Media opened up for foreign investors

 

Ray Bande recently in NYANGA

GOVERNMENT is continuing with its stance to open up media space and will soon accommodate at least 40 percent foreign investment in the industry, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Deputy Minister Kindness Paradza has said.

Speaking during a tour to asses progress made in the installation of equipment for Inyangani FM in Nyanga on Tuesday, Deputy Minister Paradza said: “We are amending the Broadcasting Services Act. We are going to open up because we had closed the door in terms of foreign investment in the media industry. “We are going to say 40 percent or even more should come so that foreign investors can come and invest in the media industry. Our thinking as Government is that we want to transform the media industry into a multi-million dollar business. This will be done through partnerships.”

Deputy Minister Paradza commended Inyangani FM for the progress the community radio station has made so far.

“I am sure within the next 30 days we will be back to officially launch this radio station. We are extremely happy with the progress that Inyangani FM has made. They are already carrying out tests of their equipment.

“I went around and discovered that some are still lagging behind. For the 14 radio stations that we have licesned, Inyangani are second in terms of progress,” he said.

Inyangani FM chairman Mr Fungai Chimwamurombe pleaded with Government for a waiver in license fees for newly established community radio stations.

“When people were talking about having a community radio station, it was like a dream. Yesterday when I was driving down here I was listening to 99.5 and I am was happy that this is now a reality. There is nothing as soothing as seeing something that was so small becoming so big.

“We have our own challenges. One is the issue of funding. Of course we have spoken about sponsorship and volunteering but they cannot volunteer for the whole year. These are youths that are supposed to marry and have their own families.

“The other challenge relates to licence fees that are too high. We are begging for a holiday for these licences. Perhaps in the next 24 months or three years we will be given a holiday so that we can grow and build our structures and systems. We are not saying it is going to be forever but we need that space for us to stand on our feet and then start paying the license fees,” he said.