(Harare)Zim-Music guru Oliver Mtukudzi has been struck by bitter disappointment over the failure of the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ) to issue him a commercial private radio licence.
Zimbabwe’s most popular musician, a director in the Kiss FM company that was seeking one of the two licences to operate a commercial radio station in a country, is reportedly exasperated following the disappointment.
Most readers thought and speculated that Mtukudzi would obtain a licence owing but the opposite outcome emerged.
“Our presentations (Kiss FM) at the public hearings for the interviews for the licences were absolutely substantial and convincing and the outcome that we have been denied a licence is very sad news. I am at a loss of words and disappointed,” Tuku was quoted by Radio VOP.
BAZ has awarded AB Communications (owned by ZANu PF apologist Supa Mandiwanzira) and Zimpapers which is owned by the ZANU PF controlled government.
Meanwhile it emerged that the ZANU PF businessman,the only private licencee to win, Supa Mandiwanzira received assistance from the ZANU PF violent mob Upfumi Kuvadiki to obtain his licence when group of close to thirty young men in number from the ZANU PF youth league formation were seen at the premises on the 25th October when Mandiwanzira presented his bid.
Nevertheless Tuku said he is not giving up on radio but would look into the option of a community radio station if and when the opportunity arises.
Artists were backing Tuku’s KISS FM in the hope that if the musician had been licenced the arts sector would have a voice and platform to speak out.
Artists said they do not have the voice they felt they deserved on the state-run radio and television channels and awarding Tuku a licence would have been empowering to the arts sector.
Music deemed critical of the authorities is banned and hard hitting interviews with artists are censored at the state broadcaster.
“Licensing Tuku would have empowered all artists and the entertainment and culture sectors but Mugabe (President Robert) knows pretty well that giving artists a radio licence would be arming the artists with a weapon to attack his bad governance,” said Muchaneta Sachikonye, a music teacher.
“Common sense would have been to issue the two contested licences to non-partisan people or companies. But look who got the licences – Supa (Mandiwanzira) a known Mugabe apologist and Zimpapers who are aligned to Mugabe and Zanu-PF.”
The MDC-T party’s spokesman Douglas Mwonzoro said the licences were meant to fool the Southern African Development Community (SADC) into believing that Zimbabwe was reforming the media in line with agreements by the principals in government.
By awarding licences to their own cronies Zanu-PF will just as before maintain a total grip on the electronic media with now six radio stations including the new entrants and two television channels at the disposal of their ruthless propaganda campaign. (Radiovop| Additional reporting ZimEye)
11 Replies to “Mtukudzi disappointed by RADIO licencing failure”
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1. Tuku you are brand (am your fan). But you don’t get a license becoz you are Tuku. Your business proposal should be up to scratch!
2. Some people claim to apolitical. Lies! Among the contestants, Supa and Zimpapers are ZPF-aligned, only VOA is pro-MDC-T. Where were other MDC-T aligned player?
3. Immediately after failing, VOA indicated they’d continue broadcasting from abroad. To me they were never serious about being granted a license by the Mahofa-headed BAZ! It was a perfunctory exercise.
4. BAZ looks biased to me. Supa, my homeboy should not have been granted a license, based on performance during presentations.
5. BAZ is a necessary regulatory body in Zim. We do not need to tolerate lawlessness in any sector.
6. Current players in the broadcasting industry need to be jogged up by new competition coming from fresh players. We’re disappointed with their performance.
7. People like Tuku should not give up. Continue pushing. Time will surely come, if not in your time then later!
We can argue and argue. The soution is in holding free and fair elections in orde to have an authority to talk to. People must just vote against looters be it in boadcasting or where ever. I have seen qualified people being sidelined in a number of effective and senior posts only for looters to share it amongst themselves as Rhodesians used to do. Of course devolution will get rid of all this looting by corrupt Harare Mahosos and their likes in other industries such as tourism etc.
things that are a banality in the rest of the world are a pain to achieve in Zimbabwe. Why,why,why? WHEN WILL THIS COUNTRY MODERNISE? Looks like only when backward politicians and parties are gone
In a normal society every small time or village has its own community radio station usually manned by locals
Learn from Masiiwa and Econet don’t loose hope Tuku
Thousands of jobs can be created by electronic media l know of a cultural group in bulawayo which had trained djs,sound engineers etc aquired equipment for a community radio statiom the potential project went up in smoke
Somhlaba you are very right, decisions on small business rights like broadcasting should be able to be decided at even district leve broadcasting these day can just be from a laptop compuetr and a small transmitter but backward Zimbabwe still views it from its 19 th century struggle days where they push up issues of security, cost and their usual paranoia. This centralisation of things to Harare is a tired argument whose results are evident, undersdevelopment and ignorance of tremendous proportions. Lest you do not know radio coverage does not even go beyond 60 km beyond the main urban centres. Ppl are actually tuning into neighbouring countries networks for news and entertainment. I understand why some ppl feel cessation is the way to go because they are living in an imaginary Zimbabwe.They are virtually like stateless. Stop monopolising power or else you will become irrelevant to some of us
The answe to Zim problems is devolution of power.As it is we should be doin this awarding in 5 provinces of Zimbabwe.Tha a private station owned by a pesrson who doiesnt understand Karanga OR nDEBELE WAY OF LIFE IS SICKENING.Each province should have its licence notr this bull we see .If Mugabe and TSVANGIRAI DONT UNDERSTAND THIS DEVOLUTION OF POWER GOING BY THEIR CARELESS APPROACH TO REGIONAL POLITICS, THEY WILL DESTROY zIMBABWE.
tuku they know that you are a genre never loose hope on your dream
i think we dont even need licence to broadcast, we only need to register.how do you choose who qualifies for the silly licence after all. The usual drab and uninspiring 5 o levels, a degree or political party affiliation.When will Zimbabwe learn that entrepreneurship is more for the inspired that for the bookworms and the political parrots that are so prevalent in our cursed country. Just free up the airwaves for any Zimbabwean who wants to play a role in entertainment and information dissemination. What are you afraid of, you paranoid people. There are jobs and an industry to be achieved out of this. Look at Jamaica, South Africa and thats precisely why you all want to be there. When will you ever modernise your way of thinking, for Gods sake you are wasting such wonderful opportunities in what otherwise would be a great country. Just FREE UP THE AIRWAVES, THEY ARE NOT PERSONAL PROPERTY OF ANYONE IN ZIMBABWE. THE VIEWERS AND LISTENERS WILL REGULATE THE INDUSTRY.. VUKANI.. MUKAI MA ZIMBABWE, YOU ARE TRAILING EVERYBODY NOW
Dont lose hope your turn will come Tuku.