Zimpapers Logo

Bongani Ndlovu Showbiz Correspondent
Some newly licensed local commercial radio stations seem to be finding the going tough if the decision by AB Communications to postpone their launch because of liquidity constraints, is anything to go by.

The stations including Skyz Metro FM (Bulawayo), Breeze FM (Victoria Falls) Hevoi FM (Masvingo), Faya FM (Gweru), Diamond FM (Mutare), YA FM (Zvishavane), KE100.4FM (Harare) and Nyaminyami FM (Kariba) were licensed by the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe earlier this year and were expected to start launching this month.

A visit to stations such as YA FM and Skyz Metro FM who have since identified bases from where they will broadcast, showed construction and development was still at its infancy. Other stations, if not most, are still to identify possible bases and finalise their recruitment.

AB Communications — parent company of Hevhoi FM and Faya FM, said they failed to launch on August 1 due to liquidity challenges.

“We’d anticipated to launch on August 1 but the market isn’t liquid enough to bankroll the station. I can’t give a definite date when we’ll launch but it’ll be soon, AB Communications chief executive officer Susan Makore said.

She said they were still in the process of recruiting personnel to run the two stations and were yet to identify bases, hence the decision to postpone the launch.

“We’re still to recruit station heads who’ll refine the list of presenters that were shortlisted a few months ago,” she said.

Makore however said they had gathered diverse content which will be used by the two stations.

Not much work has been done on the Victoria Falls radio station as the proprietors of Breeze FM — Fair Talk Communications are focusing on setting up the Bulawayo station, Skyz Metro FM.

Fair Talk Communications chief executive officer, Qhubani Moyo, said they needed to launch Skyz Metro FM in September first in order to give the Vic Falls branch the attention it deserves.

“We’re hoping to go live at the beginning of September as we’re in our last stages of preparation. We’ve recruited presenters and producers who we’ve trained. A programme has since been fixed and we now know who presents what and at what times,” said Moyo.

On the technical side, Moyo said they were still waiting for their equipment which is being imported from a foreign supplier to be installed at the new studios. The studios at Amakhosi Cultural Centre in Bulawayo, are still being constructed.

He said Breeze FM would likely be launched in November, two months after the Skyz Metro FM launch.

“Breeze FM presenters and producers will be finalised on August 14. Thereafter, they’ll be trained in preparation for the launch,” Moyo said.

Both stations already have over 5,000 songs in their libraries as artistes have been submitting their music ever since the new stations were licensed in March.

“We’ve a musical compilation list of over 5,000 songs in our library. The musicians have heeded our call for them to submit and we’re still getting more music from them.

“We’re just a platform for musicians to market themselves as the audience will determine what’s popular.”

Zvishavane radio station, YA FM, says renovations at their site are almost complete. They, like Skyz Metro FM, are now awaiting the arrival of their radio equipment from a foreign supplier.

Ray of Hope, YA FM’s parent body, chief executive officer Munyaradzi Hwengwere said: “We’re set to launch on September 11 and we’re courting a senior government official to grace the occasion. We’ve since recruited 95 percent of the staff including presenters, news producers, station managers and engineers.”

“Transmission and broadcasting equipment is expected to arrive in a fortnight’s time and we’ll instal it at our offices situated at 16 Ireland Road in Zvishavane. The premises are being renovated and our engineers are on site, waiting for the equipment.”

He said the station would be a voice for the vibrant mining community.

“Our content will be 50 percent music and 50 percent talk time. We want to be the voice of the mining community and that’s why we’re dedicating half of the time to discussing issues that affect people here,” said Hwengwere.