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Star FM, which is broadcasting on 89.7 in Harare and 93.1 Megahertz in Bulawayo, becomes the first commercial radio to operate in Zimbabwe after independence.

 

The station has a 24-hour programming schedule and its studios are located along Simon Mazorodze Road in Harare. The studios are equipped with state-of-the-art playout system that can run commercials, music and news schedules.

Star FM employees who were brimming with confidence could be seen operating the new machinery in the studios.

Speaking after the launch of the radio station yesterday, Zimpapers group chief executive, Mr Justin Mutasa, said the company was proud to be the owner of the first commercial radio station after independence.

“Our radio has successfully taken off. On behalf of all our staff, management and the board, I want to say congratulations for the job well done. I extend the same to Admire Taderera (Talk Radio general manager), Tich Mataz, Piwayi Dzuda and others I would like to say well done for taking off successfully beyond our expectations.

“We are the proud owners of the first commercial radio after independence. We have not let down the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe that has confidence in us that we are going to be on air within the timelines they gave us,” he said.

Mr Mutasa said the successful launch of Star FM was a huge victory against the company’s detractors who thought that it did not have the capacity to run a radio station. He said the company was working towards becoming a fully fledged media house running newspapers, radio and television stations.

“Currently, we are inundated with congratulations messages and we are saying we are on the road to become a fully integrated media house.

“We now have newspapers and a radio station. As soon as the door is opened for television licence applications, we will be the first to apply in line with the vision of this company.

“We are proud that Sadc has set that all radio and television stations should be digitalised by 2015 and we are digitalised by 2012.

“With God on our side, there is nothing that can stop us from moving to the next stage of glory that is having a television station,” he said.

Mr Mutasa said the company would arrange for a media tour where people would have an opportunity to see the company’s digitalised radio station.

He said Star FM would complement ZBC and it had already identified its target market.

“Ours is a commercial radio and ZBC is a public broadcaster and there is a difference. We did some research and we identified a niche market that was not covered by ZBC and we exploited it,” he said.

Mr Taderera said Star FM would operate in a unique manner that appeals to its audience.

He said they would offer quality programmes on issues that affect people in their day to day lives.

“We are not trying to reinvent the wheel because radio is just radio but it is how we will do our news and other content that will make us unique.

“People really love radio and we want to bring radio in an exciting fashion,” he said.

On its current affairs programmes, Mr Taderera said, Star FM would focus on gender and other issues that affect women.

“Apart from news, we will focus on issues that deal with finance and gender among other interesting programmes.

“In terms of sport, we will bring sport live as it happens in the country. We do not want to focus on what is happening in the English Premiership before talking about our own Premier League here,” he said.