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Masvingo Bureau

Great Zimbabwe University has become the first Zimbabwean university to get a broadcasting licence to operate its “GZU Campus Radio” station that will help it reach out to its students.

The Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ) last Friday announced that GZU’s Campus Radio will be issued with a broadcasting licence upon payment of the first year’s licence fee of $42 500 within two weeks.

The licence will have a 10-year tenure.

This development comes at a time when the realm of higher education has been devising new ways of teaching in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

BAZ chief executive Mr Obert Muganyura, in a letter to GZU Vice Chancellor Professor Rungano Zvobgo said the application by GZU Campus Radio was successful and that the yearly fee was $42 500, with the first year’s fee needed within 14 days so the licence could be issued.

Prof Zvobgo hailed the development saying the radio station will revolutionise learning at GZU during the Covid-19 era, which calls for social distancing.

“This development comes at a time when higher education is devising new means of reaching out to students in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and I am very happy that we are the first university to successfully apply for radio broadcasting licence which will be handy given the obtaining challenges caused by the current pandemic.’’

“GZU is particularly excited because we will be able to reach our students at all campuses, the development obviously transforms our learning and teaching strategy as an institution, while also offering our media students and even media practitioners from houses such as ZBC to benefit from real life working environment at our Campus Radio.

“We feel this is a major accomplishment,”said Prof Zvobgo.

GZU Campus Radio as part of the broadcasting family will be a tool for social cohesion and engineering.