By Jonathan Mbiriyamveka
Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Deputy Minister Honourable Kindness Paradza said foreign investors will soon be allowed to have 40 percent shareholding in television stations.
Paradza told content creators at the two-day workshop recently held in Kadoma that the opening up of the airwaves required quality content.
“We are now opening up the airwaves for foreign investors to have 40 percent shareholding in local television stations and the local shareholding will have 60 percent but however, what we don’t want is for them to dictate content. This means that there is need for quality content which can be consumed both locally and abroad,” Paradza said.
The current Broadcasting Services act outlaws foreign ownership.
He also said that community radio stations which were facing a lot of viability problems due to lack of funding will now be able to have donors and advertisers to generate revenue.
Previously community radio stations were not allowed to have foreign funding or even go commercial and this was hampering progress and flow of information.
In his opening remarks, Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services Minister Jenfan Muswere said content creation can develop into a million-dollar industry and a source of sustainable employment for young people.
Minister Muswere challenged content creators to produce quality local content which can be monetised.
“I would like to challenge all online content creators to have a global outlook and focus on the wider international market by creating world class local content, which can be monetised while putting the country on the world map.
“I believe that, once capacitated, content creation can develop into a million-dollar industry and can be the source of sustainable employment for young people,” Muswere said.
“Zimbabwe is our mother land and the best picture of this nation can only be painted by you, the content creators.”
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