The national broadcaster, Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) has applied to the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe for a National Commercial Digital Terrestrial (NCDT) license.
Meanwhile, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information, Publicity, and Broadcasting Services, Nick Mangwana has commended the national broadcaster for the move, saying it will end the current ‘one television channel’ position.
“With this application by @ZBCNewsonline to run other channels on their reserved capacity, Zimbabwe is burying the “One Television Channel” epithet for good,” he says.
Apparently, Zimbabwe has only one television station, run by the state.
Last year, the Zimbabwean government under President Emmerson Mnangagwa awarded new television licenses that would end decades of monopoly by the only State-controlled broadcaster ZTV (ZBC TV).
However, experts fear it is merely a ploy for Mnangagwa to tighten his grip on power, as it was alleged the applicants were linked to his government and the ruling party.
-Zwnews
