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SIX out of 18 applicants shortlisted for radio licences have pulled out of the race after failing to pay statutory public inquiry fees on time, the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ) said yesterday.BAZ chief executive Obert Muganyura said Lupane Radio, Bukisa Services (Lupane), Mosie Radio (Victoria Falls), Masego Multimedia (Bulawayo), Vox Media Productions (Harare) and AB Communications (Mutare) were out of the race. “The Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe wishes to advise the public that out of 18 applicants that had been shortlisted to appear before the authority in public inquiries, six have pulled out,” said Muganyura.
He said the six applicants would no longer be part of the process “due to non-payment of statutory public inquiry fees within the stipulated time frame or due to withdrawal from the licensing process”.
BAZ also said public hearings that had been scheduled for Bulawayo, Victoria Falls, Masvingo, Zvishavane and Gweru between July 1 and 4 had been postponed.
Muganyura said the concerned public meetings would no longer be held on the dates initially published by the authority due to “unforeseen circumstances that have necessitated a change of dates”.
He said members of the public and the applicants would be advised of new dates in due course. “The Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe sincerely apologises to the public and the applicants for any inconvenience caused,” said Muganyura.
Radio legend Ezra “Tshisa” Sibanda is part of the race after Skies FM, which is vying for a commercial radio licence in Bulawayo, was shortlisted with three others for a final round of selection.
Sibanda, a former Radio 2 (now Radio Zimbabwe) DJ, is a director for the radio project being bankrolled by Transport Minister Dr Obert Mpofu.
Two other radio stations, Skyz Metro — fronted by Qhubani Moyo and Cont Mhlanga and Skyz FM owned by Trevor Ncube’s Alpha Media Holdings, will also vie for the single commercial broadcasting licence.
Mhlanga and Moyo are also behind the Breeze FM radio project seeking licensing in the resort town of Victoria Falls.
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