zimbabwe: Broadcasting authority selling the public a dummy

Broadcasting authority selling the public a dummy

By Sizani Weza

The outreach campaign being conducted by the Broadcasting Authority of
Zimbabwe (BAZ) represents yet another attempt by the authorities to
frustrate aspiring broadcasters through delays. The questionnaire's results
are obvious-they will either justify ZBC's unfair monopoly in the sector or
give good reason for the need for an alternative government run broadcaster.

The endless planning conducted by the authorities through BAZ and the
Department of Information and Publicity has been done at the expense of
truly liberalizing the airwaves. This is what the public expected after
Capital Radio's successful court challenge on ZBC's monopoly on the airwaves
in 2000.

The most nauseating aspect about the BAZ survey is that it is the second
similar survey being conducted by the same institution within two years. The
first survey, which consisted of open-ended questions, had a deadline of
31st August 2001. Neither the frequency allotment plans nor new players in
the broadcasting arena were realized after its conclusion. Instead, the past
two years have seen the shutting down of the only alternative broadcaster,
Joy Television, in the broadcasting sector and an increasing intimidation of
aspiring and existing independent broadcasters through bombing, harassment
of their workers and threats.

The latest survey, whose deadline is 5th September 2003, comes hardly a
month after the Minster of Information and Publicity in the Office of the
President and Cabinet promised Zimbabweans that administrative policies and
technical instruments for licensing new players would be put in place before
the end of July. Given the survey would be used for determining the
frequency allotment plan, it means that these technicalities are not
possible before September. If experience from the previous survey is
anything to go by, then Zimbabweans may as well wait for two more years for
new players to enter the sector.

In terms of the BSA, the BAZ is the sole manager of the frequency spectrum
of Zimbabwe, and the licensing and regulatory authority for all broadcasting
services of Zimbabwe. It plays an advisory role to the Minister who is the
final licensing authority. This arrangement renders the whole management of
the frequency spectrum prone to political interference and cannot be
described as democratic.

The BAZ has argued in the past that it intends to use the surveys to
determine frequency allotment and licence area plans. Any responsible
Government truly committed to the liberalization of the airwaves should have
engaged in this process soon after the colonial era. The 1957 Broadcasting
Act, drafted by a Government that did not want alternative players in the
scene, protected ZBC's monopoly. The Zanu PF government kept this
legislation for the same purpose, if not worse. Its successor, the
Broadcasting Service Act (Chapter 2:06), has failed to stamp out the
objectives of the colonial law.

The questionnaire circulated for the purpose of determining the frequency
allotment plans gives away the intentions of those conducting the survey.
These include the efforts to undermine short-wave broadcasts through
limiting the number of options for frequency bands accessed by the public.

Questions such as "to what extent do available radio/television stations
support the promotion of Zimbabwean arts and cultural values" will give a
distorted picture of the existing situation, which has led to the
exploitation of independent film producers and musicians. Media consumers
may watch programmes from local independent producers on television. But the
fact that they are not paid adequate royalties to eke a living out of their
work is obscure to them.
The question can best be addressed to local independent producers who are
important stakeholders in the broadcasting industry the BAZ purports to
regulate. It is noteworthy that this category has been ignored in the
questionnaire, which is conspicuous for its agrarian orientation- it lists
three categories of farmers as options, that is, farmer, full time farmer
and part time farmer (question 19).
The resultant distortions may deny the public additional radio and
television stations on the basis of fostering of Zimbabwean national
identity and values (Section 3.3.j of the BSA).

And does the BAZ necessarily need the opinion of viewers and listeners to
determine whether certain radio frequencies are received in certain areas or
not? Surely, Transmedia Private Limited should know the capacities of their
transmission equipment and can provide this information to the BAZ.
Similarly, the Posts and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (POTRAZ)
should by now have informed the BAZ of the available bands in the frequency
spectrum it regulates. This is purely technical work that can be resolved
before consultations with the public.

Transmedia, a signal carrier service provider that is the sole transmitter
for all broadcasters in the country, has not made public its proposed
solution to the information drought experienced by Zimbabweans in other
parts of the country such as Hwange and Chimanimani who have reported
difficulties accessing local television and radio transmission. The only
consolation for these people is that they are spared from the daily tidal
wave of Rambai makashinga jingles, Jonathan Moyo's latest propaganda
campaign.
At one time, Hwange residents petitioned the ZBC over poor reception of FM
frequencies in the area. Transmedia was tasked with managing the
broadcasting frequencies and ensuring that Zimbabweans, wherever they are,
access local radio and television. The only development the company has
publicly announced is its acquisition of shares in Multi-Choice. Far too few
Zimbabweans have access to DSTV. Why go for projects that will benefit few
people leaving most Zimbabweans starved of information?

What Zimbabweans need is their right to choose an alternative to ZBC on the
FM band. This certainly cannot be achieved through endless planning, but
through licensing of new players in both radio and television broadcasting.
Even more, is the desire to have a broadcasting station that will present
more balanced news and current affairs than the politically-soiled content
of ZBC's programmes.

Meanwhile, the public can take advantage of the BAZ outreach and survey to
demonstrate their desires for a truly liberalized broadcasting sector.
Public action can range from simple letters of demand accompanying the
flawed questionnaires to public protests during the BAZ outreach meetings.
Although the BAZ may not be the appropriate to take up such submissions,
this will put pressure on Government to consider its policy position on the
liberalization of the broadcasting sector. But above all, it will make sure
that the BAZ does not sell the public another dummy as happened in 2001.

Sizani Weza, 8th July 2003
About the author: Sizani Weza is Advocacy Officer with the Media Monitoring
Project Zimbabwe (MMPZ) and a member of the Public Information Rights Forum
(PIRF).
Contact details: 15 Duthie Avenue, Alexandra Park, Harare, Tel/fax: + 263 4
703702, Mobile: +263 23 414036, E-mail: [email][email protected]