Chikombedzi, Chiredzi, Rutenga, Mahenye and Maipati, Chipinge, Chimanimani, Gwendingwe, Rusitu, Chibuwe, Shamva and Alaska as well as Rukotso and Susamoyo.

Speaking during a community radio awareness meeting in Manama, Ward 17 in Gwanda on Wednesday, BAZ technical director, Engineer Matthias Chakanyuka said communities should ensure their applications contained detailed information on the legal, finance, content programming and technical aspects. He said the purpose of their visit was to conscientise the community on requirements their applications had to meet. He said Government will assist successful communities with equipment for the stations and transmitters while BAZ will assist in training of personnel.

‘’Your application has to cover four aspects which are legal, finance, content programming and technical. When addressing these issues, you have to put supporting evidence. Make sure you come together as communities and work on producing applications which are up to standard. It’s our desire that you get community radio licences. Make sure these applications are submitted by July 31,’’ said Eng Chakanyuka.

He said communities had to identify two locations where they would set up transmission and production studios, produce a list of equipment which will be in the studios and ensure the stations had a reliable source of power. He said Government through Transmission Media Company will assist communities with transmitters. Eng Chakanyuka said communities were expected to submit their applications together with a non-refundable application fee of $8 500.

‘’In your applications you are also supposed to include your financials. You have to state your source of funding so that we can ascertain whether or not your station can be self-sufficient. You are not allowed to engage foreign donors. The station must be owned and operated by the community. You have to come up with a constitution and organisation structure. The structure should represent all groups of the community.

“Once your application is successful, we have a budget as BAZ for training of personnel and we expect all to be selected from the community,” he said.

In the application communities are also supposed to include a detailed income and expenditure statement, cash flow projection for the next three years, an advance programme schedule containing the list of all programmes that would run on the station and their time schedules.

The councillor for Ward 17, Ephraim Nyathi, said they had made significant progress in preparing their application for the community radio station.

‘’We would like to thank you for this opportunity you have given us to have a community radio station. We are a united community and we look forward to succeeding. We have covered a lot of ground in preparing our application and mobilising funds. We are only left with a few touch ups and then we will submit our application,’’ he said.

The community of Gwanda has formed a board comprising of six members from 10 wards in the districts who are working on the application.

The secretary of the board Ms Pretty Mguni said they had engaged community members, the business community and locals in the diaspora to mobilise funds for the application fee. — @DubeMatutu.