The move will end decades of state monopoly of the airwaves. The advert in the state-controlled Herald newspaper taken out by the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe said the licence would run for 10 years and stations would be required to pay $15,000 annually plus 1 percent of their gross yearly turnover.
The reformation of the media is a contentious issue within the power-sharing government set up two years ago by President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai. Mugabe has dragged his feet while Tsvangirai has accused state-controlled newspapers and television of preaching hate and propaganda in favor of Mugabe and his ZANU-PF party.
Several newspapers have been licensed since May 2010 by a reconstituted Zimbabwe Media Commission, which regulates the newspaper publishing industry.
Three national private dailies are now being published, along with two state-owned titles. Tsvangirayi has expressed his dissatisfaction with the composition of the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe. It was appointed by Webster Shamu, the minister of information without consulting the other political involved in the unity government, as agreed in the GPA.
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