BROADCASTING REGULATIONS

In November 2004, many nations, through the Word Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), begun to work on the amendment of their broadcasting services in the form of a Broadcasting Treaty. This came about when nations realised that Radio-communication and Telecommunication was being intertwined in commerce because of the Internet. There is a clear distinction between Cable-casting (data transmission through wire/fibre), Broadcasting (data transmission through radio waves), and “now” Web-casting (data transmission through both, using the Internet).

Zimbabwe followed through by amending the Broadcasting Act, to incorporate Webcasting per se, found in the Broadcasting Regulations. The amendments now include charges payable by Internet Service Providers and Content Providers, just to mention a few. Knowledge of this change gives you insight on the environment in which your website is being regulated. This may not be important; but as this saying goes, “Being for warned is being for armed”. I recommend Designers, Developers, and Publishers to get a copy of this Act.