Story by Tambaoga Gora
Zimpapers-run radio station, Nyaminyami FM, has expanded its network to a provincial radio station and rebranded to Platinum FM, broadcasting from Chinhoyi.
From initially covering about 200 000 people in Kariba, the station can now be accessed by about a million listeners in the province and surrounding areas.
A businessman based in Chinhoyi told the ZBC News, “We are very happy with this development here in Chinhoyi we can now easily market our businesses. We are very happy and hoping to work with Platinum FM.”
An artist, Jonathan Stumu said, “We had difficulties travelling to Harare, this will help us in advertising our shows and they are promoting us by playing our music here and there.”
Mashonaland West Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Honourable Mary Mliswa said, “We had an April Fools Day lie which was in bad taste, claiming that a decomposing dead body was discovered in the municipality water tanks and people were no longer drinking Chinhoyi council water, but the new radio sanitised the lie. They are doing a good job.”
The relocation of Platinum FM has paved way for the establishment of another community radio station for the people of Nyaminyami district.
“Were you aware that the relocation of Nyaminyami from Kariba was also a creation of space for the establishment of another radio station for the community, known as Kasambayezi Community Radio Station?” noted Hon Mliswa.
Speaking live on Platinum FM soon after commissioning the Chinhoyi Studios, the Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Senator Mutsvangwa challenged the people of Mashonaland West Province to leverage their local radio station and fight societal ills such as drug and substance abuse, child marriages and domestic violence.
“This is a platform to unpack all the challenges our society is facing. Let us use this radio to expose all societal ills, issues of drug abuse, early child marriages, gender-based violence, and domestic violence. As we approach the election season, let us shun violence. Let us build our country and love one another,” said the minister.
Since the onset of the Second Republic, a number of community radio stations have been licensed and some of them are already on air.
The country now has 14 community radio stations, seven campus radio stations, 10 provincial radio stations, and 6 national radio stations.
