adminWhile we are aware that regional representation or decentralisation is meant to ensure that those in the regions have control of happenings in their areas, we believe some periodic checks from above could be the needed tonic to get things done.
Are the officials in Harare getting the right picture of what obtains on the ground in Murambinda, Dotito, Malipati or in remote Chikwalakwala in Beitbridge?
Having installed radio transmitters and later commissioning the equipment amid pomp and fanfare in the last two years in Beitbridge and other transmission-deficient areas, Transmedia appears to be facing a challenge since their service still leaves a lot to be desired.
The impression created after the commissioning of the transmitters was that the transmission problems were now a thing of the past. However, we have had grumblings from remote Plumtree and Matabeleland North that despite the much publicised transmitters, they still could not access the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation radio signal. The danger with such a scenario is that the national station broadcasts largely to an urban audience and leaves the rural areas, especially in remote parts of the country, under-serviced. This should be corrected and confirmed by the listeners in the affected areas that it has indeed been rectified.
It came as a surprise to the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry Media, Information and Publicity, Cde George Charamba, when he came face-to-face with the sad reality of poor transmission in a nerve centre such as Beitbridge.
“I am very unhappy about the quality of radio transmission in Beitbridge. Radio trades on sound and when you juxtapose Radio Zimbabwe with radio stations in South
Africa and other neighbouring countries there is a big difference. In fact it’s as good as we are abusing the ears of our listeners because the state of the quality is below standard . . . We need to address that challenge as a matter of urgency,” said Cde Charamba.
We share Cde Charamba’s concerns and would like to urge Transmedia to improve on their transmission since it appears only areas near the transmitter get better sound. It is important that these areas near our borders access Zimbabwean programmes since many of these are not even reached by newspapers. This
would then leave our people at the mercy of pirate radio stations whose transmission would be better than our own national radio but whose foreign agenda would alienate our people from their own values.
Nobody should feel they are marginalised and deprived of information that could empower them because of their geographical location, whether Mudzi, Plumtree or Binga.
If we continue providing a poor service to our people, we run the risk of robbing our citizens of their national pride since they are forced to scavenge in foreign stations for information, which at times is grossly distorted by the time it reaches them. In this day and age when people in remote areas are communicating clearly using cellphones it is unforgivable to offer poor service whereby the sound is offensive to the ear due to excessive noise. It is our hope that the transmission problems will be rectified as soon as possible so that we break the artificial transmission borders that are shutting out scores of our citizens and surrendering them to the information jungle that is reeking with hostile broadcasts.
Online Reporter