SECTOR 2 2.5 Adequate competition legislation/regulation seeks to prevent media concentration and monopolies Analysis: By law (AIPPA) monopolies are not allowed yet diversity is limited in the print media and non-existent in the broadcasting sector. The Broadcasting Services Act provides for the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe to issue licenses yet ZBC continues its monopoly of the airwaves. The monopoly in the dailies market was only broken when The Daily News was established in 1998, but restored five years later when the paper was banned in 2003.vii The existing Competition Commission has not done anything to change that situation and certainly does not serve the interests of media diversity. Legislation is not adequate and not enforced in any meaningful way. With the convergence of internet and mobile networks there could be more opportunities to make new media accessible to all Zimbabweans. Because of the lack of competition, however, with just two major service providers of mobile technology sharing the market, costs are extremely prohibitive and unlikely to go down. (The fate of a third service provider, Telecel, is uncertain: an Indigenisation Act, in force since March 2010, prescribes 51 per cent indigenous ownership for all companies and Telecel’s major shareholders are foreign.) Scores: Individual scores: 1 Country does not meet indicator 2 Country meets only a few aspects of indicator. 3 Country meets some aspects of indicator 4 Country meets most aspects of indicator 5 Country meets all aspects of the indicator Average score: 1.5 (2008: 1.1 ; 2006: 1.0) vii For new developments after the panel meeting see footnote 1. 36 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER ZIMBABWE 2010