Story by Lisa Masuku
The Bulawayo community has thrown its weight behind the Broadcasting Services Amendment Bill, citing the central role in it will play in production of creative content, vital in turning around the fortunes of the national broadcaster.
The Public hearing of the recently gazetted Broadcasting Amendment Bill held in Bulawayo this Thursday was attended by civic organisations and ordinary citizens, with most people supporting clause 15 and 16 which speaks to the funding of the national broadcaster, ZBC through provisions that prohibit the sale of motor insurance cover to persons without a ZBC car radio licence.
Clauses 15 and 16 will play a vital role in ensuring that ZBC has enough funding to produce quality content and pay content creators.
“The most obvious thing is that our public broadcaster needs funding, so I support this Bill 100 percent,” said citizen.
“If this bill is going to address issues to do with funding, I fully support it because it will ensure that the public broadcaster is vibrant,” said another citizen.
“As young people, we do not watch ZBC anymore because we do not resonate with the content it produces. I believe the coming of this bill will help ensure that as young people, we take pride in our cultural identity because we will be watching our own local programmes.”
Chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Media, Information and Broadcasting Services Honourable Caston Matewu gave insight into the next stages after the public hearings.
“We will table your views before parliament. Then, if parliament passes it, it then becomes an Act of Parliament, then it becomes law,” he said.
The Broadcasting Services Amendment Bill was gazetted in November this year.
