ZIMBABWE BROADCASTING CORPORATION ANNOUNCES

UNCLAS HARARE 001287 SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/S (KRAFT),AF/PD (COX AND ROBERTSON) NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER LONDON FOR GURNEY PARIS FOR NEARY NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PHUM KPAO ZI SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE BROADCASTING CORPORATION ANNOUNCES DRASTIC CUTS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED. NOT FOR INTERNET POSTING. ¶1. (U) On May 25 the government-owned Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) announced massive staffing cuts and personnel changes. According to Information Minister Jonathan Moyo, the de-facto director of all government-owned media, approximately 60 percent of the ZBC's 900 employees will be laid off. Moyo, however, sought to reassure threatened employees with an Orwellian statement: "What the ZBC has announced are not plans to retrench (lay workers off),they have announced an action programme in the on-going restructuring exercise." The Minister also said he was sure that "..the on-going restructuring exercise -- in particular the retrenchment process -- will boost morale." ¶2. (U) Among the casualties are several high-profile appointments made at the ZBC's November 2001 restructuring. Chief among these is ZBC news editor- in-chief Shepherd Mutamba, appointed to that key position 7 months ago in during the ZBC's previous pogrom. He was perceived to be a protg of Minister Moyo, but in early May he conducted a tough television interview with the controversial Minister. Among other issues, Mutamba asked about the intent of the "Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Bill" and the perception that Minister Moyo is opposed to freedom of expression. In the wake of that interview, an article in the independent weekly "Standard" predicted major changes at the state-owned media. Two o journalists from that newspaper were arrested and charged with "publishing falsehoods" for reporting imminent changes at ZBC. We will watch to see if those charges are dropped now that the story has been confirmed. ¶3. (SBU) Comment: ZBC has steadily lost credibility, audience and income in the last two years. Radio and television programs featuring live calls from the public were canceled because of the broadcaster's ban on dissenting views and criticism. Current events and discussion programs sponsored by advertisers or NGOs were canceled because, in the words of Minister Moyo, "we do not want to be a cultural colony of advertisers." Commercial advertising diminished and was replaced by ruling party-produced music videos extolling the virtues of the "fast-track" land re-distribution program. News and editorial opinion were merged into a pre- masticated TV dinner that viewers have, apparently, found unappetizing and indigestible. Lack of funds has also forced ZBC TV to dig deeply into their tape library. American sitcoms from the early 1970s, largely irrelevant to Zimbabwe or the year 2002, now form the basis of ZBC's entertainment programming. The corporation is currently pursued by a number of creditors, has had to take out emergency bank loans to meet April and May payrolls, and has been reduced to siphoning gasoline from inoperable Outside Broadcast Vans in order to fuel reporters cars. ¶4. (SBU) Comment continued: While firing 60 percent of its staff will eventually reduce the payroll, the broadcaster will first need to find funds to pay separation benefits. Minister Moyo has a plan: "Retrenchments will have to be financed by finding the money somewhere, one way or the other." A solution to the ZBC's larger problem, restoring credibility, audience and the ability to generate income, remains even more vague. SULLIVAN