Prominent musician Oliver “Tuku” Mtukudzi, a banker, a businesswoman and a host of exiled broadcasters are among the many people hoping to get a radio operating licence. Tuku’s group is also made up of BancAbc boss Douglas Munatsi, businesswoman Sharon Mugabe, legendary broadcasters Musi Khumalo, Tony Ndoro, George Munetsi and television personality Bertha Charuma.All are directors in KISS FM a business concern under HOT Media Company. They made their submissions before the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (Baz) yesterday at a public hearing held in Harare. The consortium was the first among the four remaining applicants to appear before the public hearings which will determine who will get the first commercial broadcasting licence in Zimbabwe since independence.
In presenting their arguments, KISS FM Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Khumalo said the music entertainment station had over 100 years of broadcasting experience in the number of personalities behind it.
Mtukudzi who enjoys support locally and internationally because of his achievements as a musician brings in a wealth of experience in music to the station.
The world acclaimed musician who has more than 50 albums to his name owns his own studio and runs Pakare Paye Arts Centre in Norton.Munatsi is the Chief Executive Officer of BancABC group of companies which is operating in six southern African companies has been at the helm of the organisation since its formation. Mugabe is a businesswoman in her own right. She founded Imago Y&R a communications company. She is currently CEO of Beeline Media Group in South Africa.
Khumalo was groomed at ZBC where she served for over 25 years before leaving the state broadcaster in 2001. She is currently working as a chief of radio for the United Nations. Veteran broadcasters, Ndoro and Munetsi also passed through ZBC. They are now presenters at Super Sport/etv and Kaya FM respectively.
Charuma is currently working as a presenter at Radio 2000 in South Africa. Baz chairperson Tafataona Mahoso said three other applicants would make their submissions at separate hearings which he said would end next week on Thursday. “The process has started and will end with an adjudication process. There are three more applicants who are going to present and everyone will be given an equal chance. We have to hear them fairly,” said Mahoso.
The hearing comes at a time when media rights groups have been lobbying government to free the airwaves to make way for democratic processes in the country. Media Institute of Southern Africa (Misa) which has been leading a campaign to have the airwaves opened, welcomed the development but disagreed with the secretive manner in which Baz was dealing with the determination of successful applicants.
“Obviously we are happy the process has started, we call on the authority to complete the whole process as soon as possible and bring the whole matter to finality. We would have wanted to see a publicity campaign so that people would come and attend the hearings because it is the people’s process.” “The problem is that they did not give us a full schedule on who was going to be heard when. What is worrying is the lack of transparency in this public process,” said Nhlanhla Ngwenya, the Misa national director.
Yesterday’s event had its own fair share of controversies. Several hired crowds were in attendance. They wanted to know what will happen if the country is under attack, they asked if the radio station will use its allocated frequencies to defend it. Daily news
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