London — Zimbabwe's long-awaited TV liberalization is finally under way with the much-trumpeted granting of six licenses. The catch is that all but one of these licenses have been given to Government entities, military-controlled companies and Government cronies. Russell Southwood looks at how the process lays bare how - post-Mugabe - Zimbabwe's political elite operates.
After much delay, six of the fourteen companies that applied to operate were granted licenses by the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Authority, following public hearings held last month. All six new free-to-air private television stations given broadcasting licenses have a statutory 18-month window to go on air. Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Monica Mutsvangwa expressed confidence that all six will take off. In April 2021 it was revealed that three of the TV license contenders were struggling to pay the application fees and the process was delayed.
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