Police raid pirate television station

identified as ATV.
The news would then be broadcast on ATV and 80 other television channels throughout the world with some of the information flowing back into Zimbabwe.
The Herald news crew arrived at the company’s premises while officials from the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority and the Post and Telecommunication Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe had besieged the offices.
The company’s employees who included freelance journalists were picked up for questioning as investigations into DDB Harsh 3’s operations begin.
In an interview, a senior police officer at the scene said they were acting on information received about the company’s operations.
“We got information that there is a company which might be gathering news and exporting it. In turn the news will flow back into the country. They were doing it through a British broadcaster-ATV. The broadcasting is not done here.
“They sent clips and their stories to ATV in Manchester. We have now closed this place and we are taking some people for questioning,” the officer said. “The funny part of it is that they (DDB Harsh 3) were given receiving gadgets that they wanted to distribute. These included satellite decoders.”
Apart from thousands of gadgets seized by police yesterday information at hand shows that 4 000 more were expected from overseas.
DDB Harsh 3 is reportedly linked to one Sachikonye who is believed to be based in England and regularly flies in and out of Zimbabwe. There were indications that the company faces charges of contravening the Broadcasting Services Act. The Act criminalises broadcasting without a licence from BAZ.
The offices were yesterday sealed off with armed police details manning the premises located at corner Natal Road and Second Street.