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Mukudzei Chingwere
Herald Reporter
THE Government has gazetted licence fees for private broadcasters following the recent liberalisation of
the airwaves, which saw the licensing of six new free-to-air private television stations.
The announcement was made by Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister, Monica Mutsvangwa, in terms of the relevant legal statute in a Government Gazette published this week.
“It is hereby notified that the Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services has, in terms of section 46 of the Broadcasting Services Act [Chapter 12:06], approved the following regulations made by the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe Board,” reads the notice.
“These regulations may be cited as the Broadcasting Services (Licensing and Content) (Amendment) Regulations, 2020 (No. 5) and shall have effect from 1st November, 2020. The principal regulations are amended by insertion of the following section after section 12B – “Additional categories of broadcasting service.
“In addition to the classes of broadcasting service that a licensee may be permitted to provide in terms of section 7 of the Act, a broadcasting licence may authorise the licensee to provide a provincial commercial radio broadcasting service.” The fees include a free-to-air national radio broadcasting services non-refundable $205 000 for application fee/renewal fee, and a $1 640 000, per annum basic licence fee for 10 years.
Provincial commercial radio broadcasting service pay a non-refundable application fee/renewal fee of $205 000 and a $574 000, per annum basic licence fee for 10 years.
Since 1956, Zimbabwe has had one television service. However, the freeing of the airwaves is part of the Second Republic’s commitment to implement political, economic and social reforms to make Zimbabwe an upper middle income economy by 2030.
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