adminShowbiz Correspondent
Recently licensed Masvingo radio station, Hevoi FM, will this weekend conduct a presenter and news anchor search at the Great Zimbabwe University Law School in Masvingo. The station which plans to start broadcasting on August 1 will host its first leg of auditions tomorrow from 2PM to 5PM followed by the Saturday auditions which will be from 8AM to 1PM. The auditions will be conducted by AB Communications personnel comprising Tonderai “TK” Katsande, Themba Mkanda and Kelvin Jakachira.
AB Communications, which was also given a license by the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe to operate Faya FM in Gweru, said they were looking for talented multi-lingual personalities, regardless of their qualifications.
“The auditions are open to anyone who lives in Masvingo and its surrounding areas as we want people from that locality to benefit from the setting up of the new radio station. With this sector, it’s less to do with one’s qualifications so our focus is more on people’s talent and passion, except for the technical jobs like technicians,” AB Communications chief executive officer Susan Makore said.
“We’re hoping to get multi-lingual personalities who’ll be able to speak in our diverse languages to cater for our different listeners there.”
She said they were mainly looking for on-air talent – people with exceptional radio voices.
“We’re hoping to get a team of about 15 to 20 people who’re good at talk shows, reading news, writing news as well as presenting shows and have good voices to kick-start the station,” Makore said.
She said the Faya FM presenter search which was conducted in Gweru last month went well with adjudicators now working on the shortlisted candidates who will be revealed next month.
“Shortlisted candidates for both Hevoi and Faya FM will be expected to undergo training in July as we prepare for the August 1 launch. We want all our radio stations to be launched in one month so we celebrate their birthdays at once,” she said.
To close off the Hevoi presenter search, a party will be held at Liquid Nite Club on Saturday featuring Temba ‘The Black Bond’ Mkanda, DJ Ashley Black and DJ I-Rock among other DJs.
Meanwhile, Bulawayo’s first commercial radio station, Skyz Metro FM, which also held auditions for presenters recently is expected to announce the final list of presenters at the end of this week.
Its sister station, Breeze FM, which was licensed to operate in Victoria Falls is yet to conduct auditions as the focus now is on setting up the Bulawayo station.
One of the Fairtalk Communications shareholders, Cont Mhlanga, said they would start working on their Vic Falls station as soon as they are done setting up Skyz Metro FM.
“We want to focus on one thing at time and concentrate on one station. But that will not delay us from broadcasting live on the expected date,” Mhlanga said.
Online Reporter