ZACRAS: Zimpapers talk radio to go on air

Zimpapers Talk Radio to go on air in March 2012
One of the recently licensed free-to-air national commercial radios, Zimpapers Talk radio, is set to go on air end of March 2012.

In an article published in the Chronicle of 21 February 2012, the Chief Executive Officer of Zimpapers, Mr Justin Mutasa, said plans to get the radio station on air are at an advanced stage and was confident that their March 31 target would be met.

ZACRAS maintains that the awarding of broadcasting licenses to Zimpapers’ Talk Radio and AB Communications was not a milestone in diversifying the media environment in Zimbabwe, but a major setback.
Zimpapers Talk Radio and Supa Mandiwanzira’s AB Communications were controversially awarded free-to-air national commercial radio licenses, by the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ) in November 2011.

It is ZACRAS’ belief that when the nation called for media diversity and plurality, they meant having different voices in the media industry .Awarding licenses to organisations believed to have ties to ZANU-PF is to give the nation a dosage of the same old voice.

Presently, Zimpapers dominates print media and is infamous for praise singing ZANU-PF. It is most likely that similar to Zimpapers print media publications, Talk Radio will be singing from the same hymn book in a bid to amplify ZANU-PF propaganda.

ZACRAS reaffirms its call for the licensing of community radio stations so as to widen access to information and promote freedom of expression in Zimbabwe. The licensing of community radios will offer communities platforms to engage in public debate, irrespective of their educational level, social standing or language.

On the 13th of February 2012, Zimbabwe commemorated World Radio day. On the ground, no remarkable strides have been made to diversify the radio broadcasting environment. This is despite radio being by far a medium of communication that reaches the widest audience, is easily accessible and a low cost medium.

As ZACRAS we say, give vulnerable, remote and marginalized communities a platform to be heard.
License community radios!!!

Gift Mambipiri
ZACRAS Chairperson