State of Broadcasting and Digital Migration in the Region https://zimbabwe.misa.org criticism of the state and governments under pressure may seek to target the broadcaster or journalists for airing criticism however balanced that criticism may be. Again, it is commitment from government to openness and debate that is necessary.16 working with the recent case of the granting of broadcasting licenses by the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe, is that we will have a multiplicity of TV stations with no diversity. Partisan broadcasts and skewed reporting lead to polarity and threaten national peace. Thus in a scenario where the most overriding issue when it comes to access to information and freedom of information is Government’s reluctance to entertain any debate, there is no evidence that such openness and debate will be entertained once digital migration is achieved. The concern highlighted above is also echoed by one of the respondents, a Media and journalism student at a local university in Zimbabwe, who pointed out that, For example, recently in Zimbabwe the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe granted licences to six players. An analysis of the ownership patterns of the licensed players points to a system where those that are linked to the state are given licences. For example ZTN is owned by ZimPapers where government is the biggest shareholder; the other licenced stations belong to individuals linked to the ruling elite. It would therefore be folly to assume their content will be very different from that of ZBC TV which has been traditionally touted as the government’s propaganda mouthpiece.17 The concerns above potentially mean that digital migration is not synonymous with an enjoyment of the right of access to information and freedom of information, at least as far as the case of Zimbabwe has demonstrated. What will likely happen in the case of Zimbabwe, especially A conversation with a radio editor from Zimbabwe unveiled the following: A multiplicity of channels and no diversity! Governments in the SADC region are not about to grant citizens full enjoyment of the right to access to information and freedom of information. As we have already seen in Zimbabwe, the latest round of television broadcast licenses have been granted on a partisan basis. While digital television migration presents a lot of opportunities for station owners, content producers and consumers among others, Zimbabwe and the SADC region might not get to enjoy these benefits should they continue with their approach of wanting to control and maintain a stranglehold on the media.18 Thus, digital migration may be opportunistically used as an example of plurality while the rights of access to information and freedom of information continue to be violated. There are many digital content creators in SADC. In the case of Zimbabwe, because of the constriction of television broadcasting space, many content creators opt for the internet. There is therefore a palpable awareness of the limitations that bedevil television broadcasting and there is no indication that such limitations can be dealt with simply through digital migration. A conversation with one content producer who posts politically satirical skits on YouTube supported the view that the internet is actually more alternative than digital migration. 16 J. Hills, ‘Regulatory Models for Broadcasting in Africa,’ in: Article 6 (ed.), Broadcasting Policy and Practice in Africa, 2003, p.47. 17Semi-structured interview with a Media and Journalism student at a local university, held on 15/12/2020. 18Semi-Structured interview with a radio editor from Zimbabwe, held on 14/12/20. 26