Thursday, February 17, 2011

RESIDENTS TO CHALLENGE ZBH LICENSES

By Habakkuk Trust Information Department

In a reaction to the residents’ complaints over ZBH Television and Radio licence fees, Habakkuk Trust has initiated a campaign meant to help the residents amplify their voices and complaints on the said matter.

The campaign that is aimed at assisting the citizens petition the broadcasting authority over license fees is a reaction to the ZBH programme of licences fee collection. The main borne of contention is that:
• The ZBH license staff demand fees even from those citizens that are on satellite dish and do not view Zimbabwe Television,
• Residents of Bulawayo are complaining that they do not see value in paying their licenses because there are very few programmes from the region and there is rarely any news coming from this region,
• They also raised concerns that ZBH is no longer a public broadcaster as it has literally turned out to be a ZANU PF broadcasting authority which churns out partisan messages and information. This happens in the context of a Government of National Unity and at the expense of other developmental news.

Habakkuk Trust and the Advocacy Action Teams have therefore begun circulating a petition demanding the broadcasting authority to immediately reform its operations or face residents’ boycott of license fees. Moreover, the petition demands the authority to stops collecting money from residents until such a time when its programming is improved, balanced and non-partisan.

The organisation therefore urges all progressive citizens to sign the petition and write letters on the issue.

Currently, residents are being forced to pay USD50 per year for home television licenses. Home radio listeners without television sets are forced to fork out USD20 whilst car radio owners will have to part with USD30.
Habakkuk Trust will also be running a special news flash on licenses that are meant to publish residents’ views, opinions and comments regarding the issue.

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