Story by Kenias Chivuzhe
THE Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation’s National FM roadshow held at Chitsva Business Centre in Makoni West this Saturday ignited excitement among locals who had a chance to interact with their favourite radio personalities.
The country’s fastest growing ration station, National FM, proved to be the country’s second most popular station in the country after Radio Zimbabwe after attracting huge crowds at a roadshow held at Chitsva Business Centre in Makoni West constituency this Saturday.
The level of excitement was second to none and the first in the history of the community as the locals exhibited their dancing skills and interacted with their popular radio personalities.
“These roadshows are giving us an opportunity to meet and interact with popular radio personalities and to learn a lot from them,” a radio fan said.
“This is a great event which has created business opportunities and excitement within this community,” a community member said.
“I am happy to see presenters like Bhozongora, BlaFidza and Shugeta,” a radio listener said.
“The huge crowds here is testimony of the popularity of National FM,” an observer said.
“I was also excited to meet Sugeta, KB, Captain and Bhozongora. We also enjoyed dancing the platform given to us to exhibit our dancing skills,” personality fan said.
The roadshows have also become popular with companies marketing their products and services to the huge crowds attending ZBC roadshows.
“These roadshows are helping to ensure we market our products. It is easy for us to reach out to them when they are at one place,” a marketer said.
“The roadshows by ZBC are boosting our business. We are able to do business on the event and the walk in clients at our premises in areas were roadshows are conducted always increases,” business owner said.
“We sell electrical gadgets and these road shows are helping to increase our sales. They also help to improve our relations with our customers,” retailer said.
The company management is happy with the huge turnout at the road shows that are being conducted as part of the national broadcaster’s mandate to educate, inform and entertain.
“As a station we always do these roadshows as a way of meeting with our listeners. These roadshows helps us to entertain and market our station. We are happy with the crowds attending our roadshows,” National FM Chief Producer, Mr Clifford Baloyi said.
“As Zbc we have the mandate to inform, educate and entertain. We have the mandate to increase the happiness index of the nation. We go places to make sure our people are happy and our listeners are highly appreciative of the move. They create a win-win situation where the business community benefit while we are able to increase our listenership,” ZBC Director Radio Services, Albert Chekayi said.
The huge crowds attending ZBC roadshows are testimony of the National Broadcaster’s growing popularity in the face of new media platforms and other radio stations, among other competitors.
