**We apologise for any cross-posting**

To: IFEX Auto List (other news of interest)
From: Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA),
[email protected]

Zimbabwe Alert
February 10, 2002
Broadcasting Commercialisation Bill gazetted

The Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) Commercialisation Bill, which
was
passed by parliament, has been gazetted into law, "The Herald" reported on
February 4.

The new law seeks to split the ZBC into two commercialised companies. The
two
companies would specialise in broadcasting and signal transmission business
respectively. The two will be wholly owned and controlled by the
government. It
is envisaged that the commercialization would turn around the fortunes of
the
financial crippled national broadcasting station. The signal carrier company
is
granted a monopoly under this law and also under the April 2001,
Broadcasting
Services Act. This move has been criticised as unlawful and meant to stifle
competition in the broadcasting arena.

Although the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe has called for applications
for
broadcasting licences, this call has been limited to satellite, road
casting,
rail casting and data casting broadcasting. Potential and aspiring free to
air
broadcasting licence holders, who would be in direct competition with the
ZBC,
have not been asked apply for licences.

End

--------------------------

Information distributed by:
Zoe Titus
MISA Researcher
Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA)
Private Bag 13386
Windhoek, Namibia
Tel. +264 61 232975, Fax. 248016
e-mail: [email protected]
web: http://www.misa.org

MEDIA INSTITUTE OF SOUTHERN AFRICA
PROMOTING MEDIA DIVERSITY, PLURALISM, SELF-SUFFICIENCY AND INDEPENDENCE

--------------------------