Story by Kenias Chivuzhe
THE Government has reiterated its commitment to promoting the growth of the media industry with economic sustainability, increased access to information, expansion of transmission signals, digitisation and licensing of more players, among a raft of measures being implemented.
This emerged when the Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Dr Zhemu Soda, visited Manica Post and Diamond FM in Mutare this Thursday, to appreciate operations at the two media institutions that are part of Zimpapers in Manicaland province.
Minister Soda met editorial and technical staff before being taken through the operations of the newspaper and radio station, where he emphasised the need for the media industry to adapt to the changing environment.
“The Zimbabwe Media Policy, which the government has launched, has five to six pillars. The first one is economic sustainability, where we would want to see the media being economically sustainable in terms of exploring contemporary means by which the media should continue to have an impact on the lives of the people. We are aware that times continue to change and as such, the media must be abreast with the changing times and ensure that the business of disseminating information is done in a manner where costs are recouped and the people in the media ecosystem continue to thrive. Government supports a variety of ways through legislation, among others,” he said.
Minister Soda also went live on Diamond FM, where he highlighted the strides being made by Government to improve access to information.
“The other pillar is access to information, and Government has ensured that almost every area in the country receives signals, particularly radio signals. Currently, we are working on a number of community radio stations. We have licensed 22, and 14 are already operational. People are now receiving information on time. We are also focusing on human capital development, ensuring that people continue to be capacitated, particularly in the media industry,” he said.
“We are equally prioritising local content development. During the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2) period, some resources will be set aside to capacitate people so that they produce local content. In doing so, we will also be creating employment. We are also focusing on digital transformation. Your reach as a broadcaster has expanded due to the digitisation process currently underway. Diamond FM is one example of radio stations operating in different regions.
“Government will continue to support and capacitate community radio stations, including Diamond FM. You are already aware that additional spectrum was allocated so that you can reach areas such as Nyanga that previously had no reception. People in those areas can now tune in, participate and stay informed about Government programmes, including devolution projects taking place in their communities.
“As Government, we will continue providing support, including expanding transmission infrastructure. New transmitter stations are being established, and we will continue with these efforts so that everyone has access to information. Diamond FM is among the beneficiaries when we expand this transmission infrastructure,” he said.
Before his departure, Minister Soda toured the institutions’ commercial divisions that are a source of revenue for the media houses.
The Minister’s tour of the regional commercial radio station and newspaper reaffirms government’s commitment not only to support the growth of provincial media institutions, but also to ensure the media contributes more to inclusive national development in line with the devolution agenda.
