I s s u e 17 - S
E P T E M B E R,
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FREQUENCIES FOR THREE COMMUNITY RADIOS REQUESTED
CONGRATULATIONS TO TETE CC!
Beira and Chimoio:
Taking Final Steps
CR:‘WAVES’FOR DEVELOPMENT
COMMUNITY COMMITTEE IN
CHIMOIO
MISA-MOZ. REACTIVATED
 FREQUENCIES
FOR THREE COMMUNITY RADIOS REQUESTED
Three civic organizations supported by the Media Project for the
establishment of community radio stations in rural Mozambique have
just submitted official request to the government to get frequencies
and broadcasting licenses for their pilot stations. The Associations
of Community Radios in Homoine and Cuamba and GESOM in Chimoio are
therefore expected to soon become the first community radio
operators under the UNESCO executed Media Development Project in the
country.
The requests for frequencies and broadcasting licenses were sent to
the Information Cabinet (Gabinfo) under the Prime-Minister’s office,
and the National Institute of Communications (NIC), under the
Ministry of Transport and Communications, the first two entities
responsible for the first hand legal and technical clearance of a
number of comprehensive file documents, in a combination of
different laws and acts.
According to the relevant Mozambican legislation, said to be
labyrinth of interpretation and integration, documents for the
establishment of a radio station outside the public domain, by
private, mixed or co-operative operators, should first be submitted
to Gabinfo, for the legal clearance of the requesting entity, as per
the terms of the constitution of the Republic, the Media Law (also
known as the law 18/91, combined with the so-called Act of the
participation of the private, mixed and co-operative sector in the
broadcasting activities (known as the Act 9/93). For the National
Institute of Communications (NIC), the requesting entity is expected
to submit a document with precise and comprehensive technical
specifications, generally know as the Radiation Plan, also mentioned
in the Act 9/93.
After completion and approval of the technical analysis of the
radiation plans, NIC submits the file to the Minister of Transport
and Communications, for final endorsement. From here, the file,
already with the transmission frequencies, is sent back to Gabinfo,
who then prepares the broadcasting license, to be attributed by the
council of Min isters.
The long preparatory period with the three communities in Homoine,
Chimoio and Cuamba started in July 1998, when the Media Project
initiated the social mobilization activities, leading to the
creation, through a thoroughly conceived democratic process, of
legally registered associations. A number of training programs,
following different models, then followed, tackling on issues
ranging from community radio management strategies to programming
and program production, with the involvement of large numbers of
locals.
CONGRATULATIONS
TO TETE CC!
The elected Management Committee of the Tete Communication Centre
(CC) managed to get the local Association of the Independent Media
Operators legally registered!
The registration of the Association, meaning the legal recognition
of the Independent Media Operators in Tete, will allow the Media
Project to enter into a contract and therefore to disburse funds for
more equipment and to cover running costs during the Project’s
lifetime.
Several independent media initiatives in Tete have written letters
to the Project, stating strong interest and need in using the
equipment of the CC.
Beira
and Chimoio: Taking Final Steps
The Communication Centres groups in Beira and Chimoio are presently
taking the final steps towards the legalization of the local
Associations of the Independent Media Operators.
The appointment of new provincial governors is said to be the reason
behind the delay of the legal registration of the CCs.
Presently, the CC are made up by a powerful computer and a laser
printer. Strengthening the sustainability potentials of the local
independent publications and also serving as production and
distribution points for other publications based elsewhere in the
country, among others, is the aim of the CC.
CR:‘WAVES’FOR
DEVELOPMENT
The Community Radio (CR) ‘waves’ for development would be floating
in Homoíne, Chimoio and Cuamba hopefully by December this year.
This will be the culmination of the intense planning process
initiated by the Project together with the communities, mainly
through social mobilisation, training and formalisation of the
management structures.
The Media Project has just completed the signing of Activity
Financing Contracts with the Community Radio Associations, and this
means that UNESCO is now able to release funds for equipment, other
training activities and initial running costs.
COMMUNITY
COMMITTEE IN CHIMOIO
The GESOM Community Radio in Chimoio has elected a Community
Committee, made up by people from different civic organisations, the
municipality, and representatives from social and economic sectors,
traditional leaders, women associations and volunteers.
The role of the Community Committee would be that of ensuring the
participation of the community in Community Radio activities,
through definition of the general profile of the grid of programs,
definition of the content of the programs and direct participation
in programme production.
The creation of the Community Committee culminated in a long
‘communitarasation’ process of GESOM, the civic organisation leading
the process for the establishment of the Community Radio station in
Chimoio.
The mandate given to the Community Committee includes production of
its internal rules and competencies.
MISA-MOZ.
REACTIVATED
The constitutional conference held in Maputo on August 23,
reactivated the Mozambique Chapter of the Media Institute for
Southern Africa (MISA).
The Editor of the independent weekly newspaper SAVANA, Mr. Salomão
Moyana, has been elected as President of the Governing Council of
MISA-Mozambique for three years period
Media
Development Project
c/o UNESCO, P.O.Box 1397 Maputo, Mozambique
Tel. +
258.1. 498752/ 490840 Fax +258.1.498717
E-mail: unesco@mediamoz.com
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