As far back as I can remember it has been the norm to have one television station in Zimbabwe. In the 1990s, there emerged a second channel but it was confined to Harare and its immediate vicinity. It is mind-boggling that a nation like Zimbabwe does not have a wide array of television channels. It is a bitter irony that local Zimbabweans prefer to watch channels such as SABC 1, 2, and 3. We ought to have numerous channels to choose from. Remarkably, Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) has been a television broadcasting monopoly for a 4 good decades. This is set to change, somewhat.
The Latest Developments…
Broadcasting Services Act [Chapter 12:06] including conducting public enquiries to determine Applicant’s suitability to be issued with Broadcasting Service licenses. The Authority has completed the processing of the applications and the final adjudication thereof.
The Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe advises that the following six Applicants have been awarded Free-to-air National Commercial Television Broadcasting Service licenses;
- Jester Media (Pvt) Ltd trading as 3K TV;
- Zimbabwe Newspapers (1980) Limited trading as ZTN;
- Rusununguko Media (Pvt) Ltd trading as NRTV;
- Acacia Media Group (Pvt) Ltd trading as Kumba TV;
- Fairtalk Communications (Pvt) Ltd trading as KeYona TV; and
- Channel Dzimbabwe (Pvt) Ltd trading as Channel D.
KeYona TV Hits The Ground Running
KeYona TV has already issued out a call to action to get the ball rolling. Here is its latest communique:
KeYona Television Talent Auditions 27 November to 5 December 2020
Call For Action
The KeYona TV Content Development Team will be in Bulawayo from the 27th of November to the 5th of December auditioning for new TV personalities and new content ideas. On the 30th of November at 11am the team will be meeting all interested Independent producers at Amakhosi Studios who have an interest in supplying content to KeYona TV. If interested pleases contact our Content Development Executive Assistant on +263 78 363 6656 and make a booking to present your content pilot and proposals.
Those who have produced any content in the last 3 years and want to show it to the theam will be given an exclusive appointment while those who have not produced anything but want to give it a try will be addressed in a group meeting.
For those who aspire to be TV personalities and launch themselves with KeYona TV can come in at Amakhosi Studios at Amakhosi Cultural Centre from the 27th of November to the 5th of December between 9am to 4pm. All sexes and races will be auditioned. Ages wanted are 20 to 45. Must have good looks for TV and a strong voice, must be able to read fluently in any of Zimbabwe’s national languages. You must be able to show the Team the Zimbabwe ID. We will have no Zoom meetings as people tend to use camera filters.
Those that are below the ages of 20 are already going through the process under the Yis’Khathi Sethu Talent Development program in partnership with Skyz Metro FM. They meet at Amakhosi Cultural Centre every Saturday from 9am to 4pm. If you are 19 and below and want to be part of KeYona TV you are invited to visit the Yis’Khathi Sethu Team.
We are not only looking at potential TV personalities from Bulawayo but from all Zimbabweans across the world.
So what are you waiting for? Pick your bag and rush to Bulawayo! It is the city of your dreams from now going forward!
The Content Development Team
KeYona Television
Contact the Content Development Executive Assistant on +263 78 363 6656 for bookings.
Some Concerns…
There has been some debate on whether or not this is a positive development. There has been some talk about the people behind these entities that have been awarded licenses. Many people feel that the TV channels will be captured and censored for the most part. Other than that, the players that have been granted licenses hold an unfair advantage over other players that might be interested in entering the space.
MISA Zimbabwe even expressed their concerns in the following remarks, “While the decision to license more television stations is a welcome development, MISA Zimbabwe is worried at the lack of diversity in the granting of the TV licenses. The new TV license holders either already hold print or broadcasting licenses or are linked to the government or the governing party.
With this scenario, the country risks having a homogeneity of news and views, an anathema to democracy. If Zimbabwe is to have a truly diverse media, there is a need for more players from different backgrounds to be granted licenses”.
All in all, I guess time will tell whether or not these latest developments will yield any meaningful progress in Zimbabwe. It might be too early to pass conclusive statements regarding this because things might turn out differently. After all, some people say that there is nowhere in the world where media is not controlled. What are your thoughts? Kindly share with us in the comments below.
