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Professor Jonathan Moyo

Felex Share Harare Bureau
Interaction between the media in Zimbabwe and China should not be mere exchange of gadgets but the country must draw lessons from the vast experience the Asians have in the industry, Information, Media and Broadcasting Services Minister Professor Jonathan Moyo has said.

Prof Moyo made these remarks when he met a delegation from China National Radio led by its director general Wang Qiu at his Munhumutapa offices in Harare yesterday.

The delegation arrived in the country on Monday and left yesterday.

They also met ZBC officials during the visit.

The meeting was also attended by Secretary for Information, Media and Broadcasting Services George Charamba.

“The minister indicated that relations between Zimbabwe and China have always been warm since the days of the liberation struggle. As such, he said exchanges in the sphere of media should be deep exchanges that do not end with the exchanging of gadgets but one that has to benefit Zimbabwe in terms of drawing from the rich experience that China has in the media, the radio in particular,” said a source that attended the meeting.

“He said the expectation was that we need to learn more from the experience China has in their many years of running the radio, successfully.”

The source said the delegation told Prof Moyo that after meeting ZBC officials, it established a number of areas for cooperation.

“He (Prof Moyo) inquired about the exchanges and agreements they had with ZBC and the indication was that already they have running relations and the visit was meant to strengthen the relations,” added the source.

“Another area was that of training where the delegation indicated that it was an area they could exchange more with Zimbabwe though he was quick to observe that we need to make plain our areas of interest as a country since China National Radio is not the authority to train. The training happens at ministerial level by the state administration of the press, film and television, radio and publications, which is in charge.

“In their case they said they were going to open invitation to ZBC. They also established the need for exchanges of media practitioners at various levels between the two institutions.”

The source said the delegation outlined the organisation of radio in China.

“Indications were that it is organised at various levels that is international, national and provincial. Provincial authorities own radios and even cities have got stations which they are in charge of,” the source said.

“He indicated that support by the central government is given to the national radio and at provincial level and below that radio stations survive on their own. They do not collect licences like we do here but assistance is through central budgets and adverts.”
Discussions between the Chinese and ZBC centred on digitalisation.

On his meeting with ZBC, Wang said: “We looked at the areas of news collecting and production. It was our opportunity to come and invite ZBC such that we have more and specific exchanges on digitalisation, that is experience sharing,” he said.